Seventeen boats all welcomed a full reservoir and a forecast for winds building throughout the day for the first in the series RS200 Bollé Northern Tour.   The format was for three back to back races with an extended lunch whilst a club race took place.

The three 45 minute back to back races before lunch were competed in a moderate eight to twelve knot breeze.  At the break for lunch there were four competitors, Martin and Barbara Smith, Tony and Sarah Taylor (Budworth), Chris Pickles and Laura Westell (Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club) and David and Jack Moore (Blithfield Sailing Club) on four points equally. The first three of these all had one win each which meant that all was to play for in the last race after lunch.

The final race started with a steady breeze of twelve to fifteen knots and soon picked up to a perfect seventeen which soon split-up the field. The race ended with Chris Pickles and Laura Westell being victorious over Martin and Barbara Smith in second and Tony and Sarah Taylor in third.  All three pairings will receive pairs of Bollé sunglasses.

Chris Pickles thanked Staunton Harold Sailing Club for a great event and Bollé for sponsoring the Northern Tour.

Fotoboat were present at the event and photos are available on their website http://www.fotoboat.com/

Results at http://tinyurl.com/8y69ekx

Lol Hayward

RS200 Fleet captain Staunton Harold

Add to Appendix 3, the following:

1.3.16.  The mainsheet system may utilise no more than 4 blocks, of which 2 must be attached to the boom in the standard positions, and up to 2 may be attached to the deck in the standard positions.  One of the blocks may be a ratchet type.

Modify Appendix 3, 1.2.9 to read:

1.2.9.  Mainsheet swivel jammer/ratchet device and deck attachment fitting.

Purpose

To allow the mainsheet system to be customised to suit the individual in such a way that no alterations are required to the boat or boom and no additional parts need be purchased.

Rationale

Sheeting directly from the boom rather than from a final block on the floor has been commonplace in dinghy sailing for decades.  Some RS300 sailors are already using this technique, but are unable to rig the system with the ratchet block as the final block.  The rule change would allow sheeting off the boom via the ratchet block, and would allow any unused blocks to be removed to declutter the deck.

In case you didn't see it - the RS Games at WPNSA was voted by Y&Y the Championship of the Year 2011.  

They say - 'There is no doubt that the RS Games was a tremendous success, with a grand total of 525 boats and 875 competitors taking part in nine World, European and National championships over 12 days at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, raising the bar both on and off the water.'   See http://www.yachtsandyachting.co.uk/sailing-stars/best-of-2011/

We've got 12 RS100s from 6 countries, and 12 RS500s from 4 countries signed up to the 1st Magic Marine Euro Grand Prix of 2012 at La Bruinesse, The Netherlands on 12/13 May.

RS100 entry is just €20/£18; RS500 entry just £30/€27, plus €20 or £18/person for the social on the Saturday evening. However there is a late entry levy for anyone entering after 15th April - THIS SUNDAY.   There is no need to pay when you enter - you can pay at registration if you prefer.

There will be free coaching on Friday 11th which must be booked in advance with your entry.

RS Sailing are offering UK sailors a fab deal. They will take out you and your boat for just £100 including your entry fee. This must be booked and paid in advance - do this on the entry form.

More information and entry form at -
RS100 - http://www.rs100sailing.org/champs/cindex.asp?eid=331
RS500 - http://www.rs500.org/champs/cindex.asp?eid=354

Any questions - contact me on heatherc@rs-association.com

Despite nationwide predictions of death-by-tanker-strike strangely normal conditions greeted the brave competitors of the first wind-powered Gul Grand Prix of 2012 at Draycote Water.

An extensive briefing outside the nice warm clubhouse gave the competitors the chance to realise it wasn’t quite summer yet, and make suitable choices for sailing clothing. Eight boats lined up on a start-line that was crying out for a port end flyer, sadly no-one obliged, and  race one got away smoothly, with Nick Craig and endeavour tyro Alan Roberts leading in 1383, and assorted scuffling for other places. The short course was compensated for by a healthy number of laps ensuring cumulative confusion set in by the end of lap five, and big gaps allowing everyone to sail in clean wind. Rumour has it that the Craig machine took first, Jasper Barnham & Graham Saxton (1275) second, and Caroline Whitehouse with Guy Mason (1379) a solid third. The second race ensued promptly, with the same order establishing itself almost as quickly. In the third race somehow messrs Farbrother & Martin (1251) bucked the trend and appeared at the windward mark a good 30m ahead of La Craig, but luckily normal service resumed and a 200m lead had been re-established by the bottom of the same run. The suspiciously smooth sailing duo of Barnham & Saxton gracefully extracted second place from Farbrother/Martin by lap three, and the fleet waited for a mystic sign that the finish line was a legitimate place to go. Strangely, Mr Craig got the nod first.

By the fourth and last race the wind had mysteriously swung to make the fixed start line appear a thing of unbiased beauty.  This confused Mr Craig, who decided that wallowing on the start line for 30 seconds after the start was the way to go. This unexpected event led to some unseemly scuffling in the rest of the fleet, as the race was clearly wide open. This delirious state of affairs lasted almost two laps. Final order Craig/Roberts, Barnham/Sexton, Whitehouse/Mason.

The fleet retired to the shore and the warm welcome of the legion of midges who had misread the time of year. Luckily patented midge-repellent was available in the form of alcoholic beverages, served by the smiling Draycote shore crew and all was well. Day two was unfortunately canned due to lack of wind, leaving overall results as per last race. On to Bartley!

Howard Farbrother