Pilling & Pilling Win RS500 Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy Fat Face Circuit event.

Husband and wife team, Chris and Natasha Pilling (Hickling Broad SC), won the RS500 Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy Fat Face Circuit event last weekend. With just three points separating the top five boats, it was a hard-fought contest right up to the last gun. It would be easy to assume that, given the 20-25 knot breeze, the heavier crews would be at the head of the pack – this was not the case. The Pilling’s two bullets gave them the advantage, but there was lots of place changing during three races in feisty conditions. And there was no distinct advantage to be had in crew choice – 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd places were respectively a husband and wife, two young sisters, and two heavy ringers from RS. The RS500 really is for all! With the next Fat Face Racing Circuit event at Stokes Bay only a few weeks away, Pilling/Pilling are the ones to watch, but sisters Jeni and Kate Todd (Datchet Water SC), and the youth pairing John Holmes and Hamish Ellis  (Emsworth Slipper SC) are snapping at their heels!

The RS600 fat face series at Weymouth and Portland sailing club

Turning up on Saturday morning at WPSA and opening the door of my van and having it ripped out of my hand prove to set what was to be one of the windiest days of the circuit yet 27 constant and mid 30 gusts. Sadly it seemed for the committee boat that it was much too windy to do any sailing even with lots of purswation from most of the fleets during the day.

  So after three hours  of standing round its safe to say that most of us were getting board so we found things to mess around with and keep our selves amused, one of these was seeing how fast we could get out of a mountain board while only using the wind sadly it was way to confined to use the kites so started off with towels and got board of that and wanted more controlled power so move onto a sail bag with two tiller extensions in it and opened it out which gave lots more power and speed.

Once the race committee finally gave up on racing they cancelled the day which was long in coming, we ran to reception and signed the disclaimer form to say that we were all mad and went for a sail there were only 5 600s that went out after the long and boarding wait with all the other fleets just standing on the bank watching.

In the evening we all descended on the cove inn on Portland were it all started quite polite and peace full for the main course but then it started to get rowdy and uncouth, with pudding stealing and beer flavoured vinegar drinking much to the amusement of the rest of the pub, also some heated debate from both side of the fence on the 600 foiler which is proving a very touchy subject on both sides.

  Once we all left the pub a merry few (Olly, James, and Paul) went and joined the wedding reception that was happening in the sailing club and crawled back to the cars in the early hours of the morning to get a little sleep.

Sunday broke with some very sore heads but the wind had dropped and the racing was on. The first race started promptly with a strong force 3 with a nice 2 to 3 foot chop with gentle rain. Olly Straker took the lead and held it till the end with Ian Marshall in second and Andy Heissig in third.

Race 2 started shortly after with the wind dying rapidly and the rain getting heavier. Ian came in first chased by Jamie Mawson and Olly in third.

Race three the wind had dropped right down and trying to gat the edge Jamie tried to change his rig position and with one little gust lost the lot over the side into the water causing much laughter for the rest of the fleet. Once the race started the rain was so hard that the marks were hiding in the distance and a add a few lumps of lightning into the race as well and it proved quite interesting Ian once again came first with Guy Lonsdale closely following and David Anna in third.

Sadly for such a high profile club this event will be remembered for the social not the sailing.   

RS700 Fat Face Racing Circuit - Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy

The WPNSA greeted the travelling 700 sailors with a stiff 30+ knot breeze and sunshine. Boats were rigged with several helping hands needed to get the masts up. The race officer waited in vain for the wind to back back off but with no respite the decision was made to abandon for the day and retire to the delights of a local curry house.

Sunday saw sixteen 700s take to the lumpy water in about 20-25knots wind and rain. Capsized boats were many before the start, but once the 500s and 600s had got away it was our turn. Given the strong winds and choppy sea, the one tack, one gybe approach was opted for by most. The racing was to be close at the front, with only four helms getting results in the top three, and one point separating the first three boats at the end of the day.

