Results / Volvo Noble Marine National Championship South Caernarvonshire YC - 02/08/2015

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It's a wrap! The scores on the doors have been counted and the 150 competitors in the 2015 Volvo Noble Marine RS200 National Championships are assembling in front of me in the SCYC bar for our championship dinner and prizegiving.

 

This week has thrown everything at us, and ended on a balmy sunny note, with some harmoniously oscillating winds thrown into the mix. 

 

So, without further ado... James Peters and Jo Wright are about to be crowned as RS200 National Champions (and, by-the-by, Youth Champions). George Yeoman and Sophie Ormsby continued their march up the leaderboard to finish 2nd overall, with Matt Mee and Emma Norris also showing strongly on the final day to end in 3rd overall. After a strong championship, Ally Martin and Simon Potts are first Lady in 4th, with Mark Heather and Lucy Preston rounding out the top 5. 

 

Andy and Jill Peters headed up a very fine vintage of Masters in 16th. Other fine performances of note were Gillies Munro and Daniel Harris carving up silver fleet in 17th, and Will Taylor and Fiona Mulcahy top bronze in 30th. 

 

So, as to today's racing? A tough day to be Race Officer - and it does speak volumes that 3 races were achieved. A better day for the light wind specialists - and also for those who like a good old wager. Although doing so too often today was more into the realms of Russian Roulette. That said, corners were banged, banged and banged again and together with some large windshifts (in the first race, between the time the pathfinder set off and was released he was lifted 35 degrees), there was a real shake up in positions all day long and it was good to see many different boats up at the front. Cream does tend to rise to the top, though, and the three races were won by our top three overall of James/Jo, Matt/Emma and George/Sophie.

 

Thank you to all the team at SCYC, to our great sponsors for the event - shouts out to Volvo, Noble Marine, Harken, and Lennon Racewear - to our hard working class committee,  association and media team and to Abersoch for throwing the kitchen sink at us this week! 

 

And most importantly - thanks to all the competitors - you have been a fantastic bunch of people to spend a week with afloat and ashore.

 

Congratulations James and Jo - richly deserving 2015 RS200 National Champions. 

 

Day 4

by John McKelvie

 

The barge she sat in, like a burnish’d throne, Burned on the water: the poop was beaten gold

All that glisters may very well not be golden, but after day 4 of the 2015 Volvo Noble Marine RS200 National Championships, the yellow championship bibs are sitting ever more easily on the shoulders of James Peters and Jo Wright. 

 

After an unplanned blown off lay day / curry night / introducing SCYC resident DJ Lionel to the outer realms of musical taste, the fleet passed a windy night and awoke to a breezy day. Those who over indulged at the club - great party - saw the creeping dawn appear around their curtains with a bit of dread, but, yes, MJ Gifford's floorboards remained firmly in place, the beach was launchable, and we were in for a big day in 20 knots. 

At the helm A seeming mermaid steers: the silken tackle Swell with the touches of those flower-soft hands

(Yep, forget Dyneema, silk is where it's at). This was an absolute euphoria of a day's sailing, marshalled brilliantly by the race officer, who got us out, set and banged in three cracking races.

Faff - minimal. Fun - maximal. 

On a day when generally it was a Good Thing to be pathfinder, Gillies Munro and Daniel Harris opened the gate in race 1 and converted clean air into great speed and a superb 2nd place, behind James and Jo who continued to show their edge in the breeze. Stand out performers on the day though were George Yeoman and Sophie Ormsby - who belied being in the bar relatively late last night to post an awesome 3, 3, 1 scoreline with an especially dominant last race.

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety

Abersoch is offering us some great nip and tuck racing, hilarity at socials, and is a perfect reminder of why so many of us love this sport. If this sounds up your street and our superb media coverage (thanks guys) helps to show off what makes the 200 fleet such a good place to be - get involved! This really is the friendliest place to get some proper racing. 

