Results / RS300 Gul Winter Champs Northampton S.C. - 18/02/2006

Flat calm and fog greeted the competitors on 18th February for day one of the RS300 GUL Winter Championships at Northampton SC. Unfortunately, although the fog lifted the breeze did not materialise and no racing was possible. Highlight of the day was Phil Underwood rigging his 300 with an RS600 sail. We await further developments with interest� Four races were scheduled for day two but more fog made a postponement look likely until the gloom lifted just enough to see the windward mark. Race 1 was run in a force 2 with the fleet splitting left and right on the first beat. At the windward mark, Steve Bolland approaching from the left led narrowly from Cliff Shaw from the right. Bolland pulled away downwind as Shaw fought to hold off the attentions of Gary Fryer and Greg Barton. At the finish it was Bolland clear of Fryer, Barton and Shaw who all finished in short order. Race 2 was run in similar conditions with Bolland narrowly leading from Shaw early on but managing to pull clear as the race progressed. Fryer finished 2nd on the water but was adjudged to have contravened the one- minute rule, allowing Shaw into 2nd and Barton into 3rd. Race 3 was run after an athlete�s lunch of sausage, chips and beans in a rising force 3. A course adjustment led to an excellent combination of broad and tight reaches and three gybes per lap. Bolland again led until the penultimate gybe caught him out, allowing Shaw though to win, followed by Barton. The final race was the closest of the weekend. With Shaw needing a win for a chance of overall victory, Bolland sat on him closely up the first beat to allow Barton and Underwood to pull away initially. Shaw just managed to shake off Underwood on the last leg but a late surge by Bolland was not enough to deprive Barton of the race win. A big thank you to our hosts at Northampton SC.