Andy White led race one at the first windward mark followed closely by Andy Irons. Phil Dickinson tacked into third from the port layline. Spinnakers went up, and a few voted for a quick swim. No place changes on the run or the next lap meant White took the gun with Irons and Dickinson not too far behind.

A thunderstorm passed over the harbour before the start of Race two. White and Dickinson got the boat end at the start and went right on the beat in the lighter conditions. Again Irons got between the two at the windward mark. Dickinson passed Irons by gybing earlier, only to give it back with a poor kite drop. White was now well ahead with nobody able to challenge his massive lead. On the run though, Phil Dickinson again gybed earlier than Andy Irons to hold onto second at the finish line, with Irons third.

Race three still saw rain and flat wiring conditions, but in lighter winds and a flatter sea. A wind shift brought a strong bias to the start line and the first beat. With boats struggling to set off, White was first to mess up by getting stuck on the pin, with boats frantically tacking onto port. Dickinson also missed the line, but quickly tacked onto port ducking the starboard bunch. Again Irons led Dickinson round the windward mark, with White down the pan. Places were unchanged until the beat where Dickinson went right and led over Irons at the second windward mark. Dickinson twisted his spinnaker halyard and let Irons back into the lead, until he sorted it out and gybed left into more wind. Coming into the last leeward mark on starboard, closely followed by Peter Sanders, Irons came in from the right between the two. So on the line Dickinson took his first bullet on the circuit, Irons second and Sanders in third, enough to secure his victory of the silver fleet. White pulled back up to fourth place to put himself on equal points with Dickinson. With two wins Andy White would take the event from Dickinson on countback, with Andy Irons taking third overall.

Our thanks go to Fat Face for their continued support and to WPNSA for providing their usual efficient organisation both on and off of the water.  Next stop is the Nationals at Torbay three weeks. With pre-entries up compared to the equivalent time last year and significant sponsorship this promises to be another fantastic event.  See you there!

Gold fleet

1^st Andy White Draycote SC

2^nd Phil Dickinson Queen Mary SC

3^rd Andy Irons Vagrant Outcasts SC

Silver Fleet

1^st Peter Sanders Queen Mary SC

2^nd Ian Nolan Hunstanton SC

3^rd Stuart Riches Hunstanton SC

RS Vareo National Championships day 1.

After all the recent rain and wind, the first day of the Championships started in brilliant sunshine and a sparkling force 2 to 3 greeted a healthy fleet of 25. The first race got away under a black flag after a general recall, and the early signs were that the boats on the channel side of the course were favoured, but halfway up the beat the wind shifted towards the shore, and those that had aimed to get out of the  tide were favoured. Nick Crickmore reached the first mark first followed by local Roger Brydges who had tacked up the shore . Matt Yallop , Nigel Tinkler & Richard Willows   were in pursuit.At the leeward mark, Nick Crickmore had gone out too wide & lost a couple of places and then Nigel was able to pull away on the beat. Richard Willows was able to squeeze past Matt Yallop on the final beat, and hold on a second place, Nick Crickmore having faded on the second beat to finish 5th with Matt third and Mark Somerville fourth, having pulled himself up from 12^th  position at the first mark.

The start of race two was delayed by the need to change the course and as the five-minute was fired the best wind of the day kicked in but unfortunately in the wrong direction requiring a further postponement. By the time the course had been reset, the wind had started to die and continue to drop during the race. The tide was also setting in hard and at the start the boats lining up were only just making against the tide. Mark Somerville, Matt Yallop and Richard Willows and Nigel Tinkler were towards the committee boat end and led the fleet up the first beat, and were surprised to find Chris Moore coming across in second place on a long port tack having been right out in the tide on the channel  side of the course. Mark Somerville found some extra wind at the end of the first beat and built a commanding lead by the time he rounded the wing mark, and although he kept a good cover on the boats behind, he was never really troubled. Second was Matt Yallop followed by Nigel Tinkler, then Richard Willows, Andrew Davies, with a gap behind. Positions were unchanged at the start of the second beat which proved to be a long affair against the tide, but was predominantly on starboard tack, again with positions unchanged at the windward mark, although Richard Willows was hotly pursued by Andrew Davies, who gybed at the mark and reached the leeward mark just ahead. The course was now shortened and with the wind dropping and the tide on full ebb, the short leg to the finish turned into a very tight fetch with some boats needing to tack. Richard Willows, Chris Moore, and John Regan  all losing places in an attempt to finish without hitting the mark, Simon Collinson making the most of the mahem! After two races, current leaders:1 Nigel Tinkler, 2, Mark Somerville, 3 Matt Yallop, 4 Richard Willows, 5 Andrew Davies, 6 John Regan.