Back to the future - tomorrow looks lighter and may well allow some different partnerships to shine. Snakes and ladders? Just avoid the asp...

 

Day 3

 

by M.J. Gifford

Today started in an interesting way for your correspondent.  The wind at 6am had reached a level that was making the floorboards in his bedroom rise and fall.  Luckily the aftermath of the previous day’s survival celebration meant it was possible to register this and roll over with the assumption that sailing might be off.

It was no surprise that when floorboards rise before the sailors it turned out not to be a good day to take a dinghy on the Tremadog bay waters.  With little else to do your intrepid reporter went to the South Caernarfonshire Yacht Club storage bay to catch up with his friend the Windward Mark.

 

It turns out that quite a lot has happened since we caught up in Hayling Island last year and he had some interesting thoughts on recent events:

 

Your newshound (YNH):  So what is going on in the marking world?

 

Windward Mark (WM):  Well, the big news is that I have settled down, put down my anchor so to speak.

 

YNH:  Have you become a “One club” buoy?

 

WM:  No, I have settled down in the family way.  I met a leeward mark at last year’s 200 Champs and we got together at the final night disco.  We have been virtually inseparable since then, even at the America’s Cup when she was on the course both days that they sailed.  I wasn’t so happy about that though as she does have a bit of a thing about Ian Percy.

 

YNH:  Do you mind me asking, which of the gate marks is she this week?

 

WM:  Well, that is a problem that I have as well.  Her identical twin is working here too and I did get confused in the shed after the first days racing.

 

YNH:  What happened?

 

WM:  I snuggled up next to the Left Leeward Mark, got a shout from the Right Leeward Mark, and before I knew it I had the air taken right out of me….  It could have been a lot worse, on Sunday that dumpy spreader mark tried to get too close to me on the water and I had to sleep with the ground tackle so as not to be molested overnight!

 

YNH:  Do you mind if we move onto the regatta?  Who has impressed you so far?

 

WM:  Well as you know I have a bit of thing for the pretty girls which is one of the reasons I like the 200s.  Jo Wright has been pretty special and her and James have been very fast.  Ally Martin has been the other one to watch.  She is very hot… on the water I mean… can you leave that out of the copy!  Anyway Ally had a cracking day yesterday and that was despite having a meeting of minds with her boom.  I think my favourite might be Emma Norris.  She even gave me a little nudge and a wink as she went past yesterday.  That is one of the things I like about this class, when you tap the boats as they go past they don’t get anything like as cross as they do at other events.

 

YNH:  What about further down the fleet, anybody to watch there?

 

WM:  So.  I have been taking a keen interest in the Masters.  Andy and Jill seem to be having a good week and are looking pretty strong but then you and Caroline are not out of the hunt just yet.  How old is she?  She must be a grandmaster.

 

YNH:  Ummm… She is definitely a grandmother but I don’t think that she is that old.

 

WM: Well you should know, but I have heard a lot of the younger sailors saying that she is an “inspiration”… 

 

YNH:  Are you looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow?

 

WM:  I hope so, though the forecast is looking a bit tough and it will need all my kedging ability just to stay on station.  It is definitely going to be a tough week for my fixing and fastenings and I just hope that I can hold up.  I was wondering about some of that EPO that all the cyclists are taking but I am planning to go with WD40 as that is more my style.

 

YNH: Good luck.  What have you got planned for the evening?

 

WM:  My main aim is to get the right Leeward Mark and not get into the same sort of trouble I did last night.  I wish they would wear different colour coverings or maybe just get different sponsors.  Still a little badly judged cuddle never hurt anyone.

 

YNH:  Indeed, but I don’t think I should agree with you as my wife might be reading.  I hope for your sake that you don’t get into too much trouble as it looks like being a bad night to be outside.  Good luck for the rest of the week and I hope that we can report on some proper racing tomorrow.

