25 RS100 sailors appeared for their National championships from Saturday 24 May to Tuesday 27 May with 3 races each day.

The racing was going to be close with National, World and Olympic champions scattered through the fleet.

Day 1

Sailed out in Weymouth bay on a dull, wet, cold day with a Force 4 gusting 5.  We were on a trapezoid course sailing the inner loop with the RS500s on the outer loop.  Chris Cunningham showed his strength in the stronger breeze to lead the fleet at the windward mark, only to drop his mainsheet and capsize to windward onto the 2013 National champion, Neal Freeman.  Chris’s choice language could be heard across Weymouth bay.  Huw Powell followed Neil with Giles Peckham in fourth.  Neal gybed off while Huw and Giles satnav proved to be faulty so rounding the RS500’s leeward mark on the outer loop, only realising their error when spotting that nobody else had gone round that mark.  The race was won by Neal, followed by Olympian Mike McIntyre, a fast charging 2013 world champion Alistair Dickson in third with class chairman Mark Harrison fourth.

Races 2 and 3 were both won by Alistair with Huw second.  Neal was third in the second race and a slowly improving David Smart third in the fourth race, helped by staying upright in the stronger breeze.

After the race, the 1 hour 20 minute beat back to the club proved testing after a challenging day’s racing particularly for the elder statesmen of the fleet.

Day 2

The races were sailed inside the harbour in a sunny Force 4 to 5 but on a simple windward leeward with a leeward gate and the RS500’s going to a more distant windward mark.  In race 4, Alistair again showed his speed in the stronger wind, but succeeded in destroying his own race on no less than three occasions. 

1)     A windward near capsize just after the start blamed on a non-existent windshift.

2)     Having got to the front of the fleet just ahead of Huw, he tacked at the windward mark, only to miss his toe straps, so rolling neatly off the side with an expletive on the way.

3)     Going for the drop before a single sail gybe and harden up at the leeward gate, only to stuff it in on the gybe.

The race was won by a supercharged Huw with Neal starting to show his consistency with a second and David third by virtue of staying upright and a frustrated Alistair in fourth.

Elsewhere in the fleet, Chris Cunningham showed his speed in the stronger breeze, rounding the windward mark in third place, only to drop his mainsheet again so going for another swim.

Race 5 saw Al Hall make a perfect pin end start to cross the fleet.  However the upwind speed of Huw again saw him lead the fleet with Neal second and Alistair third.  Greg Booth was starting to revel in the conditions taking fourth with David fifth after a generous gift from Tom Partington who was enjoying the race until the final gybe let David past together with the ever present Giles Peckham who took sixth.

The final race was showing the separation in the fleet with Alistair winning, Neal gaining his third second place for a very consistent day.  Huw finished third with David fourth and Greg fifth.

Elsewhere Greg enjoyed bimbling with his spreader length, although no clear speed difference was discernable, Alistair had decided that a new slot gasket was needed for the event although he still remains fast and Al Hall had again appeared to have changed all his ropes for the event.

Day 3

A (welcome) for some seismic shift in the wind from fresh on the first two days to light on day 3 saw corresponding seismic waves through the fleet and different names appearing at the front.

Race 7

While port biased, going right up the beat paid.  Leading at the first mark was super fast Neal Freeman followed closely by Andrew Wilson and Clive Eplett.  Previous front runners Alistair Dickson and Huw Powell struggled in the lighter breeze and looked to bag some discards.  The front three remained unchanged throughout the two lap race.  Greg Booth started to demonstrate consistency in both strong and light breeze finishing fourth with Giles Peckham enjoying the changing conditions coming in fifth.

Race 8

A starboard biased line led to some over eager starting tactics which saw four over at the start including one of the leaders, Alistair Dickson.  Neal continued to enjoy the conditions running away with another bullet.  Frensham Pond sailor Clive also carried on with his form from race 7, posting a second after discarding the weed that slowed him down on beat 2.  Paul Luttman came third, modestly putting the result down to being on the right side of the start line.  Giles was another loving the light stuff coming fourth followed by the super-consistent fifth.  Notable by their absence at the front were Alistair and Huw, posting more discards.

