Results / Inlands Grafham Water SC - 06/10/2012
Considering the very poor forecast for very light winds all weekend it was a very decent fleet of 36 RS400’s that arrived at Grafham Water on Oct 6/7 for the RS400 Inland Championships. Considering how light and fickle the wind proved to be the race team led by Pete Saxton did a sterling job of fitting 4 races in.
The fleet and the race team were given a master class in light wind sailing by Scaling Dams finest; Wayne and Debbie Fletcher who really put on quite a show. As one wise sage put it “every time I realised where good new wind was coming from that red boat was already there going faster than anyone”.
Race 1 in a patchy 6/7 knots was a comprehensive win for the Fletchers who were a mile clear with the Pete’s Vincent and Cruickshank equally convincing in second with Robert Gullan/Jack Holden third. James George/Izzi Mitchell held a useful lead in race 2 but the Fletchers hunted them down on the second run to win again by a useful distance from David Exley/Richard Brown and Caroline Whithouse/Tony Cliff. After a few attempted starts that were stopped as the wind went walk about race 3 started in very light airs that became even more fickle. This time the Fletchers were in third on the second run but got the approach to the leeward gate spot on as the race team shortened course to win from Gullan/Holden and Martin Cooper/Nick Hunt.
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No one really held out much hope for Sunday morning as the forecast was for 2 knots from every compass direction dropping to one from any direction left and the heavy mist at 9.00 gave even less cause for optimism. But when the mist disappeared and the sun came out a steady 7/8 knots appeared and everyone was rushing to put wetsuits on and pull up sails. But the fleet went into starting practice overload and by time they got away on the 4th start the inevitable happened – the wind switched off. The poor RS500 fleet starting after the 400’s had sat and watched the best wind of the weekend!!! (sorry!!)The wind ended up so light no one put their kites on the second run it was that painful! Exley/Brown held their nerve to win from Cooper/Hunt and long-time leader Peter Snowden and Pippa Fetcher. Senior Fletchers were 5th and with no more racing possible were the most convincing winners of the RS400 Inland Championships. Ross Ryan and Kathryn Hinsliff Smith had a storming event in 8th overall to win the silver division.
Many thanks to Grafham; the Inlands showed the 400 fleet in good health and in buoyant mood; it is now on to the sprints at Queen Mary and the Crewsaver end of Season event at Datchet.
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| 1st | RS 400 | 1029 | Wayne Fletcher | Deb Fletcher | Scaling Dam | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | (5.0) | 8.0 | 3.0 | ||
| 2nd | RS 400 | 1186 | David Exley | Richard Brown | Leigh&Lowton/Carsington | (5.0) | 2.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 12.0 | 7.0 | ||
| 3rd | RS 400 | 1342 | Robbert Gullan | Jack Holden | Arun Yacht Club | 3.0 | (20.0) | 2.0 | 4.0 | 29.0 | 9.0 | ||
| 4th | RS 400 | 1135 | Martin Cooper | Nick Hunt | Scaling Dam SC | (6.0) | 6.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 17.0 | 11.0 | ||
| 5th | RS 400 | 1379 | Caroline Whitehouse | Tony Cliff | Bartley SC | (10.0) | 3.0 | 8.0 | 6.0 | 27.0 | 17.0 | ||
| 6th | RS 400 | 1313 | Peter Vincent | Peter 'Oh No' Cruickshank | Bristol CYC | 2.0 | 12.0 | 9.0 | (19.0) | 42.0 | 23.0 | ||
