Results / Gul Inlands Championships Grafham - 01/10/2005
RS400 � Gul Inland Championship report
Nick Craig dominates after tight racing in great conditions
The RS400 Inland championships took place at Grafham Water over the
weekend of 1st/2nd October. A blustery forecast greeted the assembled
RS200, RS400, RS600 and K6�s, who were all sharing the reservoir for the
weekend.
The 400�s first race started in 15 knots and it was no surprise to see
National Champions Nick Craig/James Stewart emerge from the start to lead
early on. The rest of the fleet chased hard on the short course, with
Chris Jennings/Mark Greaves and Fat Face Circuit winners Craig
Burlton/Andrew Bonsey pulling through, but at the end no one could catch
Craig. Jennings was second followed by Burlton and Chris Gowers/June
Riley claiming fourth.
Race officer Arky Wainwright learned his lesson that 400�s go pretty
quickly when it�s windy in time for the second race and set a longer
course with more laps. On a biased start line most of the fleet tacked
onto port shortly after the gun and it was a drag race out to the favored
right hand side. However, the face at the front was familiar, with
Craig/Stewart again showing their devastating pace in the windy
conditions. Behind them Burlton/Bonsey and Paul Hilliar/Toby Ashton
managed to get away from the pack. Burlton and Hilliar dueled for a
few gusty laps before the pie factor eventually won out. With capsized
boats littering the course and blistering downwind legs, Craig won from
Hilliar in second, followed by Burlton and the consistent Gowers/Riley.
Race three came back to back and the wind had moderated somewhat. An
early wind shift put 49er stars Ian Martin/Ben McGrane into the lead but
by the second lap they wished they had tied the jib sheet on properly as
the rest of the fleet sailed past upwind! Burlton/Bonsey took the lead
followed by Craig/Stewart, Phil Jackson/Gerard Barron and Hywel
Roberts/Richard Kenyon. Half way through the race, the wind suddenly
dropped from 18 to 8 knots and shifted right big time. As the fleet
bunched up downwind Jennings/Greaves gained places and in the leading
group, Craig closed up on Burlton. Down the final run, Craig pilled on
the pressure and took the lead in the dying moments of the race, so at
the finish it was Craig followed by Burton, Jackson and Jennings.
Sunday came with slightly less wind and a course down at the eastern end
of the lake, shared with the splash-happy RS600s. The race got away
first time and down the first run Jennings/Greaves found a gust down the
right hand side of the lake to scorch past half a dozen boats into the
lead. With the wind constantly shifting and gusting, Jennings and Craig
pulled away at the front of the fleet, pursued by Roberts/Kenyon,
Gowers/Riley and Hilliar/Ashton. Roberts lost third place to Hilliar at
the final mark but Jennings held off Craig to win.
Mike Budd/Rich Brown continued their good form from the previous race to
ignore the heavy start line congestion to lead up the left side of the
course with Martin/McGrane also showing good form. As the race continued
Craig/Stewart and Burlton/Bonsey climbed through the fleet to take line
honors, with Budd holding on for third.
In the final race Burlton/Bonsey sailed an excellent first couple of laps
to pull out a good lead from Gowers/Riley and Craig. However, which they
were engaged in a little match racing, a monster gust on the other side
of the run saw Roberts/Kenyon and Hilliar/Ashton take easily 200 yards
out on the leaders to round just behind Burlton with one lap remaining.
Up the final beat Burton kept a close cover on Roberts, while Craig moved
through to third so the leading tri went started the final run together.
A high speed luffing match in the dying moments of the leg saw Roberts
win the final race, while Burlton�s last minute move on Craig was to no
avail as he had to settle for third.
So after a weekend of tight one-design racing in fantastic conditions,
Nick Craig and James Stewart won the Inland championships with a dominant
1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2 performance giving them a massive 7 point margin over
the Fat Face circuit winners Craig Burlton and Andrew Bonsey, while Chris
Jennings with guest crew Mark Greaves sailed excellently following a
ripped spinnaker on Saturday to take third overall. Many thanks to all
at Grafham Sailing club for running an excellent event and to race
officer Arky Wainwright for setting some excellent courses.
So the domestic season has concluded and attention now moves to the RS400
Irish Nationals, to be sailed at Greystones S.C. 14-16th October � will
Nick Craig have it all his own way again next year? It was close at this
year�s nationals so only time will tell.
