Results / RS Fat Face Racing Circuit Parkstone YC - 16/07/2005

Fat Face RS200 Racing Circuit � Parkstone YC prove they are a Top Club. The eighth round of the RS200 Fat Face Racing Circuit was held at a sun baked Parkstone YC on July 16/17 attracted a good fleet of 49 boats. It was the RS200�s first visit to Parkstone YC who proved they really are a Top Club, not only did they win the Crewsaver Top Club last year but they were the best of hosts with a very friendly, helpful attitude who really wanted to lay on a good event. The wind was really not kind to the race team but they did a very good job with the conditions they were given to get 5 races in. Tom and Jo Hewitsons 40th birthday celebrations added to Saturday night. Even the long sail out to the bay became a mini adventure almost adding to the event, dodging Birmingham by the sea �look how big my motorboat is� knobs and various ferries. Saturday and the fleet applied gallons of sun cream as they headed out in a light northerly. Luckily almost as soon as the first boats got out of the entrance the sea breeze appeared and the first race was off at 13.30 in a 10 knot southwesterly. David Giles and Jane Willian loved this, romped off a heavy biased line and scored a convincing win from the �Jo doesn�t look 40� Hewitsons with Andy/Jill Peters third and Hamish Calder/Severine Rees Jones fourth. Geoff Carveth and Loopy Lucy were in control in race 2 to win from the old couple, the consistent Calder/Rees and Giles/Willian. Just as the back markers were finishing the sea breeze completely switched off leaving the finish area a no mans land in the sea breeze/northerly battle. The vast majority of the 2�s were very content to drift and watch the 400 fleet, hoist/drop kites, tack, gybe in the space of 20 yards as they tried to finish. The race officer very wisely looked at his watch and realised there was not going to be a stable wind for some time and sent the fleet, already hovering towards the harbour entrance, home. At least the northerly helped our sail in. Ashore as you pulled your boat up the ramp there were Parkstone members with bbq providing free burgers/hot dogs and juice for all competitors; a truly awesome nice touch greatly appreciated by all. Early evening and this is what club patio�s were designed for, eating good value curry and drinking jugs of Pimms whilst talking rubbish about sailing and taking the piss out of Tom and Jo for reaching 40. Even Jon �flip flops at 20 paces� Lewis winning a protest was only a slight blot on a lovely evening. Sunday morning and there was not a breath of wind from any direction so at 10.00 the race officer briefed the fleet that he was going to organise his rescue fleet to tow us all out to the bay at 10.30 as recent experience had shown that a sea breeze would kick in by late morning and he did not want to waste time. Right on cue the sea breeze arrived at 10.28 and the fleet sailed out! It was a firmer breeze than on Saturday and race 3 started in 10-12 knots from the south. Harry and Prue Roome led early on but lost out to Marshall and Heather King who went on to win from the Roomes and the Peters with Carveth fourth. Several leading boats had been black flagged in one of the recalled starts including the oldies obviously keen to show they were still quick off the mark. The rest and conserving their energy obviously did the 40 something�s good as they won by a mile in race 4 from Carveth/Loopy, the Kings and Giles/Willian. Going into the last race it was wide open as long as you were over 40, the Hewitsons had 1.2.2 but with an OCS; Masters Carveth and Giles had three good results but a fourth they were unlikely to win with. Before the last race could be started the wind went through 90 degrees and came from due west. Childs play to the race team who did a very smart job to relay the course in very swift time to get the race off before their imposed deadline of 15.00. The wind was not fully stable and there was more pressure towards the shore. Those who started near the committee boat and went right were in total control and Trudie Danbury/Karen Baker led. The leading four boats pulled well clear in light airs on the first loop as the pack struggled against the tide. Danbury/Baker started the final beat of a shortened course in the lead but a hitch by Jon Lewis/Katy Nicholls out to sea paid handsome dividends as new breeze took him to a win from a fast finishing Sue Antonelli/Jo Lloyd, Danbury/Baker and Pete Vincent/Tessa Nicholls. Carveth/Loopy were 5th with the Hewitsons 7th leaving the two tied on 12 points with the Hewitsons proving life begins at 40 winning with more second places. Micky Wright/Howie Enkal at last won the silver division with a very consistent display in 13th with Charlie Muir/Jane Sands storming to bronze victory in 24th place. Overall the Fat Face series has now become ridiculously tight with one event left. Jon Lewis/Katy Nicholl now lead by two points from Trudie Danbury/Karen Baker. The Hewitsons can win if they are 4th or better at Hayling without the other two improving but waiting in the wings is Lee Sydenham/Anne Vaudrey who needs a top ten to cheat the others out of overall victory. In the Silver Division Wright/Enkal are now only two points behind season long leaders Matt and Emma Jenkins. The bronze division is the tightest with Peter Craggs/Phil Nelson, Paul Goodwin/Anna Row and Jo Wotton/Nigel Harniman covered by only 7 points and only capable of improving their score at the final event at Hayling. Before all that fun in September there is the minor matters of an over 40 boat RS200 fleet at the Fat Face Eurocup and the GUL RS200 Nationals at Highcliffe with 81 boats already entered and a 120 boat limit. What a top second half of the summer it�s going to be in 200 land. Pete Vincent.