Results / GUL National Inland Championships Rutland SC - 25/09/2004

Over the weekend of the 24th and 25th of September Rutland Sailing Club hosted the RS 200 GUL Inland Championships. Despite some notable absentees a fantastic turnout of 85 teams made the journey from as far afield as Cornwall, Ireland and Scotland. They were rewarded with some of the closest and competitive racing of the season. The starts were not for the faint hearted and demanded good boat handling and communication if you were to make the front row for a clean getaway. 2002 National Champions Tom and Jo Hewitson made no mistakes and showed in the first race why they have made the GUL Inland Trophy their own with their first bullet of the day. Brother and sister Marshall and Heather King claimed second place, 2004 National Champions Lee Sydenham and Anne Vaudry third, 2003 National Champions David Giles and Fiona Clarke fourth with James Stewart and Sam Littlejohn fifth. Despite spending 2 days venue preparation and disguising himself in a borrowed boat, PRO Arkie still managed to call RS stalwart Ugly Vincent OCS in race 1 but allowed him to sail 4 laps to get in tune with the shifts! Consistency was going to pay this weekend, head out of the boat and staying in the patchy gusts on either side of the course. Attacking down wind paid dividends where several places could be made up at the leeward gate. Race 2 got underway under a black flag after 2 general recalls, partly due to the competitive nature of the fleet and all to do with a heavily port bias line and favoured left hand side of the course. This didn’t stop Giles and Clarke scoring a first closely followed by the Hewitsons, Sydenhan and Vaudry in third, the Kings in fourth, Stewart and Littlejohn again in fifth. The breeze had built throughout the day and Race 3 gave the Hewitsons the opportunity to show their fantastic pace across the wind range, displaying dynamite speed both up and downwind taking their second bullet of the day. Trudie Danbury and Graham Ryder started to show their Bristol team mates the way with second place, Sydenham and Vaudry with another third, Giles and Clarke in fourth, Stewart and Littlejohn with their third fifth of the day. After such a demanding day on the water the social was a little quieter than usual for some of the circuit regulars. Thankfully for Rutlands bar takings the PRO made the most of his weekend pass and kept the spirit alive and the spirits flowing! The question on most peoples minds was who, if anyone could keep up with or catch Tom and Jo Hewitson the following day. Day 2, and the view across the water may have lulled some into thinking they’d have an easier day. After a gentle sail downwind to the start at the dam end, the breeze had begun to build in time for the start. Race 4 and a familiar pattern began to emerge with the Hewitsons scoring their third bullet of the weekend. James (I can’t sail inland) Stewart and Sam Littlejohn broke their fifth place habit and scored a second, Harry and Pru Roome enjoying the conditions in third, Sydenham and Vaudry fourth and Giles and Clarke fifth. Race 5 and the breeze had steadily built. With blue sky and sunshine making an appearance Sydenham and Vaudry enjoyed the fresher conditions and showed great downwind speed to take their first win of the weekend. Stewart and Littlejohn, maybe now believing they can sail inland, scored a consecutive second, the Hewitsons third, Giles and Clarke fourth and Ugly Vincent and Eluned Jones using the gusts downwind nicely to make a long awaited appearance in fifth. Counting a third as their worst result, Tom and Jo Hewitson could leave the rest of the fleet to enjoy the strengthening wind and sunshine and fight it out for the rest of the places, in the confident knowledge they had yet again won the GUL Inland Championships in such style. Starting under a black flag for Race 5, David Giles, obviously keen to get home and open his birthday presents was OCS with the rest of the fleet getting away cleanly. Under blue sky and sunshine the fleet enjoyed some great downwind legs, planning into the leeward gate with parts of the course starting to resemble a grave yard. Sydenham and Vaudry took their second win of the day closing within 3 points of Tom and Jo, Danbury and Ryder built on their consistency with another second, followed by Stewart and Littlejohn ever-present in third, the Kings in fourth and John Greenland and Pippa Williams coming through to take fifth. The winners of the 2004 GUL Inland Championships were Tom and Jo Hewitson with 8 points, displaying supreme pace in a range of conditions and great teamwork. Consistency was all important with none of the top five scoring higher than a ninth. Lee Sydenham and Anne Vaudry took second, James Stewart and Sam Littlejohn third, David Giles and Fiona Clarke fourth and Trudie Danbury and Graham Ryder fifth. Top Youths, with special prizes courtesy of Mike Saul Dinghy Services were Josh Gebhard and Tom Jeffrey. Receiving the GUL Inland Trophy again Tom Hewitson thanked not only Rutland Sailing Club for being great hosts and running a superb weekend, GUL International the sponsors but also applauded the entire fleet for providing such great and competitive competition. Last but not least he thanked his crew and wife Jo who “was on fire this weekend” !