Results / Fat Face Racing Circuit Bough Beach SC - 17/03/2007
New season, new Fat-Face racing circuit but some things stay the same. So
Sir Barrington Steel started the 2007 Fat-face circuit off at Bough Beech
on 17 March with his trademark port-tack start and so successful was it
that come race 2 there were a gaggle of boats loitering at the pin end
striving for that perfect start.
Despite Steel�s best efforts, though, it was itinerant Tim Keen from
Sheffield who initially led the fleet in race 1. He was overhauled by
Steve Bolland from Bristol Corinthian towards the end of the second lap,
a position he retained to the finish with Keen in second and Steel from
Aldenham taking third.
Race 2 was run back to back in marginally more breeze. Bolland won the
port-biased start and led the fleet away. He pulled further ahead down
the first reach as he took advantage of a series of gusts but Keen
recovered well from a dodgy start and closed up on the broad second
reach. As the wind piped up, however, Bolland eased away. Keen finished
in second place again, closely followed by Peter Curtis, the first A-
rigger, from Island Barn and Alastair Wood, also in an A-rig, from Bough
Beech.
During lunch the wind continued to rise but the fleet was well rested,
fired up on a diet of pasties and curry and ready to go at the start of
race 3. Again Bolland won the port end of the line and had a decent lead
by the first mark. There was a gaggle of boats chasing however which was
initially led by Keen. However, a capsize and a broken tiller extension
put paid to Keen�s chances. As the wind continued to build there were
capsizes throughout the fleet but Curtis, Steel and Geoff Marks from the
home club picked their way through the carnage to finish in that order
after Bolland.
A depleted fleet stayed out for race 4. Bolland yet again led the fleet
away cleanly and was never headed. Behind him Curtis and Steel had a ding-
dong battle that lasted the entire race and these two were closely
followed home by Alastair Wood.
A great event, then, that was enjoyed by everyone, not least due to the
excellent courses set by the race officer and the friendly nature of the
club. Towards the front of the fleet it was good to see some new (as well
as old!) faces and also two A-rigs finishing in the top four, giving the
B-rig boats more than a run for their money. Next stop on the Fat-Face
circuit is on 28/29 April at Milton Keynes.
Position | Helm | Club | Sail Number | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Net Points |
1 | Steve Bolland | Bristol Corinthian SC | 411 | (1) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
2 | Peter Curtis | Island Barn SC | 324 | (4) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
3 | Barry Steel | ASC | 366 | 3 | (6) | 3 | 3 | 9 |
4 | Alastair Wood | BBSC | 422 | (5) | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
5 | Jeff Marks | SHSC | 437 | (7) | 5 | 4 | 5 | 14 |
6 | Tim Keen | Sheffield Viking SC | 328 | 2 | 2 | (11) | 11 | 15 |
7 | Richard Eperon | BBSC | 353 | 6 | 7 | 7 | (11) | 20 |
8 | Mark Smith | QMSC | 511 | 8 | 8 | 6 | (11) | 22 |
9 | Peter Cook | BBSC | 373 | 10 | 9 | (11) | 11 | 30 |
10 | Steve Sharp | MSC | 313 | 9 | 10 | (11) | 11 | 30 |