 

Day 2

 

Big waves, big winds, big fun was how my able shipmate summed up day 2 of the 2015 Volvo Noble Marine RS200 National Championships at the South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club. And now as I speak with you, I'm looking out over sunny Tremadog Bay supping a big beer. Great day. 

 

This was one of those sailing days that the fleet will be talking about for years to come. 

 

But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.  After a postponement due to tricky launching conditions, (as demonstrated by crash test dummies Ally Martin and Simon Potts) it fell to Mike Warwicker and Kate Fitzsimmons to take some brave pills and be the first lemmings over the cliff. The fleet then got on the water through some difficult breaking waves due to some fantastic teamwork throughout, ably marshalled by daddy daycare Ian Sharps - very sincere thanks from all! 

 

Once we got out into the bay, Abersoch more than lived up to its reputation as a fantastic yachting playground, delivering a beautiful 25-30 knots. Upwind grinds followed by some white knuckle planing downwind - and waves that just kept giving and giving. Rip-snortingly-laugh-out-loud-hilarious is the nearest description to adequate that your (knackered, zonked) correspondent can find to describe the day. 

 

 

In the event, James Peters and Joanna Wright extended their lead on the fleet handsomely with a 2,1 scoreline. They are being kept very honest by Ally and Simon - who proved they are better suited to racing than launching today - by crossing the line just behind our overall leaders in both races. Matt Mee and Emma Norris, our race 3 winners today, are positioned nicely on the shoulder of the early leaders... 

 

Quote of the day? "When my slot gasket blew, the fountain hit the spreaders!"

 

 

DAY 1

 

The RS 200 fleet has congregated at the South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club for the 2015 Volvo Noble Marine RS200 National Championships. It's a big year for the class, with updated sails and boats introduced, and with the support of some exciting new sponsors, as well as Volvo, Noble Marine, and Harken, who have long helped the class put on some of the best events in sailing.

 

Day one was Lennon Racewear Day, and both the SCYC organisers and the conditions delivered in spades. The 150 competitors were greeted by a damp old start to the day, but any concerns of a week of trench foot were allayed as the bay unveiled itself in all its glory.

 

Race 1 started in bright sunshine and a 12 knot Southerly, with John and Liz Teague opening the gate, but youth led the way. James Peters and Joanna Wright stormed out of the gate to take a handsome lead; your correspondent will not be starting to leeward of that partnership again! Local favourites Matt Mee and Emma Norris started off their series with a solid second, and Hamish Walker and Emma Hivey in third showed that our armed services don't need to sail more than about once a year to stay super quick. 

 

The weather decided to throw its keys in the bowl for race 2, but the race officer dealt with a few big swings admirably - little time was lost before unleashing upwind gurus Edd Whitehead and Kate Allam as pathfinder and to a lights to flag victory. Hot on their tails were hiking badgers (and overnight Masters leaders) Andy and Jill Peters. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised; tonight's social is a Noah's Ark fancy dress theme, and rumour has it that a badger is going in mufti as a hairy, short sighted Andy. James and Joanna polished off a great day 1 with a 3rd, to lead overnight from Edd and Kate, then Matt and Emma. Other notable performances? Jack Holden and Meg Fletcher well in front in Silver Fleet in a fine 12th, with Gillies Munro and Daniel Harris leading bronze in 20th. And on the evidence so far, you're as likely to be at the front with the old styled sails as with the new. 

 

Looking around the bar after sailing, there is a fantastic number of new faces in the fleet to add to a few of the old salts, and the mixture of new and old is producing some fantastic racing. The week is setting itself up nicely for some added spice, with youth and masters rivalries to add to the mix. 

 

So, to Abersoch's Vaynol for fancy dress, where the animals arrive two by two, and depart... ... ... There is at least one Easy Tiger in the fleet, after all...

 

Tomorrow's prognosis? Sunshine, 16 knots, racing hard with your mates. It's what it is all about. 

 

John McKelvie & team

Photos courtesy of Proaction