| 7th | RS 400 | 1216 | Caroline Exley | Joe Hartigan | Leigh and Lowton SC | 4.0 | 7.0 | (25.0) | 16.0 | 52.0 | 27.0 | ||
| 8th | RS 400 | 1322 | Ross Ryan | Kathryn Hinsliff Smith | Notts County | (22.0) | 15.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 51.0 | 29.0 | ||
| 9th | RS 400 | 1344 | James George | Izzi Mitchell | Queen Mary | (11.0) | 9.0 | 11.0 | 9.0 | 40.0 | 29.0 | ||
| 10th | RS 400 | 1325 | John Cooper | Becci Wigley | LTSC | 9.0 | 8.0 | 16.0 | (37.0 BFD) | 70.0 | 33.0 | ||
| 11th | RS 400 | 1340 | Sam Neal | Alayne Seymour | GWSC | 12.0 | (18.0) | 7.0 | 15.0 | 52.0 | 34.0 | ||
| 12th | RS 400 | 440 | Roger Carter | Ian Robertson | Wormit Boating Club | 7.0 | 13.0 | 14.0 | (22.0) | 56.0 | 34.0 | ||
| 13th | RS 400 | 1172 | Barrie Thornton | Alex Oyston | Scaling Dam SC | (37.0 BFD) | 10.0 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 74.0 | 37.0 | ||
| 14th | RS 400 | 1228 | Alisdair James | Andrew Johnson | GWSC | 13.0 | 16.0 | 12.0 | (37.0 BFD) | 78.0 | 41.0 | ||
| 15th | RS 400 | 971 | Harriette Stone | Ali Correy | Montserrat YC | 15.0 | 14.0 | (37.0 DNC) | 12.0 | 78.0 | 41.0 | ||
| 16th | RS 400 | 1014 | Hamish Gledhill | Adrian Thear | West Riding SC | 18.0 | (37.0 BFD) | 18.0 | 7.0 | 80.0 | 43.0 | ||
| 17th | RS 400 | 1109 | Richard Mayo | Fiona Mayo | Lymington Town SC | 16.0 | 11.0 | (19.0) | 17.0 | 63.0 | 44.0 | ||
| 18th | RS 400 | 831 | Peter Snowdon | Pippa Fletcher | Scaling Dam SC | 27.0 | (29.0) | 17.0 | 3.0 | 76.0 | 47.0 | ||
| 19th | RS 400 | 1326 | Paul Bowen | Shaun Kellett | Gurnard Sailing Club | (37.0 BFD) | 5.0 | 5.0 | 37.0 DNC | 84.0 | 47.0 | ||
| 20th | RS 400 | 1351 | Ian Robson | Sandy Johnson | Aldeburgh Yacht Club | 8.0 | 17.0 | 24.0 | (37.0 DNC) | 86.0 | 49.0 | ||
| 21st | RS 400 | 1302 | Andy Baldock | Sarah Raper | GWSC | 19.0 | (21.0) | 20.0 | 10.0 | 70.0 | 49.0 | ||
| 22nd | RS 400 | 1319 | Stewart Robertson | Sarah Robertson | RFYC | (37.0 BFD) | 4.0 | 10.0 | 37.0 DNC | 88.0 | 51.0 | ||
| 23rd | RS 400 | 1387 | Simon Palmer | Olly Miller | Lock SC | 14.0 | 19.0 | (34.0) | 20.0 | 87.0 | 53.0 | ||
| 24th | RS 400 | 1294 | John Mackenzie | Andy Box | West Lothian Sailing Club | 23.0 | (30.0) | 21.0 | 13.0 | 87.0 | 57.0 | ||
| 25th | RS 400 | 1289 | Stuart Halman | Gill Greenacre | Leigh and Lowton SC | 20.0 | (32.0) | 31.0 | 11.0 | 94.0 | 62.0 | ||
| 26th | RS 400 | 1043 | Ian Watkins | Imogen Whittam | GWSC | 24.0 | (28.0) | 15.0 | 23.0 | 90.0 | 62.0 | ||
| 27th | RS 400 | 1200 | Keith Bedborough | Martin Bauth | Dalgety Bay SC | 17.0 | (27.0) | 23.0 | 25.0 | 92.0 | 65.0 | ||
| 28th | RS 400 | 1092 | Jamie Morsan | Alan Cooke | GWSC | 26.0 | 22.0 | (32.0) | 18.0 | 98.0 | 66.0 | ||
| 29th | RS 400 | 1177 | Nick Barrett | Jake Smalls | GYGSC | (37.0 BFD) | 23.0 | 22.0 | 21.0 | 103.0 | 66.0 | ||
| 30th | RS 400 | 854 | David Rickard | Chris Brown | Weston SC | (37.0 BFD) | 25.0 | 30.0 | 24.0 | 116.0 | 79.0 | ||
| 31st | RS 400 | 964 | Emma Johnstone | Pip Johnstone | Locks Sailing Club | 21.0 | 33.0 | 26.0 | (37.0 DNC) | 117.0 | 80.0 | ||
| 32nd | RS 400 | 1031 | Max Tosetti | Louise Hosken | Queen Mary SC | (28.0) | 26.0 | 28.0 | 27.0 | 109.0 | 81.0 | ||
| 33rd | RS 400 | 1260 | Richard Shollcock | Patrick Shollcock | Oban SC | 25.0 | 24.0 | (37.0 DNC) | 37.0 DNC | 123.0 | 86.0 | ||
| 34th | RS 400 | 1051 | Matt Sheahan | Caroline Sheahan | Netley SC | (37.0 BFD) | 31.0 | 29.0 | 26.0 | 123.0 | 86.0 | ||
| 35th | RS 400 | 1101 | Simon Baker | Liam Horgan | Queen Mary SC | 29.0 | 34.0 | 27.0 | (37.0 BFD) | 127.0 | 90.0 | ||
| 36th | RS 400 | 852 | Maurice Barnes | Rob Dunkley | Hollowell | 30.0 | 35.0 | 33.0 | (37.0 DNC) | 135.0 | 98.0 |