Results / Burghfield SC - 17/03/2001

Burghfield SC's offer to step into the void left by cancelled open meetings due to foot and mouth at the 11th hour was totally vindicated with a good level of support and some excellent racing for the RS200/300/400 Open on Saturday, March 17th. The turnout would have been even better but several Midland 300 sailors woke up on Saturday morning to find 4" of snow blocking local roads. A good force 4 from the north proved very cold but also proved to be a much steadier breeze then expected providing great racing conditions.

RS200's.
Racing for 200's was totally dominated by Jon Lewis/Lizzie Humphries and Tom/Jo Hewitson. Lewis led race one although always pressed hard downwind by the Hewitsons until both teams lost track of which lap they were on and sailed the wrong course. Local sailors Chris Rowland/Nygel Gardner did not follow them and when the race.

Lewis led race 2 again only to make a mistake at a leeward mark to give the Hewitsons a good lead. Lewis though slowly eroded this lead and was right on the Hewitsons transom at the start of the final run. In a very close gybing tussle Lewis managed to win the race by the length of his bowsprit. Lewis then really got his act together to win race 3 by an emphatic margin.

RS300's
The 300's provided some very competitive fleet racing with much place changing in all races. In Race 1 Matt Sargent led from start to finish although never breaking a long way clear. Marc Sollars pulled steadily through the fleet to finish second with Steve Cook third.
Race 2 started with half the fleet over the line, Sargent and Steve Middleton had a close tussle in race 2 until Sargent had a serious attempt to enlarge the lake by dredging the shallows. Andrew Beynon had a good third beat and then showed good reaching speed to claim first place with Middleton second and Sollars third.
Race 3 again saw Middleton and Sargent at the front, Middleton appeared to have overall victory in his grasp as he led at the halfway point. Sargent though powered through on a beat to claim race and overall victory.

RS400's
Chris Jennings/Ed Nicklin won the first two races by emphatic margins with a tremendous display of boat handling, behind though there was some incredibly tight racing.
Race 1 was fairly calm with Jennings winning with Carl/Julie Mayhew not far behind in second and Tom Jones/Paul Frewing third.
Race 2 was eventful from the start with four boats over the line, none of who returned. Jennings blasted off into the distance whilst behind Phil Jackson/Gerard Barron, Mayhews, Jones, Jason Pyke, Adam John/Sharky and Malcolm/Martin Green regularly swapping places. The order of the race was totally turned inside out when the second, third and fourth placed boats all crossed the finishing line to silence, all OCS. Adam John scored second with Stuart/Paul Elford third and the Greens fourth.
Jennings and Nicklin sat out race 3, this time the fleet got off to a very clean start. The second leeward mark will be remembered for a long-time by all involved and all watching on the committee boat. Nine boats arrived at the mark all thinking they had a chance to lead and approaching at very different angles. The resulting squeeze provided much entertainment for spectators and a few frayed tempers. The Greens avoided trouble and emerged in the lead. Phil Jackson had been favourite to lead round the mark but was badly shut out and went round sixth. This only galvanized the pair who flew up the next beat to take the lead and race victory. The Greens were second with Jones third. Chris Goswell/Pauline McCracken made up for a bad day by claiming ten boats on the final run to finish fourth.
Even though the event was organised at a weeks notice the event was a great success, many thanks to Burghfield for hosting the event so well.