Race 9

The wind picked up a shade for the final race of the day, so allowing the ‘old guard’ (fit or fat boys) to get closer to the front.  The first start was canned (by Liz Harrison, now enjoying a day on the committee boat and immense power over her husband, as usual) with only 10 seconds to go, much to the chagrin of the perfectly positioned Mark Harrison.  The second start was port biased with Giles on the pin with a surprised Al Hall (who thought he owned the pin) just behind and they led the fleet to the windward mark with Neal close on their heels.  Giles Peckham continued to show great speed in the light stuff, pulling through to second with Huw Powell and Alistair Dickson suddenly remembering how to sail again and posting third and fourth.  Tom Partington had been demonstrating his party piece of tacking round the bow between races, and enjoying the expected swim.  That dunking had woken him up to zip through the fleet to fifth, having put together a consistent day just outside the top 5.  Elsewhere David Smart and Greg Booth enjoyed a pop-the-corner match race towards the start of a Feva race as David tried to protect his fourth place from the first two days. (which David brags he won, ed)

The forecast for Tuesday is more of the light stuff.  Neal Freeman’s speed and consistency has seen him build a strong lead at the front ahead of Alistair Dickson and Huw Powell with Mr Wobbly-Blue-Stripe, David Smart only just ahead of Greg Booth in fourth and fifth with Giles Peckham leaping up to 6^th with Tom Partington 7^th ahead of the fast charging Clive Eplett with Mark Harrison plunging down to 9^th with Al Hall tumbling to 10^th.

Day 4

The main feature of Day 4 was the love in between David Smart and Greg Booth fighting over fourth spot all day.  They were inseparable.  This after a highly competitive skittles evening where David and Greg’s teams shared the honours.  This could not be the case at the end of the day.

Race 10

David Smart was OCS well before the gun, but succeeded in returning without losing too much to Greg Booth.  Al Hall won the pin end (again) but in the light shifty breeze.  Leading at the windward Mark was Alistair Dickson with Neal Freeman, Giles Peckham and Paul Luttman in close company.  They were followed by David and Greg.  Positions were changing at the front and up the next beat the RO (Arky) decided to finish at the top mark.  The bullet was taken by Giles Peckham, continuing to demonstrate blistering pace in the lighter stuff.  He was followed by Neal Freeman showing his legendary light wind speed, with Paul Luttman delighted to post his second third place of the championship with Alistair Dickson fourth.  David and Greg had worked themselves up into a lather of a tacking duel, which Mark Harrison was daft enough to get into the middle of.  They finished 11^th and 12^th.

Race 11

Al Hall took the pin and got a flyer, leading at the windward mark, demonstrating that if you keep betting on something, you will win in the end.  Andrew Wilson showed great tactical nouse and good downwind speed to overhaul Al with Neal Freeman catching quickly.  David and Greg decided to tone down their hostilities keeping ahead of the chasing pack, although Giles was catching.  Andrew won the race, with Neal Freeman taking another second place to guarantee the championship.  Al Hall finished a glorious third with Giles fourth and David fifth. 

Race 12

Neal sailed in for an early glass of champagne, leaving the minor places to be battled out.  The wind built to a force 3 to 4 allowing the windy experts to have one last hurrah.  Huw Powell showed that he revels in the heavy stuff and powered ahead for the race win with Alistair Dickson up to second.  David Smart was battling a hard charging Greg Booth for third and fourth, a battle ultimately won by David.  Mark was enjoying the conditions, pulling through the fleet once he had removed some weed.

The event had proved to be highly competitive, although Neal Freeman’s consistency across all wind speeds meant that he retained the National Champion’s crown.

Massive thanks to the staff and volunteers at WPNSA, and PRO Bob 'Arkie' Wainwright for an excellent event.

David Smart

RS100 277

Final Results below

RS100 277