Results / Gul RS200 Youth Championships Rutland SC - 04/09/2004

Gul RS2OO YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS 2004 This year 24 boats turned up for the Gul Youth Champs which were held at Rutland Sailing Club. We were met by gorgeous sunshine but it was a little lacking on the wind front, but in true RS style the first race wasn't until 1pm so it had a chance to fill in. We headed out to the far end of the lake where the wind was a little more constant, still a very shifty 1-2. On the first start there weren't many boats behind the line so the race officer wasted no time in getting out the black flag which brought everyone under control. In the first race Chris Duffin and Sophie Hartley were first to the windward mark but after a poor rounding Alex Good and Ben Lister took the lead with Nikki Russell and Paul Dorer close behind. Positions were unchanged at the finish with Josh Gebhard and Tom Jeffrey 3rd and Duffin 4th. The wind picked up a little for the start of the second race with not much thinking going on between Russell and Dorer when they decided they were a little early and went round the committee boat leading to an unfortunate DSQ. The rest of the fleet made a clean start, with Good leading throughout and Andy Robertson and Christina King in 2nd. In the 3rd race the Vernons lead with Russell in 2nd and Good in 3rd. Much to everyone's frustration the wind dropped completely leading to many people sneakily trying to roll tack their way up the beat, luckily it came back just enough for us to finish with a few place changes. However when we came ashore it was realised that three boats had re-crossed the finish line causing the Vernons to lose their 1st. After racing Johnathan Lewis kindly did a de-brief for the competitors using video footage from the day and giving us all some useful tips on light wind sailing. A disco followed but not a lot of dancing was done until just before the DJ packed up, and no-one seemed to have quite the power to persuade him to stay for a little longer. By the time racing started on the Sunday, just enough breeze had come to start a race with the race officer wasting no time with the first start bang on 11am causing a few to be a little late. Jack Norton and Helen Rollinson had a comfortable lead at the windward mark but boats were closing in on them and on the second run were becalmed with boats frustratingly sailing past on both sides only a few boat lengths away! The race was shortened with Good taking it, Camille Parsons and Sam Littlejohn 2nd, Robertson 3rd and Norton 4th. Once the wind had just about settled again a 5th race was started. However the wind did not want to settle causing a lot of place changing. The race finished with a new pair in 1st, Matt Greenfield and Katrina Nichol, with the Vernons in 2nd. After the wind decided to desert us completely the last race was abandoned much to everyone's relief, especially the overall winners Alex Good and Ben Lister who gave the water a good temperature test, joined by many others on the long way in. Despite the lack of wind, it was a great event with a good turnout from within the RS fleet, and many borrowing boats and joining us from other fleets, and there were plenty of prizes. Helen Rollinson