Final round of the RS200 SW UGLY Tour at Exe SC on Oct 3rd – an action packed day.

On a day when most of the rest of the country did not get afloat the West Country again proved the place to be with one of the most incident packed days of fine competitive sailing that could be imagined. The day had everything, half the fleet capsizing in a squall, the world kite surf champion joining in a race, fine cakes, boats capsizing in the lead, a three way tie for first overall, even more cakes, a handbags at 20 paces incident on the committee boat and of course the finest cakes in the west country.

27 boats from as far as Mounts Bay, Cardiff and Parkstone made the trip to one of RS200 favourite clubs for round 5 of the West Country Boat Repairs Ugly Tour; Exe SC who yet again set the bar high for friendly approach and good race organisation.  The racing was held on the national championship course outside the Warren, 4 top races were run in quick time with some very smart turn arounds from PRO Stuart Hills even allowing for wind that never settled. The wind varied between 12 and 22 knots on every leg and could not make its mind up if it wanted to be a westerly or a northerly air stream; this led to very frequent place changing.

Race 1 and Stephen Tiernan/Sarah Hickman led but something nasty was brewing from Dawlish Warren and not just from the dodgy burger van; 13 boats capsized in the squall at the start of the first run. This did not worry Exes finest Rosie Sands/Tom Kinver who led from John Teague/Louise Fisher until they capsized on the final run under pressure from Teague who won the race; Rosie/Tom pulled off a rapid recovery to claim 2nd from Brixham’s Ian Mills/Claire Stopps.

Race 2, another product of Exe’s fine Junior programme Jess Blick/Ben Easton led until “it came off in my hand honest” incident left her holding a very unattached tiller ext leaving Mills /Stopps to lead until Parkstone’s  Joshua Flack/Tom Brophy went fast downwind to win; Mills/Stopps second with the fast finishing Claire Walsh/Jasmine “what club are we a member of?“ Husband third.

Race 3 and after the committee boat sorted out too many horns when it was not a general recall argument and Steph Bridge showed us how to kite surf Flack/Brophy were comfortable winners. Pete Vincent/Vicky Fairhurst finally got their act together after capsizing and hitting boats to pull through the fleet to claim second from Mills/Stopps.

With still several possible overall winners race 4 was a very close tussle, Charlotte Savage/Mike Wood, Vincent/Fairhurst and Sam Maxfield/Pete Bentley all led but the first 6 boats were line astern going round the final windward mark. Two gybes later and Vincent/Fairhurst were well clear to win; the ultra consistent Mills/Stopps just claimed 2nd from the fast finishing Teague/Fisher team.

Whilst everyone attacked the north face of the Exe cake mountain the race team had to check their tie break rules as there was a three way tie for first overall. Flack/Brophy emerging deserved winners having won two races; Vincent/Fairhurst 2nd and Mills/Stopps walking away with lots of sponsors prizes for being third overall and first silver division. Rosie Sands won the battle of the short quiet girl helms to be second silver and Walsh/Husband third silver.  Stephen Woodward/Emma Yates had a top day in10th overall to be first bronze division from Exe’s Ric Newcombe/Andy Williams and Mounts Bays Gary/Bernie Parks on their wedding anniversary (some guys really know how to show their wife a good time) third bronze.

The Ugly Tour will be back next year don’t miss it.
Pete Vincent (still too full of cake!)