RS400 Southern Tour - Oxford SC

Fleet size: 20

Breeze: 4-10 knots NE

Ironically, one way to take your mind off the pressure of delivering a good result when it counts is to turn up late.

As you cram a bacon sandwich in your mouth while stepping the mast before threading the kite halyard around the cockpit, taking occasional sips of tea from a mug on the foredeck, the only thing going through your mind is whether you’ll make it in time for the first race. There is no time to worry or fret about the potential vagaries of the race course or who you need to beat and by how much.

Similarly, there is no time to look at the hills to the north of Oxford’s Farmoor reservoir and wonder just how shifty it will be given the light northerly forecast and whether you’d be better off spoofing for the prizes in the 20 boat fleet.

Instead, catching up and getting afloat is all that matters.

The interesting bi-product of this intense focus is that often such clarity of thought delivers a great result. You might not find this approach detailed in any of the self-help books on how to improve your racing, but it’s a fact nonetheless.

As if putting this theory to the test Steve Restall and Chris Stubbs (1189), who had slogged their way across southern England from Kent to Oxford, arrived just as briefing was finishing. Yet just minutes later they were rounding the weather mark, still wiping the breakfast Ketchup from their chins in the first of four extremely tricky races.

Adam and Jo Humphrey (836) had banged a corner out to the left on the first beat and crossed the fleet on port by a country mile to round the first mark in the lead giving Restall and Stubbs even more reason not to dwell on their late arrival. Now all that mattered was reeling them in.

In fact, it was Chris and Rob Martin (1433) who ground the Humphreys down in this opening race to take the first win, leaving Restall and Stubbs taking third. An honourable position given the way that they had started, but for the Kent duo it was to turn out to be their discard. A cast off that any one of us astern would have gratefully accepted.

But Restall and Stubbs had smaller numbers in mind. Their next race delivered a second followed by two bullets to hand them the regatta with ease. The Humphrey’s kept themselves in the top five for three races that mattered to nail second overall, while Nick Eaves and Greg Pace (1450) took third.

All of which paid little regard to the stress and angst that was going on astern as the bulk of the fleet wrestled to pick the right side of the course in a fickle breeze that seemed determined to dance around the fleet like a Disney fairy. As the leaders made it look easy, some of us were considering the need for some post-race counselling.

But Oxford stood for more than just a one day regatta, this was the final event of the Southern Tour the decider for four of the top five boats.

The one team that didn’t have to worry was Paul and Mark Oakey (1441) who have dominated the racing on the Southern tour this season. With an uncharacteristic scoreline with its noticeable absence of bullets, the father and son team came 7^th overall but took the Southern tour with ease.

A well deserved result, despite having turned up to every event on time.

Matt Sheahan