Results / Winter Championship Chew Valley Lake SC - 16/03/2013

Chew Valley Open – RS100 Winter Championship & Bolle Grand Prix

The RS100 fleet met at Chew Valley Lake for their first open meeting of the year.  A select group of 13 sailors turned up over the cold weekend, including a couple of new faces welcomed to the fleet.

Race 1

The forecast was for 14 knots gusting to 30 knots.  Race 1 started into a shifting breeze that started left but shifted right favouring those that tacked onto port early.  The wind also died to almost nothing as the beat progressed, stretching out the fleet.  Steven Lee led round the windward mark, and sailed the shifts well to win the race.  Of the local boats, Tim Mitchell and Nick Edmonds were showing good early form.  There were lots of place changes downwind, as the wind started to pick up again before the heavens opened.  Steve was followed home by Alex Morrison, Clive Eplett and Huw Powell.

Race 2

The wind was up by now and the fleet got away first time again.  Huw Powell reached the windward mark first having played the shifts well.  Some big gusts came down the track including one measured at 27 knots.  This led Huw to drop and tack round, which led to much stick later as those behind, including Alex and Chris Cunningham, nailed the gybe.  The single sail reach into the leeward gate proved exciting for Huw as he held on despite a very deep submarine.  The local hotshot, David Smart, had found good speed downwind, but capsized on the drop letting Clive through. Al Hall succeeded in puncturing his hull to put paid to his day’s racing, although nobody could fathom how he’d done it.  A big battle ensued at the front between Huw and Chris, with Chris showing his customary heavy wind skills, despite having shed a few pounds over the winter.  However Clive slipped through to take second place behind Huw with Chris third and Steven fourth.

Race 3

Again the right hand side paid up the first beat and Greg Booth showed good speed to round the windward mark in the lead.  However he went right downwind and sailed into a hole close to Denny Island, where we suspect he was going for Swallows and Amazons fun.  The wind was still strong and Huw and Steven led the fleet at the leeward mark, although some thought Steven was about to lose his place as he dropped his kite under the bow but somehow managed to keep the boat upright on the turn through the gate with the kite half up.  Those two led the fleet away while Davis Smart battled his way up the fleet to a comfortable third place until the final downwind where he inexplicably showed great kindness to those behind by going for a swim, leaving Greg, Clive and Alex to pass.

The RO, Pete Rose and his team had showed great skill in not only organising three great races in testing shifty conditions, but also getting everyone off the water in time for the Wales v England game.  However the English were less happy at the end of the match.  The rugby was followed by pizzas and some late night table tennis.

Unfortunately on Sunday, the wind didn’t show up.  And despite a brief foray onto the water the RO sensibly decided to knock it on the head at 13.30 so the travellers could get away early.

Everyone agreed that Chew had been a great location for the first Open of the year and hoped for a return in 2014.