RS400 Fat Face Circuit event at Aldeburgh Y.C.

Hilliar/Jagger win to leave overall circuit hanging on the final event

Over the weekend of 7/8^th July, 23 RS400s turned out at Aldeburgh Y.C. for the sixth Fat Face Circuit event of the year and were treated to good conditions and a warm welcome from the host club.  The first race kicked off in 13 knots and sunshine, with an increasing tide pushing the fleet over the line.  Paul and Mike Allen led from the first mark and went offshore on the downwind, whereas many of their close competitors chose the inshore route to avoid the tide.  However with little or no tidal difference over the course the offshore route paid handsomely and the Allen’s shot into a large lead that would never be challenged.  Behind them Giles and Heather Chipperfield and Jon Gorringe/Louise Hosken came through   By the penultimate lap, Paul Hilliar/Stu Jagger had pulled back and with the Chipperfields capsizing, went on to take second, followed by Gorringe/Hosken.

Gorringe/Hosken shook of the cobwebs to lead the second race, hotly pursued by the Allens for the first 2.5 laps, however the race was to take a bizarre twist.  As the leading pair chased each other upwind out to the port layline, the wind died and started to shift.  The leaders were then left struggling to make it down tide back to the windward mark.  The biggest winners from this were Hilliar/Jagger who just snuck around the windward mark in front and held off Gorringe/Hosken to win the race.

The weather saved it’s most bizarre tricks for the final race of the day.  With a seemingly consistent 6 knot sea breeze and dying tide, the Allens narrowly led at the windward mark from Hilliar/Jagger.  However a big black cloud made an appearance and within a minute the wind had shifted by 120 degrees and built to an exciting 20 knots!  Hilliar/Jagger again were the beneficiaries of this and took the lead.  As the race team heroically struggled to relay the course, the race officer issued instructions such as ‘Go that way, there will be a windward mark by the time you get there!’.  In the end the placings were largely unaffected by the change, with the Allens coming in second followed by Gorringe/Hosken.

On Sunday, the day dawned with sunshine and a building sea breeze.  The first race was started in 12 knots and a slack tide.  The right hand side paid up the first beat and Hilliar/Jagger led, followed by the Allens.  Hilliar/Jagger pulled away downwind into a lead that would never be challenged, while the Chipperfields also attacked downwind and spent most of the race tussling for second with the Allens.  Ultimately though the Allens showed their class and held on to second place.

With the race officer not hanging around in-between races and the tide building, many competitors were a little late for the second start.  Gorringe/Hosken led up the first beat but were just pipped to the windward mark by Hilliar/Jagger, who again pulled away downwind.  The leading two were never that far apart but Gorringe/Hosken never quite got close enough to engage the leaders in a battle.  The Chipperfields came in third.

After a postponement, the final race started with a strong tide under the fleet and 10 knots of breeze.  In an incredibly congested windward mark, the fleet split downwind, unsure whether to soak and stem the tide or go high and get speed over ground.  On the second downwind with the wind dying, the Allens made the best of it and pulled out a decent lead, followed by the Chipperfields.  The final run brought more place changing, but the Allens held onto their lead, with Hilliar/Jagger just beating the Chipperfields.

This left Hilliar/Jagger as winners of the event from the Allens.  The overall Fat Face Circuit winner will be decided between the Allens, Tom Halhead/Christian Humphrey and Hilliar/Jagger, with the latter holding a slight advantage going into the final event at