RS300 Sprint Championships - report

Five RS300's arrived to take part in the inaugural RS Sprint Championships at Rutland SC on the 4th November. The sprints showcased an unusual race format of having 6 10-15 minute races on an S shaped course. The points system for this event was based on a maximum score basis, with 3 points for a race win, 2 for second and 1 for third. With the fleet launching in a F3-4 and not quite knowing what to expect in the first race, Greg Barton (Glossop & District) broke clear early on the first beat to pull out a ten boatlength lead by the windward mark, followed by Paul Thompson (Combs) and Tim Keen (Sheffield Viking) rounding the mark side by side, closely followed by Gordon Thompson & Chris Fletcher (Combs SC). Barton protected his lead and took the first win, with Paul Thompson and Keen finishing just seconds apart, ahead of Gordon Thompson and Fletcher. Race 2 was an altogether different affair with Paul Thompson breaking clear on the first beat to lead by two boat lengths at the windward mark, then showing superior boatspeed on the dead run to extend his lead from Barton who was busy defending from the flyweight Keen who was making excellent progress downwind. Across the bottom reach the three leaders closed up to round the bottom mark onto the final beat together. Keen tacked off onto port first, shortly followed by Paul Thompson. Barton, in a decision that was to prove decisive, elected to sail up the left hand side of the beat, hoping to use the clear air to pass Thompson. At the finish line, Thompson took the honours, Keen and Barton crossed the line absolutely together on opposite tacks, with neither sailor knowing the result. Keen was later to proven to have taken second place in the race with Barton third from Gordon Thompson and Chris Fletcher. For the final race before the lunch break, the wind had build slightly. In a moment of Barry Steel inspired madness Barton decided to take a punt on a Port end flyer. The rest of the fleet picked up on this early on and drifted down the line. However there was a chink of daylight between the Thompson brothers and in a Banzai move, Barton squeezed through the gap. Sailing up the extreme right of the first beat Barton had pulled clear at the windward mark and set about maintaining the hard won lead as Paul Thompson rounded in second with Gordon Thompson squeezing round in third ahead of Keen and Fletcher. As is traditional, the skinny boys closed up on the leader on the downwind leg but Barton was able to pull away again upwind into the finish line, with Paul Thompson leapfrogging his way up to take second place from Keen, Thompson and Fletcher. After an athlete's lunch the fleet set out for the second half. Over the break the wind has dropped slightly & would continue to die off through the afternoon. Race 4 saw Barton break clear again on the first beat ahead of Keen, Paul Thompson, Gordon Thompson and Fletcher. Keen had obviously been on the diuretics at the lunch break, as his boatspeed on the run had to be seen to be believed! Keen passed Barton on the outside into the leward mark, however Barton managed to squeeze one up the inside and pass Keen again on the reach. The two leaders rounded the bottom mark together with Barton squeezing a little more boatspeed out round the mark to pull half a boatlength clear of Keen. However, a collision with a Vareo which tacked immediately infront of them cost Barton his momentum and allowed Keen to break out of the wind shadow upwind. Keen sailed superbly up the last beat resisting everything thrown at him by Barton to take his first win of the weekend and pull himself back into contention, finishing just half a boatlength in front for Barton with Paul Thompson just a few seconds behind. Gordon Thompson again took fourth from Fletcher. Race 5 again saw the three leaders squabbling for position at the windward mark with Keen leading from Barton and Thompson. Fletcher this time got the better of Gordon Thompson upwind. Keen again raced away downwind finding the perfect balance between stability and boatspeed - no mean feat in the 300. Barton resisted Paul Thompsons advances downwind. Fletcher and Gordon Thompson had stayed in close contact with the leaders this time and there was nothing to choose between the fleet as they rounded the bottom mark together. Barton seemed intent on sailing keen into the floating Pontoons in an effort to find that half boatlength advantage needed to win this race from Keen, seeing this Paul Thompson elected to tack off onto Port and try to pass the pair of them for the lead. However he also chose this moment to take a swim which allowed both Gordon Thompson and Fletcher past, with the ecstatic Fletcher up into third to take his first points of the event, Keen won with Barton immediately behind. Going into the final race Paul Thompson, Barton or Keen could still win the event. Barton had a one point lead from Keen but only one third place to his name on countback, Paul Thompson needed to win from with Keen 3rd or lower and Barton out of the points. With the pressure mounting on the top three Paul Thompson took the only course of action available to a man in his situation. Port end start. Barton picked up on this and drifted down to try and foil his plan. However Thompson broke clear and sailed across the front of the fleet in a manner befitting another well known 300 sailor! Keen simply charged up the beat and took the lead from Thompson with Barton rounding a distant third now battling with Gordon Thompson and Fletcher, who had escaped a near death experience having binned it in front of a twin wiring 800 earlier. Keen kept a cool head throughout to narrowly defeat Paul Thompson and win his first RS300 open event. Gordon Thompson played the windshifts up the last beat in the lighter winds to snatch third place and take his first points with Barton ending up a disgruntled fourth ahead of Fletcher. Overall a great event, with all competitors enjoying themselves greatly in this innovative format. One for your diaries next year! Our thanks must got to Gul for their generous support of this event.