Two lessons I learned this weekend: 

  1. Don’t drop the kite on a tight reach with helm and crew sitting on the windward side-if you don’t sheet in fast enough on the main, you’ll go in to windward. Not fast. 
  2. Read the sailing instructions on how to finish… 

What a fantastic weekend on the water. Admittedly Saturday’s weather was a little wet and motivation to get out on the water was low, but Sunday was gorgeous sunshine. 3 brave RS200′s braved the weather to race on Saturday and were given a cracking course which involved picking your way through a fleet of 50 unpredictable feva’s with your kite up. Simon and Maisie Letten took line honours in their first race together in their shiny new 200. 

Despite a few fuzzy heads from watching Saturday’s rugby, a total of 6 RS200′s races over the 2 races. Race 1 was delayed due to the variable wind, which filled in a bit then swung round during the race, crippling the medium handicap who were caught on the wrong side of the course and making the racing anyone’s game. James Peters and his Mum Kate negociated their way through the shift and the tide to cross the line first, with David and Freddie McGregor (new to the RS200 fleet this year) taking second. Racers then headed for the shore to wait for the new course for race 2. 

3 RS 200′s headed out for race 2 in strong tide. The breeze increased though and racing between Andrea Ralph with Simon Payne and Tom Morris with Emma Porteous was tense and close. The course was shortened and with some confusion as to how to finish the race, Andrea and Tom continued to do loops, while Mark Nethercleft took the sensible decision to head for the shore and crossed the line, finishing in first place! The race officer eventually finished us when we also gave up and headed for the shore. 

I think the club may email round a message about the sailing instructions, but I thought I would add some important points in here, to prevent the same problem arising for someone else. 

 

10 THE START 

10.1 Committee Boat Start: The starting line will be between staffs displaying orange flags on the starting marks. 

10.2 Start Lines Club Starting Line: The starting line will be between the mast on the club race box and one of the following starting marks: 
 
 (a) North West Winner – East line. 
 
 (b) North West Pilsey – North line. 
  
 (c) Calvert – South line. 
 
 
11 THE FINISH 

11.1 Committee Boat Finish: The finishing line will be between staffs displaying blue flags on the finishing marks. 

11.2 Club Finish: The finishing line will be between the mast on the club race box and North West Winner buoy; or as specified in the course instructions. 
 
11.3 Shortening Course from the Clubhouse: The race committee may signal a shortened course from the club race box (display flag S with two sounds).When Sandy is the next mark of the course, boats shall round Sandy as described in the course instructions, then finish as follows. 
 
(a) When Sandy is rounded to port the finishing line will be between the mast on the club race box and North West Winner. 

(b) When Sandy is rounded to starboard the finishing line will be between the mast on the club race box and North West Pilsey. 

 
7.3 Exclusion Zone:
 
When flag E is displayed before the warning signal boats shall not enter the zone defined by navigation marks East Head Spit and Snowhill and the East Head shore immediately to the south of these marks. 
 
The exclusion zone rule will be an important rule to watch out for in the Summer months. This to to prevent racing bopats entering the popular anchorage area at East Head. The E flag is a rectangle with a blue half on top of a red half.
 
 
Other RS200 activities at the weekend

 

Emma Porteous and Tom Morris travelled to Island Barn Reservoir for an RS200 open event on Saturday. out of 27 entries, they came fourth overall (11 4 3 11 pts). Nice one!