Days 2

Sadly Saturday turned out to be not the best day of sailing in recent nationals.  The day started with lightish breeze from the north-west, and the first race got away recently promptly with the tide flooding towards Southampton.  Matthew Moore and Richard Willows started towards the pin end of the line and headed out towards the shipping channel, with  Moore heading out the furthest.  He had a good lead by the first mark and held it to the end.  Willows had to recover a few places and had a tussle with Davies and Yallop who slipped back on the final round, and at the finish it was Moore, Willows, Davies and and then Somerville who had made up good ground.  The wind then went light and swung more to the north, and after a small delay the next race started.  Chris Moore, Willows and Somerville headed for the bank and tacked up the shore out of the tide and headed the fleet slowly up to the first mark, but the race was abandoned just after Somerville and Willows had passed the mark to stop the downwind legs.  The vareos and 500s were sent to shore to wait and with conditions totally flat at 3:30pm racing was abandoned.  The sea breeze filled in 10 minutes later, but with the tide ebbing quickly there would not have been enough time to re-launch and lay a course before the area dried out.

Day 3

After a fairly lively evening and early morning in the clubhouse and campsite with fireworks and a boisterous party, Sunday morning dawned rather damp and dreary, and the fleets launched at 9 am for a 9.30  start and four races back to back.  The writer was one of several who miss- judged the conditions and found it distinctly chilly, with light winds giving little opportunity to warm up.  The morning gave the opportunity for several to win the championships, but Somerville sailed fast and with tactical awareness to win two races, and was in the top four in the other two.  Matt Yallop sailed consistently with good results in all four races but could not quite keep ahead of Somerville.  Willows had a good battle with Andrew Davies, including a remarkable comeback in the last race from about 20th at the first mark to finish fourth, and Matthew Moor had four good races but unfortunately paid the penalty for a slow start on the first day.  Nigel Tinkler had two good races, but could not quite find the speed that he had on the first day.

So Mark Somerville fulfilled the potential he showed at Weymouth to become the 2012 national champion.  Matt Yallop showed that he had plenty of speed on his return to Netley and will no doubt challenge again in future years.  Richard Willows won the Concessional cup (over 60), Nigel Tinkler the Masters trophy and Andi Howard the Grand Masters trophy.  Cheryl Wood took the Ladies Trophy. Next year the championships move to Bassenthwaite, and there seemed to be good enthusiasm for this at the class's AGM, and I am sure that the club will look after the fleet extremely well.

Richard Willows

The computer at Netley SC went down, so we do not yet have full results that we can post.  However, the main results are below.   Well done Mark.  Full results will be up shortly.

1.  Mark Somerville

2.  Matthew Yallop

3.  Richard Willows

4.  Andrew Davies

5.  Matthew Moore

6.  Nigel Tinkler

7.  Alex Howard

8.  Andy Howard

9.  Carl Gill

10.  Mike Cowan

11.  Nick Crickmore

12.  Chris Moore

13.  John Regan

14.  Simon Collinson

15.  Julian Brooke Houghton

16.  Richard Lee

17.  Cheryl Wood

18.  Matt Sheahan

19.  Christian Barnes

20.  Roger Brydges

21.  Iain Robertson

22.  Iain Lang

23.  Jim Woodcock

24.  Jeff Hughes

25.  Robin Grange

26.  Martin Phillips