Results / RS Fat Face Eurocup, France Carnac - 19/04/2003

Easter, and Round 1 of the Fat Face RS Eurocup and its was going to be awesome. Overnight ferries, short drive across France, then 4 days of great sailing and partying. The 200, 400, 600, 700 and 800 fleets arrived in Carnac to be greeted with near perfect sailing conditions; 25 degrees and a steady force 4. The 600s boasted the most international fleet in the Carnac Eurocup event, with entrants from France and Holland joining the British competitors who had travelled over to experience French hospitality and sun. The first day produced a warm F4-5. Competition favourite, Matt Chapman, pulled on his rudder downhaul a bit too enthusiastically, and had to return to the beach for some repair work. In his absence for race 1, Jon Heissig got to the windward mark first and led therafter, with Patrick Delbar in second. Chapman was out for the second race, produced a good start and led throughout. Sunday's first race took place in light winds, with the wind skewing round to produce a biased line and course. Chapman again out-started everybody and drifted off into a comfortable lead. Race 4 was on a reset course, and Mathijs ten Berg disappeared off on the right from the start into an unassailable lead. Race 5 saw the majority of the fleet head over to the right hand side of the course after the start; Chapman again arrived at the first mark in the lead, and was unchallenged to the finish. Monday saw the wind return, and the possibility of some refreshing dips was pretty high. Race 6, and Heissig had not only worked out how to rig his boat properly, but also gained a decent start and led around the first mark. Chapman couldn't catch up, staying in second, meaning that Heissig needed to win the last race to take the event from him. Race 7 saw one of the starting manoeuvres of the weekend, as an unidentified 600 cleared some space on the line for everyone else by locking wings with two ex-600 stalwarts in their new 700s! Chapman got a clear start and led Heissig into the first mark heading for victory. He then got confused, and headed off for the finish a lap early. Heissig shouted loud enough to convince him to carry on, then overstood the windward mark to miss the opportunity to overtake. During this excitement, Chaplin had caught up, and the best race all week for the lead took place over the reaches and the run with Chapman managing to stay ahead.