Results / RS Fat Face Racing Circuit Weston SC - 06/08/2005

RS400 Fat Face Circuit � Weston Sailing Club � 6/7th August Weston welcomed 23 teams for the final round of the RS 400 Fat Face circuit. It was an early start, to accommodate the tide, and the initial view over the water told us there wasn�t much wind and we would be having fun all day dodging container ships that were the size of a small town. Fortunately the wind was to build through the day. With the Fat Face circuit already decided it was the last opportunity to get some racing practice in before the nationals in Abersoch. After launching it quickly became apparent that the NW breeze was not all that stable, the odd 40� shift was not uncommon. To any regular reader or RS400 competitor the next phase of events will come as no surprise. With a tide pushing us up the beat and 23 boats champing at the bit to get into the racing you can imagine the outcome�yes the race officer did know what to do with the triangular flag with the yellow bits on. Race 1 got away at the second time of asking and the usual suspects got their teeth into each other at the top mark after a very shifty and patchy beat. However there were some new faces, notably Sam Hoyland/Iain Mcluckie and Tim Golding/Justin Hyam in the mix. Jennings/Nicklin made the early running in the race but were pushed closely by 1051 who took the lead midway up the second beat. By the windward mark Jennings/ Nicklin rounded first and had to get tactical at the bottom of the run to keep the inside line to defend a strong challenge from 1051. Jennings/Nicklin made the most of a shifty 3rd beat and pulled away slowly but surely over the remaining 2 laps. Eventually Paul Hilliar/Toby were to pull through to 2nd followed by the love birds Roberts/Baker. Race 2 started in slightly more breeze but was equally patchy. Burlton/Bonsey got ahead early followed by Roberts/baker. These two battled closely and the lead changed with some very patchy wind. Jennings/Nicklin couldn�t quite bridge the gap to the leading two. However down the final run Jennings/Nicklin were clearly robbed of the race win when a huge gust came in from behind, taking them in a direct line from windward mark to leeward mark at about 3 time the speed of the leading pair. Unfortunately it just didn�t quite last until the leeward mark. Burlton/Bonsey took the win from Roberts/Baker with the �unlucky� Jennings/Nicklin snapping on their heels in 3rd. Prior to Race 3 the wind shifted to the right and the course was duly adjusted and the beat lengthened as the breeze built. The QE2 moored on the quay now came into the equation and the unstable breeze became cyclonic in the region of the top mark. The Prince brothers made the windward mark first followed by Jennings/Nicklin who both carried on the starboard gybe into no wind. Burlton/Bonsey and Hilliar/Toby took the early gybe on the run to ply the left hand side of the run. There was much more breeze over this side of the course and they moved into the leading 2 positions, Jennings/Nicklin rounded the leeward mark 3rd. These 3 gradually spread as the race carried on and took the leading positions. All this left Burlton/Bonsey ONL followed by Jennings/Nicklin and Roberts/Baker. The early start to the racing, unsurprisingly, led to an early finish and a scary amount of beer time. A sunny Sunday morning greeted the sailors. On the water the Saturday�s unstable breeze turned out to be rock steady in comparison to Sundays breeze. The Northerly..ish breeze was coming in over the town and was going to lead to a very frustrating days sailing, for race officer and competitors alike. Race 4 first beat had all sorts of black holes and vacuums in it but 1189 made the most of it to lead at the windward mark. By the bottom mark Burlton/Bonsey had taken the lead followed by the love birds after a night of romance and Jennings/Nicklin. The leading two managed to get away and Howard Fairbrother/Louise Hosken had a good segment of the race and managed to catch the Jennings/Nicklin up the second beat and then proceeded to make the jump to the leaders down the run. Eventually Jenning/Nicklin managed to bridge the gap and pulled through to 2nd. Burlton/Bonsey took the win and Roberts/Baker took 3rd. Race 5 begin in light winds and most of the fleet were caught out by the tide pushing them away from the start line. Burlton/Bonsey had obviously been to paying attention classes and were on the ball once again. They took an early lead up the beat by virtue of actually being present on the start line when the gun fired. They were never headed in the race and gradually pulled away. Jennings/Nicklin made the most of the first beat, following a tardy start, and carried on to take second. Hilliar/Toby took 3rd. Bulton/Bonsey head for the shore at the beginning of the 6th race, taking their toys with them as they didn�t want to play any more having bagged the event win with a very impressive 4th and 4 1st�s. The rest of the fleet carried on an it was Hilliar and Ashton who made the best of it and won. Jennings/Nicklin finished 2nd Burlton/Bonsey won the event overall followed by Jennings/Nicklin and Hilliar/Ashton in 3rd. The race officer deserves a special mention and his bottle of fermented grape juice after efficiently setting some good courses in some very testing conditions.