Sailed:6 Discards:1 To count:5 Entries:40
Rank Class Sail No Helm Crew Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Nett
1 RS400 1237 Nick Craig James Stewart Frensham Pond SC 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 2.0 6.0
2 RS400 1264 Craig Burlton Andrew Bonsey Northampton SC 3.0 3.0 2.0 6.0 2.0 3.0 13.0
3 RS400 1238 Chris Jennings Mark Greaves Burghfield SC 2.0 DNC 4.0 1.0 4.0 5.0 16.0
4 RS400 1121 Paul Hilliar Toby Ashton Oxford SC 6.0 2.0 5.0 3.0 8.0 4.0 20.0
5 RS400 1262 Hywel Roberts Richard Kenyon Parkstone YC 5.0 7.0 8.0 4.0 6.0 1.0 23.0
6 RS400 1204 Chris Gowers June Riley Port Dinorwic SC 4.0 4.0 9.0 5.0 DNC 6.0 28.0
7 RS400 1255 Mike Budd Rich Brown Leigh and Lowton SC 12.0 5.0 6.0 8.0 3.0 12.0 34.0
8 RS400 1182 Phil Jackson Gerard Barron Parkstone YC 7.0 8.0 3.0 7.0 DNC 15.0 40.0
9 RS400 1166 Ian Martin Ben McGrane Burghfield SC 10.0 OCS 7.0 9.0 7.0 8.0 41.0
10 RS400 1258 Andrew Fox Ian Fletcher Leigh and Lowton SC 18.0 12.0 10.0 11.0 9.0 22.0 60.0
11 RS400 1129 Martin Browne Dinah Holmes Gt Yarmouth and Gorleston SC 13.0 10.0 20.0 10.0 26.0 14.0 67.0
12 RS400 1203 Richard Gray Jon Dyas Queen Mary SC 14.0 11.0 16.0 13.0 14.0 18.0 68.0
13 RS400 716 Chris Larr Jamie Morgan Grafham Water SC 16.0 16.0 15.0 16.0 15.0 9.0 71.0
14 RS400 1251 Howard Farbrother Louise Hosken Queen Mary SC 19.0 DNC 13.0 19.0 12.0 10.0 73.0
15 RS400 1122 Rob Larke Claire Cumming Lee on Solent SC 11.0 DNC DNC 12.0 5.0 7.0 76.0
16 RS400 1205 Chris Bailey Matt Bailey Bartley SC 8.0 9.0 27.0 29.0 25.0 11.0 80.0
17 RS400 1229 Steve Bales Uel Webb RAF SA 15.0 21.0 18.0 23.0 10.0 23.0 87.0
18 RS400 1047 Mike Adams David Stedman Bexhill SC 20.0 20.0 23.0 25.0 11.0 13.0 87.0
19 RS400 429 Ian Maclean Chris Hunt Royal Forth YC 21.0 13.0 22.0 18.0 16.0 19.0 87.0
20 RS400 1078 Peter Jackson Peter Bennett British Airways SC 28.0 DNC 12.0 15.0 20.0 16.0 91.0
21 RS400 849 Lloyd Walker Katie Keam-George Leigh on Sea SC 30.0 29.0 26.0 14.0 13.0 20.0 102.0
22 RS400 1276 Mark Reddington Hannah Bartley SC 23.0 23.0 28.0 17.0 17.0 25.5 105.5
23 RS400 573 Graham Bridle Partick Robinson Bewl Water SC 22.0 22.0 14.0 27.0 21.0 30.0 106.0
24 RS400 1128 Steve Middleton Chris Rowland Burghfield SC 9.0 6.0 11.0 DNC DNC DNC 108.0
25 RS400 1073 Adam Oliver Ben Deacon Aldeburgh YC 25.0 19.0 17.0 24.0 31.0 24.0 109.0
26 RS400 1102 David Griffiths Paul Adams Bewl Valley SC 26.0 14.0 24.0 21.0 28.0 27.0 112.0
27 RS400 620 Philip Rust Matt Brown 31.0 15.0 30.0 28.0 19.0 21.0 113.0
28 RS400 864 Andrew Williams Tom Cringle Isle of Man YC 17.0 DSQ 19.0 26.0 27.0 29.0 118.0
29 RS400 1201 Neil Peacock Wayne Hancox Bartley SC 29.0 17.0 21.0 31.0 23.0 31.0 121.0
30 RS400 1257 Mark Rowland Gary Wolfenden Bristol Corinthian YC DNC 18.0 29.0 20.0 24.0 32.0 123.0
31 RS400 951 Jim Rosser Robyn Rosser Hickling Broad SC 24.0 24.0 25.0 30.0 22.0 28.0 123.0
32 RS400 1024 Adrian Dyter Jonathan Keer Aldeburgh YC DNC 25.0 31.0 22.0 29.0 17.0 124.0
33 RS400 1248 Kev O'Brien Ian Campell RAF SA 27.0 27.0 32.0 32.0 32.0 25.5 143.5
34 RS400 1101 Simon Baker Graham Hayes Queen Mary SC 32.0 26.0 33.0 33.0 34.0 34.0 158.0
35 RS400 1275 Sam Parker Anna Ludgate Burghfield SC 33.0 DNC DNC DNC 18.0 35.0 168.0
36 RS400 780 Mark Broughton Vivienne Broughton Aldeburgh YC 34.0 RTD 34.0 DNC 30.0 36.0 175.0
37 RS400 1181 Les Milner Sue Milner Rutland SC DNC 31.0 DNC 34.0 RTD DNC 188.0
38 RS400 843 Mark Steward Christine Steward Waveney and Oulton Broad DNC DNC DNC DNF 33.0 33.0 189.0
39 RS400 1036 Roger O'Gormon John O'Gormon Queen Mary SC DNC 28.0 DNC DNC DNC DNC 192.0
40 RS400 1092 Alan Cooke Ruth Johnson Grafham Water SC DNC 30.0 DNC DNC DNC DNC 194.0