Results / RS Eurocup Gravedona Italy AVAL-CDV - 21/07/2003

RS600s at the RS Eurocup Gravedona Italy Eleven RS600s travelled out to Lake Como for the second round of the Eurocup, they were greeted for the practice race by fabulous sunny weather and a very pleasant Force 3 to 4. Unfortunately Diana Shanks dislocated her arm just before the start and as unable to compete for the rest of the week. Jon Heissig led off the line and sailed into the bend on starboard tack. The rest of the fleet followed and the order at the windward mark was Heissig by a good lead from Matt Humphreys in second with Adrian White third. Heissig had his wind taken by the RS200 fleet on the top reach enabling Humphreys to catch and sail over the top of him. Humphreys dropped the mainsheet on the bottom reach which allowed Heissig to draw level, Humphreys then luffed and caused Heissig to do a 720. Humphreys then held on to win from Matias Ten Berg in second and Sam Pascoe third. The first day proper of the event saw the fleet launch in a very light breeze which soon died to nothing, most of the fleet were in the water swimming to keep cool until the days racing was abandoned. This was a good thing for Cardinal Chunder (aka Andy Heissig) who had rather overdone it in the bar on Sunday night! Day 2 provided enough wind for some competitors to flat wire up the beats at times. In Race 1 the fleet started with Humphreys in the lead and the majority headed towards the cliffs only to find no wind. Those that had gone right had gained when the fleet converged, Humphreys played the shifts to lead at the windward mark followed by Cardinal Chunder in second with Adrian Zurfluh in third. Jon Heissig came through to second on the run with the Cardinal in third. These positions remained the same until the finish. Several of the fleet were confused by the number of laps and Ten Burg tried to finish a lap early, nearly followed by Paul Smalley and Sam Pascoe who both realised their mistake at the last minute. At the start of Race 2 Humphreys and Jon Heissig were engaged in some pre- start manoeuvres to gain the advantage at the pin end, Humphreys came out on top to lead the fleet up the beat when Heissig cocked up a tack and was sailed over by the rest of the fleet. This time left paid and Humphreys led at the windward mark followed by Sam Pascoe and Dave Cummins, these positions remained through to the finish. A third race was held to try to make up for the racing lost on day 1. Despite a start line fit for 100 boats, the entire fleet started at the pin end of the line. The only exception to this being Humphreys who decided to assault the camera boat with hull and rig by capsizing on it providing all the fleets waiting to start with considerable entertainment. The rest of the fleet headed into the cliffs, upon arrival Jon Heissig returned to the start to try again! Cummins led round the windward mark followed by Andy Heissig and Pascoe. Pascoe took Heissig on the run only to bin it in on the second beat by forgetting the tiller extension when tacking. Humphreys now free of the camera boat stormed through the fleet to take second behind Cummins with Andy Heissig in third. Day 3 saw another day of light winds. Race 4 began and after a thorough checking of the course the fleet spread along the line to start. Humphreys gained his customary lead with Cummins and Pascoe close behind. Cunning observation of the RS200 fleet tactics let Jon Heissig into the lead on the reach but a better mark rounding put Humphreys back in front. Humphreys got distracted by the girly RS200 fleet and rolled into windward in their wake, he then righted and regained the lead by the bottom of the run. Humphreys then watched Heissig recover from sticking his tiller extension between sail and boom on a gybe for second. Humphreys took an easy first from Jon Heissig in second with Cummins in third. In Race 5 Jon Heissig (allegedly) collected a banana skin on his foils from the start but managed to stuff Humphreys up enough to keep him clear of the camera boat! Humphreys then ducked and blasted through his lee to lead at the windward mark after winning a brief tacking duel. Ten Burg rounded third. Cummins steamed through the fleet past a sleeping Humphreys, who was adopting a no rock�n roll policy after the previous night, to lead at the leeward mark. Humphreys tacked his way back into the lead up the beat. In mid fleet Paul Smalley impressively capsized on the leeward mark and let three boats past showing how close the racing had become. Humphreys went on to win from Cummins in second with Ten Burg third. After an impressive thunderstorm and a downpour of huge hailstones on Wednesday night day 4 saw a strong northerly breeze (the opposite direction the thermal breeze). There were many bedraggled sailors from the campsites but the British 600 sailors were fine as all were staying in nice dry bunkrooms at the sailing club. The fleet stayed ashore to allow the direction to settle but the breeze quickly died. A race was eventually started in a very shifty 5 knots, the majority of the fleet went right covered by Humphreys but Pascoe and White went left and were laughing when they found themselves on the inside of a large wind bend further up the lake. Pascoe had a large lead at the windward mark followed by Andy Heissig and White. Humphreys drifted through to second down the run in the now almost non-existent breeze and began to reel in Pascoe who was by now nearly half a leg ahead. Pascoe could not emulate the performance of the previous beat and was rapidly reeled in and passed by Humphreys followed by Paul Smalley who was having a great race. Unfortunately the fleet then ran out of time and the race was abandoned, the wind also completely disappeared and the fleet was left to paddle/swim home. Day 5 dawned with conditions which promised a good thermal breeze later in the afternoon. Race 6 began with Humphreys and Heissig tangling at the committee boat end, this resulted in Humphreys being over and having to go around the end. Cummins and Ten Burg broke away from the fleet finding good breeze on the left to take a huge lead at the windward mark. Humphreys engaged his personal wind and sailed straight over the top of Jon Heissig to round the windward mark third and set about closing the leading pair. Ten Burg took Cummins high on the bottom reach allowing Humphreys and Heissig to close. Cummins then found his own personal wind shadow on the beat and dropped to fourth while Heissig and Humphreys passed chasing Ten Burg. Humphreys showed considerably more pace that the rest to catch and take Ten Burg and sail out into the wind on the left first. Humphreys then built a solid lead by the windward mark and never challenged went on to win the race and secure the regatta. Heissig caught Ten Burg on the final reach to the finish but could not pass and finished third with Ten Burg Second. Race 7 began in a good fresh breeze, most of the fleet followed Humphreys left up the beat but White went hard right and was soon a spec on the far side of the lake. However as the fleet reached the windward mark White came steaming in to round joint third with Cummins. Humphreys led and stretched away to win from Jon Heissig in second with Cummins third. Overall, Matt Humphreys was the clear winner with 6pts, Dave Cummins came second with 16pts and Jon Heissig was third with 19pts.