Results / Inland Championships Grafham Water SC - 06/10/2012

RS400 Training / Scottish Circuit (1) at Loch Tay

The inaugural revival event for the Scottish RS400 circuit took place at sponsor Elite Watersports venue on Loch Tay over the 23/24th April. Saturday was training day (the 2nd in a series of 3 run by ex-Olympic coach Mark Barron) and was attended by 4 boats. A combination of shore work and on the water exercises in a shifty F1-3 built on the lessons learned from the first event in March this year, and helped these new to the class to continue to get to grips with the intricacies of 400 sailing (falling over, jamming the wing wang, putting the tiller through the hoop etc). The wind completely disappeared at around 3pm at which point the sun came out and heralded the de-brief session and an early start to the complimentary barbeque and free beers provided by the sponsors, along with a modest degree of boat bimbling and tall stories. Thankfully guitars were not present.

A flat calm on Sunday morning greeted some sore heads and the postponement flag was raised for around an hour, until the garda-like breeze filled in nicely bang on midday. Some extremely efficient work by David Kent and his Scottish Sailing Institute race team ensured a course was set to maximise the shifty conditions and several RIBs were in attendance to move the marks as required. In true 400 fashion the racing was extremely tight with the top 3 finishing more or less nose to tail in each of the 4 races.

In the first race it was Jim Sinclair / Tom Watson who led class newcomers Roger Carter / Ian Robertson at the first mark. Hunter 707 legend Jimmy Robertson managed to stay upright (despite the lack of a keel) in 3rd and these positions remaining unchanged to the finish. 2^nd race the breeze swung right and it was Carter who popped out first closely followed by the Robertsons and Sinclair � and again with overtaking lanes limited there was no change to the finish. 3^rd race it was the Robertsons turn at the windward mark who again held onto the lead. Going into the final race with it all to play for the pressure told and Carter was PMS and had to return. Sinclair led at the windward but then crew Tom spent the bottom of the next reach hanging over the bow to retrieve the kite allowing Robertson into the lead who held to finish 1st at the end of the 2nd and 3rd rounds. However an error in lap counting allowed Carter to slip past Sinclair with the Robertsons just holding onto the lead to take the race and the event .

Down the fleet equally close racing ensured with Dave and Gillian Harcourt consistently banging in a 5^th and 3 4^th �s to be the best of the rest. Keith Bedborough continued his learning curve at the blunt end with some truly appalling starts, and Oli Webster learned that re-rigging his kicker with unbreakable unspliceable magic rope after 4 bottles of Stewart Brewing beer was not fast. The Wormit guys definitely won the �drunkest / quickest� award and perhaps paid the price the next day.

With the event being co-hosted with the RS200s all agreed it was very positive to see the 400 class back on it's feet again and the venue (new to Scottish RS) was given a thumbs up - particularly the free entry, food and beer (which couldn�t fail at a Scottish event � Ed).  Special thanks must go to primary sponsors Elite Watersports and the Scottish Sailing Institute team who ran an excellent event in very challenging conditions. Thanks also to secondary sponsors Stewart Brewing and DH Systems for donating the liquid prizes - and apologies to these who expected a prize but discovered they�d all been drunk on Sat night. Thanks also to Mark Barron for another excellent coaching session.

This event was the first of 6 , with 4 required for entry to the end of season prize draw for a brand new kite donated by Elite Watersports. The next event will be a combined northern circuit event at Prestwick on 7/8 May, and with over 30 400�s in Scotland it�s hoped we will continue to see local numbers rising, along with visitors from the already well established northern fleets.