Results / Open Chew Valley Lake SC - 13/10/2012

RS200 Open at Dalgety Bay Sailing Club

The penultimate event of the Scottish Series was held at Dalgety Bay on 4/5 September. Clear blue sky and a variable 8 knot easterly provided conditions where wind bands were more important than the tidal flows that normally dominate racing at Dalgety Bay.

The first race saw a battle develop between three boats – Ronnie and Tor Millar (“Millars”), Phil and Naomi Smith (“Smiths”) and Fiona Hall and JP McCaldin (“HallCaldins”) – that set a pattern for most of the weekend’s racing. The early lead was taken by Joanna Gardiner and Fiona Grieve (“Foulkes”), but lost as they misjudged the lay line to the first leeward mark. The HallCaldins took advantage to come through for first then held off the Millars over the next two laps to win by a boat length, with the Smiths coming through for third.

Race 2 and the wind dropped slightly, allowing light weather specialists to sail some deep downwind angles. The Millars led round the course for the win, followed by Finlay McKinnon (weighing in at 4 stone after a heavy breakfast), ably helmed by his dad Gav. The Foulkes also showed good downwind speed to take third.

Race 3 saw a battle over the first two laps between Millars, Smiths and HallCaldins. Millars pulled out a lead, but on the third downwind leg both the Smiths and HallCaldins sailed out into stronger tide, but got sufficient extra wind to compensate. HallCaldin took the win, Smiths second and Millars third.

Sunday and the wind had increased slightly to around 14 knots at peak.

Race 4 was a Smiths / Millars / HallCaldin battle the whole way round, with never more than a dozen boat lengths between all 3 boats. Smiths took the win, Millars second and HallCaldin third.

Race 5 and the same three boats spent the first two laps in another close battle. Then a large gust struck, then died, as they approached the windwark mark third time round. The gust carried the Smiths all the way to the leeward mark and a substantial lead, whilst HallCaldins and Millars were left sailing deep for the last half of the run. Smiths took an easy win, HallCaldins second and Millars third..

This left the points finally balanced going into the last race – Smiths and HallCaldins on 7 points, Millars on 8. Whoever won the last race would win. The Millars led off the line and as they approached the windward mark. But on their lay line tack, Tor expiremented with the technique she first tried out at the recent 200 Nationals – hiking without using toestraps. The result was the same as at the Nationals – she disappeared over the side of the boat, whilst maintaining a death like grip on the jib sheets. Whilst she recovered back into the boat HallCaldins nipped inside the Millars as they rounded the mark, but the Millars were able to pull clear downwind. On the second lap downwind HallCaldins headed out into the tide in search of more breeze, but it didn’t pay and the Smiths came through to second. On the third (final) lap downwind, the wind built from behind allowing the Smiths to close within 6 boat lengths of the Millars, but they covered them closely up the final beat to take the win and the regatta, from the Smiths and HallCaldins.

The final event of the Scottish Series this year is at St. Marys Loch – a one day event on Saturday 18 September. Come along and enjoy the magnificent Borders scenery with its Garda like thermal breezes.