Sailing Today		© Nick Champion
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The RS200 associations e-Newsletter - Issue 5
Welcome……
Welcome to Issue 5 of the RS200 eNewsletter. The new season is nearly on us with the first event of the new season. The Winters at Grafham also marks the official end of the 2007 season with the prize giving for the 2007 Fat Face Racing Circuit and Eurocup. Fat Face and GUL have been long term sponsors of the RS Association and in that time the RS200 has gone from a relatively small fleet to Britain’s biggest two man class. The Association could not have helped make this happen without the support of our sponsors and it is important to stress this. So please show your appreciation for our sponsors at every possible event, starting with the circuit prize giving. PV		Ian I know Ellie's driving can be a little scary but there is no need to hold onto the shroud! © Nick Champion
GUL Winter Championships at Grafham Water kicks the season off...
The RS200 season kicks off on the 16/17 of February with the GUL Winter Championship at the ever popular Grafham Water Sailing Club. The sailing start at 12.00pm on Saturday and there will be 3 races per day on a Windward / Leeward course. Directions and accommodation details can be found on the RS web site at: http://www.rs-association.com/index.asp?selection=eventsdetail&uid=114823412&class=RS200&fleet=RS200&detailevent=1
Back by popular demand after racing on Saturday is the famous de-brief. One of the top sailors will give a de-brief on the days racing explaining what was hot and what was not. These seminars will be held thought-out the year at all Fat Face circuit events and GUL championships, with each one focusing on a different area. Kicking things off at the Winter’s is third overall at the 2007 Nationals Nick Charles and Juliet Kingsnorth.
The new Social Sectary Hannah Yuill, has been working hard over the winter and has prepared a questionnaire that will be handed out on Saturday evening. The aim for the year is increase the variety of the socials, focusing the Big Parties for a few events in the year, and holding alternative socials at other events (BBQ, quiz night etc). The committee has a range of ideas, but we are looking for your feedback before finalising the programme.
The prize giving for the 2007 Fat Face circuit and Eurocup will also be held on Saturday night. So with prizes throughout the fleet make sure you come along to pick up the chocolates (well FF vouchers and Bubbly). 2007 saw the 200 re-enforce its self as the UK’s biggest two-man adult racing class with 152 boats competing in the circuit and 130 boats at the Nationals. 2008 is shaping up to be even bigger with a top quality circuit, the 3 day Big-Bash, the Nationals at Hayling Island expected to be the biggest ever and the Eurocup at the ever popular Riva Del Garda. Nick Charles/Pete Vincent		© Nick Champion
Question time...
So should you go to Garda? It’s a long way I hear you cry! Here are 10 reasons to make you certain that it is most definitely part of you plan for summer 2008:
The weather: without fail, glorious sunshine and wind every day. Plus the wind doesn’t kick in till lunch time so you have the morning to see some sights or recover from your hangover.   The drive: Through the Swiss Alps and past the lakes of northern Italy, some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world.   The food: There is a reason the Italy has its great reputation for food and wine. Supermarkets are filled with cheap, fresh and really tasty produce and the restaurants similar, just without the washing up!   Post-sailing pasta: After a day hiking the crews will be eager for their complementary bowl of pasta on the balcony. Helms obviously wont need it as they don’t hike, or do they?!   The view from the chapel: If you can make it, it is well worth the trip up the cliff face to the chapel (or so I am told.) Stunning views, just don’t get too close to the edge. (gosh Loopie chapel, I was getting all excited about an announcement about Charlie and yourself! –ed)   Taking home duty free wine, authentic pasta and balsamic vinegar. Far better than a booze cruise to France.   The music festival. Often held during the regatta week, you can hear the musicians rehearsing while you rig your boats.   A good way to dry your boat out and loose a few kilos before the nationals. Saves the helm having to loose it!   The Ice Cream. Need I say more.   Supporting the best fleet in the country. Priceless. Let’s show them how it’s done.
Can’t wait to see you all there…. Its going to be immense. Love Loopiex 1165
Coaching Programme announced...
New Coaching Rep Paul Lewis and Pete Vincent have been working hard over the winter to organise a coaching programme for RS200’s. The result is a more extensive programme than we have tried to organise before with each coaching day targeted at specific groups. Many thanks to Paul for all his hard work.
