Results / RS Fat Face Racing Circuit Highcliffe SC - 10/07/2004

So absolutely top sea sailing conditions are like buses; you wait for ages for a bus and then two come along at the same time. After a season not blessed with the greatest wind conditions the RS Fat Face Racing Circuit has had two superb sea events in two weeks. Following the great conditions at Eastbourne the Saturday at Highcliffe was barn-stormingly brilliant; sun, 17-22 knots from the south west building fantastic waves and 40 boats to have some great racing. Highcliffe SC and the RS Association had also pushed the boat out and brought in David Campbell James as Race Officer along with stomach legend Arkie to give the RS200's and RS400's real Nationals practice by setting really good courses and running gate starts for both classes for all six races. Highcliffe also proved to be very friendly hosts, providing great social, band, bacon rolls although perhaps some of the slowest beer pumps ever!! Race 1 and the Tom/Jo Hewitson were off to a good start to lead for long periods. David Giles/Fiona Clark could not be shaken off and took the lead on the last lap to win with James Stewart/Sam Littlejohn third. Jon Lewis/Millie Parsons led race 2 at mark 1 with four boats in close company. Pete Vincent/Lucy Matthews took the lead on a flying run, Lewis and Giles then had turns in the lead before the finish order settled on Giles, Lewis and Vincent. Race 3 and Giles/Clark made it three in a row just ahead of Lee Sydenham/Anne Vaudrey with Lewis third. Sunday was a very different with a patchy 6-10 knot from the west that kept on wanting to go north. The breeze stability was not helped by the frequent arrival of very heavy showers that gave scenes more in keeping with monsoons rather than July in Britain. Race 4 and it paid to start late and keep more right with Trudie Danbury/Graeme Ryder just leading from Vincent and Sydenham not far behind. The three pulled well clear in a huge shower with Sydenham gaining the upper hand to win with Danbury winning the Bristol fight for second. Race 5 and Jeremy Stephens/Zara Flynn flew in on the port layline to just lead from pathfinder, home clubs Phil/Daniel Sowden. Some of the leading contenders made good progress through the fleet and the order settled on Stewart/Littlejohn, the Hewitsons and Vincent/Matthews. Giles/Clarks two fourths though had kept them in a strong position and overall victory with a race to spare. This left the Hewitsons to start very early in race 6 and cross the fleet very early to have a convincing lead. As another cloud went over the wind eased and Sydenham/Vaudrey took advantage to win from the Hewitsons and Saarh Allen/Vicky Symons who had pulled through the fleet to claim third. Defending National Champions David Giles and Fiona Clark have hit a really hot streak of form, winning six races on the reel over the last two Fat Face Circuit events. Can they keep it going through to the Nationals now only four weeks away; 80 other boats have already entered; its going to be a great event; particularly if we get the same conditions.