Fat Face Circuit event at Weston S.C.

Jones/Hogan win the last event before the nationals

11/12^th August

Weston sailing club hosted the final event in the 2007 Fat Face RS400
racing circuit.  With the national championships just a week away and
the overall Fat Face circuit title hanging on a knife edge, the racing was
set to be very competitive, with 28 boats enjoying a very warm welcome
from the club.

The first race got underway in 8 knots and Dave Jones/Mark Hogan set the
tone for the day by taking a good lead and never letting it slip.  Behind them,
Nick Lowe/Elaine Marsh took a comfortable second place in front of Paul
Hilliar/Stu Jagger.

At the second start, Tom Halhead/Christian Humphrey won the start to cross
the fleet, but unfortunately for them, the left was paying and Hilliar/Jagger led
early on from Jones/Hogan.  At the leeward mark, Jones/Hogan took the lead
and held on to the finish to win from Hilliar/Jagger and Lowe/Marsh.

Following a postponement for a large windshift, the third race got underway in
a drifter and the massive windshifts continued, propelling Sam Parker/Anna Ludgate
into a massive lead at the first mark.  The wind settled as time went on (but not
much!) and Parker/Ludgate sailed very well to just keep the fast chasing
Jones/Hogan at bay at the finish.  In a tightly bunched pack, Chris and Claire
Ashton snuck ahead of the rest to clinch third place.

Sunday’s first race brought more unsettled conditions, with 2-15 knots, sunshine
and torrential rain….  Rob and Liz Jones led at the first mark but Jon Gorringe/Roger
O’Gorman took the lead on the first run and despite being pushed hard by
Hilliar/Jagger they held on to take the win, with the Ashton’s again taking third.

In race five it was the turn of Halhead/Humphrey to show some form, leading from
start to finish.  Jones/Hogan finished second, to give them the event win with a
race to spare.

This left Halhead/Humphrey and Hilliar/Jagger on equal points with one race to go.
Whoever beat the other in the final race would win the overall Fat Face circuit title.
The tension was ratcheted up even more by the final race being abandoned and
restarted after a lap due to an error with the flags!  When the final race finally got
away in a solid 15 knots, Hilliar/Jagger led at the first mark but were overhauled by
Halhead/Humphrey on the first run.  When they split on the second beat,
Halhead/Humphrey got the best of the shift and never relinquished their lead,
securing second place for the weekend and first place in the RS400 Fat Face Circuit.

Breathless from a weekend of intense and close sailing, the fleet now head to
Parkstone for the Gul RS400 National Championships 20-24 August.