Close finish at Rope4Boats RS400 Northern Tour at Tynemouth SC. 5&6 June 2021.

Blue skies and a warm welcome greeted the 19 boats at the second event on the Rope4Boats RS400 Northern Tour at Tynemouth Sailing Club. Sailing on the same waters as the forthcoming RS400 National Championships in August meant the competitors and the local race team could get in some valuable practice.

With the remnants of the incoming tide pushing the fleet over the line and the majority preferring the committee boat end of the line, the first start was a general recall. At the second attempt with a building force 3-4, four teams were still caught out by the line and were OCS. Up the first beat, the fleets opinion was split on which way to go, but the left seemed to pay with slightly stronger breeze and maybe a bit of help from the tide (sorry - not helpful for a pond sailor to be writing the report!). Once the premature starters had been removed from the results, locals Nathan Batchelor and James Clarke (Tynemouth SC) took the win, followed home by the mark hooking duo of Caroline Exley and Martin Spencer (Leigh and Lowton SC).

For race 2 the majority of the fleet were trying the left of the course and Mike Simms and Mark Lunn (Carsington SC) led the fleet home from Dave Exley and Alistair Coates (Leigh & Lowton SC) followed by Barrie Thornton and Nick Hunt (Scaling Dam SC)

Race 3 saw the wind dropping and the sea state increasing with an ever increasing outgoing tidal effect. Once again the majority of the fleet were trying the left hand side of the course, but locals Philip Murray and Neil Scholfield (Tynemouth SC) went hard right, inshore and took the lead. Once the genie was out of the bottle, Mike and Mark took the lead back and won from Dave and Alistair, closely followed by Nathan and James.

Race 4 saw the strongest wind (solid f4) and tide of the day. As the wind was now coming over the breakwater, wind shifts saw the leaders coming from both sides of the course. The cream eventually rose to the top; Mike and Mark taking the win from Nathan and James in second with a solid race from Mark Sommerville and Joe Roberts (Bassenthwaite SC) in third, clearly liking the freshening conditions.

Aching hungry bodies were treated to some great food and drink put on by the club on Saturday nght, all topped off with a Birthday and Engagement celebration.

Sunday, did not look promising with a glassy appearance as far into the North Sea as we could see, and the dinghy park chat was unashamedly turning to an early pack up. The PRO Howard Steavenson and his team knew better and had been out from, an eye watering, 8.30 am planning the course for their forecasted wind appearance. By 10.30 the message came ashore for the still dubious fleet to launch. The fleet rocked their way gingerly out, and on reaching the outside of the breakwater a magical 10kt Easterly breeze appeared from nowhere – great, let’s go!

Race five got underway promptly, with Stewart and Sarah Robertson (Royal Forth YC) who unfortunately only managed to join us for Sundays racing, coming off the pin end of the line taking an early lead up the first beat, but they were rapidly overhauled at the windward mark by Andrew Brown and Alex Sutcliffe (Tynemouth SC). This pair were sailing the 400 for the first time this weekend coming out of the 200, and being tempted into the 400’s by the recent popularity of the 400s at Tynemouth. Clearly liking the front, they extended their lead to take a clear win from Dave and Alistair with Stewart and Sarah in third. Overnight leaders Mike and Mark, took sixth, which now meant that just one point separated first and second going into the last race. If Nathan and James could finish 2 places above Mike and Mark, the event would be theirs.

Race 6 stared in similar 8-10 kt conditions and Andrew and Alex, now confident they had found the 400 accelerator pedal, stretched out a lead that was never challenged. Stewart and Sarah once again showed their mastery of the conditions with a second and Dave and Alistair came in third. Nathan and James held onto fourth and hoped that they had done enough, with Mike and Mark fighting through the fleet to take fifth it meant that both teams finished on equal points. Mike and Mark, therefore took the event on count back.

At the prize giving, Mike thanked the Race Team for their flawless operation and the club for running a great event.

Rope4Boats vouchers were won by Jacob Ainsworth (Tynemouth SC) and Andy Brown (Tynemouth SC). Rope4Boats hats were won by Ben Williamson and Charlie Ticehurst (Ripon SC) and Jon Willars and Ryan Willars (Welton SC).

Report: Dave Exley

Photos: Andrew Nel, Colin Edgar and Stephen Wright

More photos by Stephen Wright here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/170725186284627/