News
Wed 24 Oct 07
Ronnie Hits the Jackpot!
Datchet SC, Fat Face Open: 20-21 Oct 07
41 boats, 1-7knotsRichard Neall & Sara Terry win their first, and the final Fat Face RS200 Open of the season at Datchet Water SC….thanks not only to some silky sailing skills of course :-) but also to some serious lack of wind, only 2 of the usual 6 races were run, an uncharacteristic performance in race 2 by the God Roger Gilbert, and others and a whole heap of other useful things! Feelin’ good?....You Bet!!!
Race 1: Already looking good off the start…and 1st to the windward mark, wow! I thought it was feeling good but that's exceptional!! Letting National champions Roger Gilbert and Jane Willan through on the run but extending our lead on 3rd place until the middle of the run home on the second lap when we ran into a hole and had to be patient as fresh breeze wafted down the course brining the fleet within striking range, but holding onto to 2nd. Roger and Jane though had some seriously good speed having extendied their lead to Biblical proportions! Awesome.
Race 2: Not so clean off the start this time, but wriggled our way across to the left hand side of the course that had served us so well in race 1 and came in with speed, relatively speaking, just off the port layline picking up places all the way in to be in the top 10 round the windward mark. Trying to watch and second guess the fingers of wind coming down the course on the run home served us very well as we were sneaking our way through the guys around us and unbelievably knocked in yet another top result, 3rd. With no sign of R.Gilbert was it possible we might have the lead overnight???? Yes we did, and with the high probability of no wind on Sunday and the Rugby World Cup final to watch, Saturday evening was kind of nervy!! Was this truly happening?
Sunday dawned bright, frosty and very very still….
Racing abandoned, eventually, so incredibly we were winning our first ever Open event…..and boy what a GREAT drug!! And without another open for months, we know our feet will be firmly back on the floor and expectations back to normal….unless it’s super light wind of course when we know anything can happen…Richard Neall
Yachts & Yachting Report & Results! here