Results / Gul RS300 National Championships Brixham YC - 29/05/2004
Gul RS300 UK National Championship, 2004
The RS300 GUL UK National Championships were held from the 29th May to
1st June at Brixham Yacht Club and was attended by 21 competitors who
enjoyed the breezy conditions and the superb hospitality of the host club.
Starting into sunny force 3 south-westerly, Ian Baillie posted his
intentions early in race 1 by leading the fleet at the first mark from
class coach Matt Sargent and Steve Bolland, with his better downwind
speed keeping him ahead of these two to take the first gun.
A windshift just as race two got underway saw Chris Hart port tack across
the fleet, but Steve Bolland took better advantage and had an
unassailable lead by the first mark. Rob Eastwood headed the chasing pack
but Sargent and Nick Bolland soon took up the running until Baillie used
a late shift to claim second.
The next day gave similar conditions but with rain squalls to make things
interesting. Baillie used his downwind speed to move into the lead on lap
1 of race 3 and was not caught. Steve Bolland was second ahead of
Sargent.
Baillie continued his winning ways in race 4, leading from off the line.
Steve Bolland finished second again but subsequently retired when it
became apparent he had sailed the wrong course. This moved Sargent up
into second and Neil Beveridge into third.
Ben Yeats was the early leader in race 5 but he was not able to stay with
the pace of Steve Bolland and Baillie, who had a great tussle before
Bolland emerged victorious.
On day 3, the weather was typical for a Bank holiday Monday as it was
raining and the wind was rising. But Baillie enjoyed the bigger waves to
record another win, with Steve Bolland edging out Sargent on the last lap.
The wind and waves continued to rise as race 7 got underway. Baillie was
first round the windward mark but a mis-timed gybe sent him swimming.
Sargent took the lead and was pushed hard by Beveridge throughout, with
Steve Cook third.
With the wind rising further the race committee decided to abandon racing
for the day, although in the flat water of the harbour an impromptu
gybing session ensued while the 300s waited for the Vareos to clear the
slipway.
The final day looked like a nerve jangler, with the gradient and thermal
breeze competing to make it light and fickle. Steve and Nick Bolland,
Yeats and Baillie took up the running and swapped places until Baillie
caught the best shift to take the lead just as the shortened course flag
went up. Nick Bolland, Yeats and Steve Bolland finished close behind, but
Baillie had done enough to secure his first RS300 National title.
After an abandoned start to race 9 when the gradient wind finally won,
the shortened race restarted into a sparkling force 4 with Steve Bolland
winning. Sargent was unlucky to capsize within swimming distance of the
finish line letting Baillie and Yeats through.
The final race was held in sunshine and force 5. Baillie stormed up the
first beat to lead from Sargent but with his mind heading for shore he
suffered a short capsize at the final mark which allowed Sargent to pass
and hold him off to the finish. Yeats capped an excellent day with
another third.
So Ian Baillie emerged as the clear winner in a hard fought championship
to become the 2004 RS300 National Champion. Eddie Griffiths was the top
youth and Silver Fleet winner in ninth position and Paul Barker was the
first master in tenth.
Brixham Yacht Club is to be congratulated for running such a successful
regatta in difficult conditions and thanks also to GUL for their
continued support.
1st 445 I.Baillie Dalgety Bay SC 38 11 1 1 2
1 1 2 1 5 1 2 2
2nd 411 S.Bolland Bristol Corinthian 46 19 2 3
1 2 22 1 2 15 4 1 5
3rd 443 M.Sargent Royal Artillery YC 47 20 3 2
3 3 2 5 3 1 5 7 1
4th 380 N.Bolland Draycote Water SC 32 34 4 5
4 4 4 12 4 4 2 9 7
5th 352 B.Yates Chanonry SC 48 35 5 4 8 5
6 3 9 9 3 3 3
6th 479 S.Cook Stokes Bay SC 40 39 6 6 6 8
5 4 5 3 6 6 4
7th 416 N.Beveridge Prestwick SC 37 43 7 7 7
6 3 6 6 2 22 10 6
8th 414 C.Shaw Stokes Bay SC 41 62 8 9 5 10
9 7 8 8 13 8 8
9th 490 E. Grifftiths Port Edgar YC 30 66 9 15 9
9 19 11 7 7 10 4 9
10th 395 P.Barker Milton Keynes SC 36 81 10
13 12 14 7 9 20 11 12 5
12
11th 431 C.McDonald Bough Beech SC 42 84 11 8
13 11 13 8 12 12 7 13 22
12th 343 S.Drewberry Deben YC 45 93 12 12
17 15 10 16 14 13 8 11 10
13th 471 J. Winfield Lock SC 49 96 13 11 11
7 8 10 17 10 22 22 22
14th 365 R.Pelley Stokes Bay SC 50 104 14 14
14 12 11 14 11 6 22 22 22
15th 437 P.Ward Bough Beech SC 43 106 15 10 18
13 15 19 13 14 22 12 11
16th 422 A.Wood Bough Beech SC 39 113 16 19 15
17 14 13 10 22 9 16 22
17th 450 M.Henman Sunderland YC 33 125 17 18
20 20 18 17 16 16 11 15 14
18th 475 C.Hart Port Talbot 44 140 18 17 19
18 12 15 15 22 22 22 22
19th 310 C.Hooper Severn SC 34 141 19 20
16 21 16 18 19 17 14 22 22
20th 434 P.Underwood Cotswold SC 35 146 20 21
21 19 20 20 18 22 22 14 13
21st 318 R.Eastwood Porchester 31 147 21 16
10 16 17 22 22 22 22 22 22