Date	Venue	Group coaching day(s) aimed at	Coaches
23rd February	Grafham Water	Youth sailors	Mike Saul
22/23 March	Burghfield	Silver, lower half gold	Jon Lewis
29/30 March	Grafham Water	Youth sailors	Pete Vincent & Paul Lewis
12th April	Bristol Corinthian	New to RS200’s and Bronze fleet	Pete Vincent & Ian Pickard
24th May	Bristol Corinthian	Silver fleet and front of Bronze	Jon Lewis & Pete Vincent
9/10 August	Hayling Island	Pre Nationals coaching	Pete Barton
Full details are on the RS website under coaching. It is important to note there are a limited number of spaces for each coaching day, people must register and pay in advance, these are not a turn up on the day and enter events. The February and March dates are not far away so if you’re a youth or silver fleet sailor and want to know how to get more out of your 200 then sign up as soon as possible.		© Nick Champion
RS200 Class Rules – the basics! - (by Ian Pickard, RS200 Rules Representative)
As it has been a while since there has been anything in the RS Newsletter on class rules, I thought it would be worth a brief reminder of how the RS200 class rules work. All the RS classes are strict one-design which means that, if you want your boat to remain "in class", you cannot make any changes to your boat from its "as delivered" state unless they are permitted by the class rules. There is an overarching set of rules applicable to all classes, together with a specific appendix for each class. They can be found here. The "all classes" rules cover issues such as membership of the RS Association, suppliers, measurement, etc. They include one very important principle: "No significant performance advantage shall be obtained from any permitted replacement, addition or repair. The permitted replacements, additions, alterations and repairs described in the individual class appendix are subject to this overriding limitation." – this is often forgotten by RS owners! The appendix which covers the class rules specific to the RS200 is in four sections, covering:
parts or equipment which can be replaced with something of a similar type and performs the same function (from any supplier)   parts or equipment which can be replaced with something which performs the same function (from any supplier)   permitted additions and alterations   sailing requirements
In a nutshell, if it's not mentioned, you can't change it, and this is all subject to the overriding limitation above. This may all seem very stringent but it is fundamental to the one design principle which makes RS racing so close, enjoyable and popular, and so effectively protects and maintains the value of your boat. If you don't like it, try a different class :o) It is worth remembering that the class rules can be changed – the process is in the "all classes rules". This is the way that many of the "permitted alterations and additions" have appeared. If you have any queries relating to the class rules, or want to discuss a possible change, you can contact me through the RS200 website (committee section). Lastly, during the year I intend to add details of past "class rules clarifications" to the RS200 website. Specific Class Rules Issue – continuous control lines Over the past few years more and more RS200s have been sporting continuous control lines – kicker and cunningham tails spliced together to create a continuous loop around the boat. This has given rise to a few class rules queries:
Are continuous control lines allowed? Yes, it is something that is inherent in the permitted rope replacements (a tapering/splicing guide will appear in a later e-Newsletter)   Can extra blocks be added to the system? No, this is specifically prohibited   Can elastic take-ups be added? Yes, but only "simple elastic take-ups … provided they are incorporated under the thwart moulding", without any extra blocks – i.e. you can't have the complex multi-block, cross boat take-ups as added to some RS400s – nobody has found an effective way to add elastic take-ups to the RS200 within the class rules, if anyone's up for a challenge!   Can anything be added to route the control lines nearer the side deck? Yes, but this is STRONGLY DISCOURAGED! While extra blocks are prohibited (anyone who has fitted blocks must remove them!), the continuous control lines can be passed through rings or loops of rope attached to the grabrails on the cockpit sides (by drilling a small vertical hole down through the grabrail, passing some thin rope through it and tying it into a loop or around a metal ring). Why is this discouraged? The grabrails are a source of leaks and are not designed or fastened to take the pull from a control line. Both the RS200 Committee and LDC feel that the attachment of anything to the grabrail significantly increases the risk of leaks. Similarly you should not screw blocks or rings into the cockpit sides as the laminate is not thick enough to support this.
Cheers Ian
First SEA’s and Northern Tour events of the year...
The South East Area Tour (SEA’s) has gone from strength to strength and this years tour kicks off early with the first event at Littleton SC on Feb 24th quickly followed by the second event at Frensham Pond on March 2nd. The very popular Mike Saul Dinghy Services Northern Tour first event of the year is at Beaver on March 29th. See the event section of the RS Assoc website for more details.
Baby Talk...
Two RS couples are celebrating the arrival of new 200 crews in early February. Laurie Dunn and John Callaghan are now proud parents of Freddie James; Garda campsites better make room for a second Racing Snake campervan in 2008. A few days later and Claire Upton Brown and Craig Burlton now have two daughters with the arrival of Henrietta. Everyone is doing well although we believe John has already broken the washing machine. I am sure all 200 sailors will want to join me in saying many congratulations. PV
This has been an ugly production for the RS200 Committee.
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