Results / RS Fat Face Circuit Stone SC - 07/09/2002

The penultimate RS600 Fat Face Circuit Event took place at Stone Sailing Club on 7th/8th September. The overall circuit results are very close and all the main contenders in the 29 boat fleet. The courses were held over windward/leeward legs which included an initial reach in order to keep away from the RS400 course which was held along side. Three races were sailed on Saturday with winds varying from force 2 to 3. The wind flow was rather unstable with gusts funnelling down from darker clouds and shifting 30 degrees. This made life difficult for the race officer, who constantly had to fine tune the course, but with much moving of marks the best of a difficult situation was achieved. In the first race the three Stone boats of Richard Smith, Colin Turner and Ian Montague hit the front. Smith looked to have enough of a lead with 50 yards to the finish, however newly crowned National Champion, Colin Turner, found a shift coming in to the finish, made a dash for the committee boat end of the line and just pipped Smith. The second start got under way in a building force three, however just after the start the wind shifted to the south, making the legs rather processional. Richard Smith again hit the front, this time Matt Humphries pulled through to take second spot with Turner in third. What proved to be the final race was sailed in the best conditions of the day with the sun breaking through and a steadier force three. A new local face, Adrian Miles showed good upwind speed to lead at the first mark. He was quickly overtaken on the downwind leg by Ian Montague who went on to win from Andy Peake and Alex Newton-Sothon with Miles finishing in fourth. Richard Smith retired from the race, having pulled the dagger board up a little too quickly on the downwind leg, it came clean out of the boat and so he had to swim after it. Sunday dawned windless, and it remained this way so racing was cancelled. This left overnight leader, Ian Montague to take his first RS600 open meeting win. The final Fat Face event takes place at Highcliffe on 28th/29th September