The RS 100s were met by a small army of volunteers in warm sunshine and light winds for the biggest ever event LTSC have run, the Magic Marine RS Southern Championships with a total of 150 boats across the 8 fleets.  

After sailing out of the river and turning to the West race course for RS 100s, 200s, 300s and Aeros there was a 30 minute wait for the WSW 8 knot breeze to settle.

All marks to starboard was the first thing to confuse us, for the start of race 1, and the second was starting under the I flag with a 2 knot tide pushing the fleet over the line. Chairman Mark H started early and found how painful it was to get round the pin end against the tide. With the tide under the fleet an early tack onto port to allow for the tide was key to getting to the windward mark first as demonstrated by Giles Peckham followed closely by Andrew Jones.  Then head inshore on the run, out of the tide,but not too far.  Jez Segar gybed first from mid-pack and nailed this lay line call and got to the leeward mark first, closely followed by Giles with the rest of the fleet sailing far too far down the shore.  Giles dropped the kite and tiller extension and spun out missing the buoy before resuming the chase.  Giles overtook Jez upwind but Jez showed a clean pair of heels to lead again at each leeward mark.  With the pack comfortably behind it looked like a 2-horse race but it turned out they were cart horses compared with Ian Gregory’s thoroughbred.  As Giles fought to keep Jez behind to the finish, Ian flew through to take the gun.  The race was shortened from 5 laps to 3 but nobody noticed and all fleets sailed on and finished after 4 laps except Jez who set off up the 5th beat with Ian just getting first from Giles and Jez returning to claim 3rd.

At the start of race 3 with 3 minutes to go all were fighting to stay the right side of the line.  Flag I gave Andrew a real problem he was over at 1 minute and the committee boat was directly up wind.  Wind veered to the point where the wind was aft of the beam for the start, yet the race committee persisted and spinnakers were flown off the start line and everyone reached to the windward mark and back.  Ian and Mark Cockrill judged the start well and got to both marks and the finish first and second.  Mark H and Giles arrived at the second mark side-by-side and Mark would have beaten Giles but he got confused as to where the finish was, allowing Giles to pass.  So, Giles 3rd and Mark 4th.

After waiting around for the wind to settle in the NW the race officer threw in the towel and sent us in to enjoy the tea and doughnuts handed out at signing off and the great LTSC hospitality during the evening.

Day 2:

Race 3 started in about 12 knots and saw Andrew sail the perfect 1st leg, starting near the pin and tacking over immediately into the slacker tide inshore, then nailing the lay line for the windward mark from a long way out.  Andrew 1st, Ian 2nd, Giles 3rd, Mark 4th thanks to a penalty turn which he didn’t really have to do!

An increase in wind strength to around 15 knots for Race 4 and the tide changing meant that Mark H’s early gybe at the windward mark moved him from 5th to 2nd behind Andrew and ahead of Giles. On the last run when everyone over stood the lay line into the leeward mark Ian struggled with lack of weight trying to climb up to the leeward mark dropped it in, letting Paul Luttman past, only for Paul to drop it in at the mark and let Ian recover 4th place.

With the wind now F5 for the start of the race 5 under a black flag Giles got under Andrew at the start and persuaded Andrew to duck out early but despite a late start he was still at the windward mark first.  Andrew was so far ahead that he thought he’d take time to demonstrate the hour-glass gybe, unfortunately he was already very close to the lay line so the double gybe recovery was done under pressure and the result was a swim.  Mark H closed the gap but couldn’t catch him and then threw his boat in at the last mark, blaming a tsunami strike on his windward quarter as he came out of the gybe allowing the ever consistent Ian to grab 2nd as Mark H recovered for 3rd.  Giles changed places with Paul each time one capsized but Giles managed to keep it upright on the last lap and held 4th and Nick Griffin finishing 6th.

The RO had obviously seen the drizzle coming in and decided that everyone was wet enough after the swims so set us home for another cup of tea and a doughnut.

In the end Mark H’s final mark swim did not alter the results, the top places with Ian winning two points clear of Andrew and Giles beating Mark H by the same margin.

Thanks to everyone at LTSC for putting on the event and look forward to the RS 100 Inlands at Llangedfedd SC in just under three weeks.

Mark Harrison

PS. Thanks from the Gurnard boats to Liz  (Trolley Dolly of the year) who drove the rib with trolleys home in the rain as the three of us enjoyed 40 minutes of  flying down wind in around 20 knots.

FINAL RESULTS BELOW