RS200 Spring Championship at Itchenor SC

Photos thanks to Mary Pudney, lots more here

Thirty boats enjoyed classic sailing conditions at the RS Spring Championships this weekend. The venue was a sunny but chilly Itchenor Sailing Club, which was looking as beautiful as ever in the Spring sunshine. A loose slot gasket meant that one boat never made it to the start line, but for the rest of the teams race officer Bruce Grant did a fantastic job getting eight very efficient races away in a shifty Northerly.

Think Chichester Harbour and you think tide. And it looked as though the current might be the order of the day as two thirds of the fleet was swept over in race 1, resulting in a fairly inevitable general recall. With that formality out of the way, the black flag kept most sailors in check for the rest of the day to get everyone back in time for tea.

The positioning of the course across two channels meant there were a variety of routes to take up the beat and a multitude of different theories about which was best. But one race in particular showed that even the locals can be completely fooled, with almost all of the Itchenor members hitting the left on the first beat only to find themselves a hundred yards behind the visitors by the windward mark. There were clearly some gains to be made by local knowledge, though, as George Yeoman and Sophie Ormsby won Race 2 and Andy Shaw and Pippa Horne won Race 4.

But tactically there was plenty more than tide to think about. The breeze went steadily left for most of Saturday and oscillations (both regular and irregular) and gusts (both sudden and sustained) gave the harbour a reservoir feel. Will and Mary Henderson were the most consistent on Day 1 with four top fives, but it was Matt Mee and Emma Norris who held the lead overnight with two firsts and a second.

Sunday was more or less identical to Sunday, with no particular side paying consistently and big gains (or losses) to be made on every leg. A few people misjudging the tide and dragging buoys down the run with them added extra drama to the mark roundings. The local chandleries may need to stock up on gel coat for the rudders that came off second best from their fights with the anchor chains. Matt and Emma again took command on the results sheet, winning the event with a race to spare. Second to ninth were separated by just 14 points, which is testament to the high quality close racing that are the trademarks of Itchenor and RS200 sailing in general.

No report of an event at Itchenor would be complete, though, without a mention of the food and the hospitality. A delicious fish and chips and apple and blackberry crumble kept visitors and members merry on Saturday evening. Those that were quick enough were also treated to a hearty Sunday roast after sailing on Sunday. A huge thanks to the club staff for keeping everyone happy and to the race team for shortening the last race at the windward mark to get the sailors home in time!

Rob Struckett