Results / RS Fat Face Eurocup Travemunder Woche, Germany - 23/07/2007

5 RS fleets assembled at Travemunde, having travelled far and wide from 10 different nations to compete in Germany´s equivalent of Cork Week. There is a real mix of boats competing ranging from Folkboats to 18 foot skiffs to strange local one designs that are a cross between pregnant GP14s and Snipes to Tornados. There are eight different races areas all organised with amazing efficiency, mission control in the tented village was something to behold. Over one million people visit this fabulous event which is mainly, but certainly not entirely, centered around sailing.   This year the RS Classes journeyed therefor their Fat Face RS Eurocup to see what all the fuss is about!    The journeys across Europe through end-of-the-world storms were rewarded immediately with the huge array of lively bars, food stalls, beach clubs, sunshine and stonking wind and waves.   Suffice it to say that hangovers resulted in fewer than 10% of the competitors making it out of their slumbers to the practice race in sheeting rain.   However, everyone had recovered sufficiently by the evening to spend a fabulous time on board the beautiful tall ship, ´Passat´ in evening sunshine followed by ferocious rain storms.    The weather is certainly changable and the first day´s racing showed this.

Day 1 saw a gentle F3, dropping gradually through the day.    Race 1 was a question of reading the race course and watching the shifts.    Roy McCubbin & Kirsty McSeveney immediately made their journey from South Scotland to Germany via Dover more than worthwhile by showing that right paid on the first beat, achieving a lead that they kept to the end for the RS200s.  Trudie Fell, sailing with a green-looking Pete Ooh Nooo Cruickshank saw their 2^nd place taken right at the end by Nick Charles and Juliet Kingsnorth.    Stephen and Jane Robertson, in the RS400s, similarly took an early huge lead, which was gradually eroded, but not quite enough, by Giles & Heather Chipperfield.     

In the RS600s, close racing saw Dave Annan finally pull away from Andy Heissig for the first bullet of the week.   Lymington Town RS700 sailors, Jon Heissig and Nigel Walbank, travelled 700 miles to come together at the windward mark – this cost them dear as Rob Chaplin sailed past both of them and continued to lead to the end, Heissig and Walbank following.   It was a day for couples in the RS800 fleet, with Alastair and Penny Shires taking the bullet, followed by Andrew & Vicky Gould, and German sailors Björn & Moana Muhnko.

The wind then buggered off and with no hope of race 2 the fleets were towed in, a light breeze arriving of course just as they hit the beach !!

Following the disappointment of racing being abandoned half way through the first race on Tuesday due to the threat of imminent massive lightening storms and all the fleets on all eight courses being herded back to the safety of shore, none of the competitors seems too worried as they settled down at the Sailors Beach Bar for a RS bar-b-q and scary cocktails followed by a beautiful laser and firework show over the river.     Then came `Big Wednesday` in the true RS Eurocup tradition!    Force 6 and big, big rollers.    Awsome downwind sailing, some carnage and a very demanding 3 races.   

RS200´s Ian Pickard and normal Lucy Matthews revelled in the difficult conditions with an excellent 1,1,2.   Charles/Kingsnorth recovered from gear failure in race 1 to come back with an impressive 2,1, and the consistent Fell/Cruickshank enjoyed their 2,5,3.   In the RS400s it was the day for Ian Robson and Sandy Johnson, who worked extremeley hard to score 3 bullets in a fleet where the lead was changing in every leg.   Howard Farbother/Louise Hosken showed their true colours with amazing boat speed to score 3,2,3.   

The trapeze boats were having a really spectacular time in the huge waves.  In the RS600s, Dave Annan kept his lead by one point, but it was Andy Heissig´s day with 2 bullets before having to retire with gear failure.  Rob Chaplin kept his lead in the RS700s with an improving 3,2,1, but the day belonged to Nigel Walbank with an excellent 1,1,2.    Pete Barton/Bonnie Moody returned to form with 2 bullets and a 2^nd.    The late-comers-what-a-journey team of Andy Cornah & Orwin Murray had a fantastic 2,3,1, finally discarding the race lost from non-attendance on day 1.  

Many of the fleet were quietly relieved to be greeted on the beach by medium winds on Thursday, and it was a day for monitoring the compass and knowing the numbers with frequent sizeable shifts providing the gains in the offshore breeze. With the wind strength fluctuating between 10-18knots effective gear shifting was vital between the varying power modes.   With a forecast for massive winds on Friday, the Race Officer got 4 good races in, and the fleets returned to shore after 7 demanding hours on the water … But the sun had been out, the racing excellent and there was plenty to talk about

Charles/Kingsnorth took the lead with a 2,5,1,1 in the RS200s, edging Ian Pickard and Lucy Matthews 4,3,3,2 off the top spot. Trudie Fell & Peter Cruikshank solidified their 3^rd overall with two wins recording 1,1,5,8 (15pts).   In the 400s, Robson/Johnson continued their winning ways with 5,1,1,2, winning with a day to spare.    The Chipperfields regained 2^nd overall, and 2 of todays’ wins went to Richard Graham-Enock and Roland Walker who were unfortunate victims of gear failure yesterday.   It was a real battle in the 600’s between Andy Heissig and David Annan. Both recorded 2 race wins apiece today and with identical countable results Lymington´s Heissig enjoyed the finest of tie breaks. Heissig was on a mission to prove to the world that Cuba Libres do not effect performance whist Annan was showing off his party trick of capsizing just before the finish to still take first as Heissig charges up behind, class!

With the top 3 exchanging places at the front of the RS700s, the stage was set for a 3-way showdown for the European title. Jon Heissig made a sustained comeback with 1,1,2,1. Rob Chaplin kept it solid with 3,2,5,3, but after waking up halfway through the afternoon Lymingtons Nigel Walbank´s 5,4,1,2 provided the seasoned campaigner a 2pt lead going into the final day.

In the RS800s Barton/Moody tightened their grip on a title with a 1,1,1,4, chased hard by Andy Cornah/Orwin Murray showing good speed. Graham Simmonds/Chris Doe’s excellent 4,8,3,2 put them into 3^rd place.

Friday morning and with the racing back on track (8 races completed) the wind came with its full force and racing was postponed while the fleet kicked their heels and tension mounted. All the other dinghy fleets had cancelled when the word came to go afloat. Andy Heissig in the RS600 was launched like a canary in a coalmine, followed by three 400s who were almost at the race area when the further word came to abandon as 40kt gusts were recorded on the race course. Special mention to the Handleys (400) as the only boat to fly the kite in 40kt gusts without major incident. Back on the beach racing was called off for the day and the week was over.

So Charles/Kingsnorth won the 200’s, Robson/Johnson won the 4’s. Jon Hessig just pipped David Annan in the 600’s; they were tied on points, same number of firsts, same number of seconds with Hessig winning on more third places. Nigel Walbank became Fat Face RS700 European champion with a special cheer for Germanys Christian Brandt at the prize giving in 5^th overall whose idea it was to take the Fat Face RS Eurocup to Travemunde. Barton/Moody won the 800’s.

As per the brochure Travemunde turned up a full mix of wind strengths and sea states providing a full and varied test of speed and tactics.   And as for the socials ….. you had to be there!