Results / Gul RS400 National Championships Parkstone YC - 20/08/2007

Gul RS400 National championships – final day report

 

Hilliar/Jagger win with Freeman’s second

 

The fifth and final day of the Gul RS400 nationals brought a mercifully light forecast, much to the relief of the fleet, who had been battered by 25 knot winds earlier in the week.  The overall situation was that Paul Hilliar/Stu Jagger held a convincing lead over Neal & Paul Freeman, with Tom Halhead/Christian Humphrey just behind.  In order to secure the title, Hilliar/Jagger needed just one fifth place from the 3 scheduled races.

 

The first race got underway in 8 knots and blazing sunshine.  Halhead/Humphrey were early out of the gate and grabbed the lead, with the pack closely bunched behind them, led by the Freemans.  As these rounded the first mark, Hilliar/Jagger got dragged onto the mark, twice(!) to put them well down.  Halhead/Humphrey showed fantastic light wind pace to go on and win by a huge margin but the Freeman’s just got swallowed up by the pack, with Paul & Mike Allen getting second, in front of Nick Lowe/Elaine Marsh.  With Hilliar/Jagger recovering to take fifth, this was enough to give them the championship with two races to spare so they went in, leaving the fleet to enjoy the light, shifting wind!

 

The first race result meant that Halhead/Humphrey went into the final two races in second place, even on points with the Freemans but ahead on countback (having won two races).  On the gate start of the second race, the Freemans took out Halhead/Humphrey and put them down into the pack.  Following that, a large shift on the first beat put Lowe/Marsh well into the lead.  The sea breeze continued to fight with the gradient wind to keep the feet on their toes, but normal service was finally resumed for Dave Jones/Mark Hogan coming in second place in front of Paul & Mike Allen. 

 

Several attempts were made to start the third race, but with the light and shifting breeze not cooperating, the race officer made the popular decision to abandon and send the fleet home.

 

This meant that Hilliar/Jagger were crowned Gul RS400 national champions for the first time, counting only first and second places, with the Freemans taking second place and Halhead/Humphrey rounding out the podium positions.

 

Many thanks to all at Parkstone Yacht Club for all the hard work and good will shown throughout a thoroughly enjoyable week.

 

Gul RS400 National championships – day 4 report

Hilliar/Jagger extend lead in big breeze

Following the cancellation of day three due to 30+ knots on the race course, day four dawned with mercifully less wind, fluctuating between 12-25 knots during the day.  With three races scheduled on long courses it was going to be a tough one but the long downwind legs were pure champagne sailing.


At the first mark, overnight leaders Paul Hilliar/Stu Jagger led from Fat Face Circuit champions Tom Halhead/Christian Humphrey, who by the bottom mark had snuck into the lead.  However Hilliar/Jagger and Neal & Paul Freeman powered past on the second beat.  As the final run approached, the leading pair were separated by just a few lengths and it stayed that way right until the finish, with Dave Jones/Mark Hogan overhauling Halhead/Humphrey on the final run to take third.

In the second race, Hilliar/Jagger again pulled out in front but had to sit in a hole downwind as Halhead/Humphrey sailed around them and off into an unassailable lead.  Hilliar/Jagger kept a close cover on the Freemans (who held second place overnight) throughout the race and those places were maintained until the finish for a Bristol Corinthian 1, 2.

For the third race, Howard Farbrother/Nathan Pinch leapt out of the gate to lead the fleet early on but was pipped by Hilliar/Jagger at the windward mark, only for both these boats to capsize down the first run!  The lead was now contested by Jon Gorringe/Roger O’Gorman and Halhead/Humphrey but while they played with each other up the second beat, Hilliar/Jagger (now drying off) sped past to take a big lead that would hold until the end of the race.  Gorringe/O’Gorman looked to have second place nailed but a stunning last downwind from Halhead/Humphrey saw them take around 200 yards off the others and secure second place for another Bristol Corinthian 1, 2!

The championship concludes on Friday, with three races scheduled.


Gul RS400 National championships – day 2 report

 

Hilliar/Jagger take the lead

 

Day 2 of the Gul RS400 national championships was forecast to be breezy and the forecast delivered handsomely.  In a brisk 15 knots, the eventual leaders once again came out of the gate early, with Tom Halhead/Christian Humphrey leading early on.  Joint overnight leaders Paul Hilliar/Stu Jagger just took the lead at the first mark but were pegged back by Halhead/Humphrey downwind, with Paul & Mike Allen in hot pursuit.  The second leeward mark resulted in carnage as a large gust consumed the fleet – Halhead/Humphrey went down the mine and incredibly unluckily the Allen’s main halyard broke.  This put Dave Jones/Mark Hogan through into second place, but down the final run they were unable to hold off the challenge of Howard Farbrother/Nathan Pinch who scorched through the fleet to take the runners up spot, with Jon Gorringe/Roger O’Gorman also coming though on the final run to take third.

 

For the second race, the breeze had built to around 18 knots and Neal & Paul Freeman just led at the first mark from Halhead/Humphrey and Jono Shelly/Chris Blackburn.  Again a hectic leeward mark ensued and the leading pack split, with Halhead/Humphrey and the Freemans heading for calmer water on the left.  Gorringe/O’Gorman took the right and it paid off big time, catapulting them into a big lead.  When the leaders converged, Hilliar/Jagger, Halhead/Humphrey and the Freemans (now with a broken outhaul) were all neck and neck.  Hilliar/Jagger managed to squeeze in front of the Freemans around the windward mark, while Halhead/Humphrey set a trend for the final run by checking out the water temperature.  Gorringe/O’Gorman held on to win from Hilliar/Jagger, while yet more leeward mark shenanigans saw the Freemans, in a comfortable third place, capsize only 20 yards from the finish!  In the end they drifted across the line in fifth, while a grateful Shelly/Blackburn inherited third place thanks to their ability to stay dry!

 

The championship continues until Friday 24th August.

Day 1 report

 

Leaders tied on points after tough first day

 

The forecast for day one of the Gul RS400 National championships at Parkstone didn’t look promising but when the fleet arrived out in the bay they had two close races in 8-12 knot winds.

 

Neil & Paul Freeman led up the first beat but were pipped to the first mark by Paul Hilliar/Stu Jagger, with pathfinders Tony and Colin Prince in third.  Down the first run, the leading pair pulled away.  Up the second beat, Hilliar/Jagger extended to make the lead more comfortable, while Nick Lowe/Elaine Marsh hit the right hard to round the windward mark on the Freeman’s transom.  Down the second run, Lowe/Marsh got through into second place but a spinnaker disaster cost them dear.  In the end, Hilliar/Jagger won comfortably, with the Freeman’s also well clear of the pack, led by Chris Hogan/June Riley.

 

For the second race, the wind had dropped to 6 knots, making the pathfinder’s job very difficult.  The early starters were able to tack and cross after only a short distance but in the end, pathfinders Bob Alexander/Sam Moore actually ended up in the top few.  Fat Face circuit champions Tom Halhead/Christian Humphrey hit the left hard and were rewarded with a tight first mark lead over the Freemans.  Halhead/Humphrey then lost the lead at the leeward gate and had to watch as the Freemans took an unassailable lead in the shifted and strengthening wind.  Hilliar/Jagger also got through courtesy of the shift and that is how the positions stayed until the finish.

 

So after day one, the Freemans are tied with Hilliar/Jagger on three points, with Halhead/Humphrey in third place.

 

The championship continues until Friday 24th August.