Results / RS Fat Face Open Lee on Solent - 15/05/2004

RS FAT FACE CIRCUIT EVENT AT LEE ON SOLENT SAILING CLUB. Lee On Solent was the sun soaked venue for the multi fleet RS Fat Face Racing Circuit on May 15/16. It was fantastic weather for May but it was not the best conditions for fleet racing and particularly race officers with some fickle Solent breezes. Saturday and it was hot. The fleets were very happy to continue where they left off at the 10th Anniversary Regatta, sitting around chatting with everyone. After an hours delay a light south easterly allowed both race teams to lay two courses and get the first race off. It was bound to happen and right at the end of race 1 the breeze from the west of the Solent arrived reversing the course. The race teams did a good job and re- set the course, races 2 and 3 were held in the best breeze of the weekend, building to 12 knots by the end. The days racing had been videoed by Cathy Foster who gave each fleet excellent de-briefs in the early evening, part of the RS Associations extensive coaching programme. A. good party was further livened up by the Brother Grims unusual attempt to re-arrange the disco layout Unfortunately Sunday in many ways was a worse day, there really was no breeze. Eventually a light easterly appeared and just as thoughts were turning towards abandoning the day the race teams called the fleets out. With light winds and the tide it was slow going but two races were completed. RS200’s A 38 boat fleet of 200’s was beaten in size by the 42 boat RS400 fleet, although obviously not in talent or looks. A very crowded committee boat proved not the place to be in the light winds of race 1, Tom and Jo Hewitson quickly crossed the fleet from starting to leeward and pulled out what looked a race winning lead. When the wind swung the final run became a fetch and looked for a short period as if Lee Sydenham/Anne Vaudrey would take full advantage but the Hewitsons just hung on. The Hewitsons were in control of race 2 with Hamish Calder and Severine Rees-Jones not far behind. Jon Lewis/Millie Parsons just led at a very crowded first windward mark of race 3 but it was David Giles and Fiona Clark that went on to win the race. The Hewitsons were at it again in race 4, winning the race and effectively the event. Geoff Carveth, crewed by Clare Senior, having had a bad series until this point won the final race. The Hewitsons scored an emphatic overall win from the consistent Sydenham/Vaudrey. Hopefully there will be better wind for the next Fat Face Circuit event at Brixham.