Results / RS600 Fat Face Racing Circuit Event Chew Valley Lake SC - 13/03/2004

RS600/RS700/RS800 Fat Face Racing Circuit event, Chew Valley Lake SC, 13/14 March 2004 RS600 13 RS600s turned up to Chew Valley Sailing club for the first Fat Face Racing Circuit event of the season. The forecast for the day was sunshine and showers, with a prominence being on the showers. The course for the day was a triangle affair with an offset start line. The windward mark was shared with both the RS700s and the RS800s, sure to make the racing even more interesting for the fleet. Race one and the fleet got away cleanly first time in a force two to three. Matt Humphries quickly broke away from the fleet and was rarely challenged. For the first lap the fleet sailed down the port side of the course to approach the top mark on port with just a few approaching on starboard during this race there seemed to be no bias between port or starboard and the fleet all met up together at the top mark together. As the laps progressed the fun began as all the fleets met at the top mark at the same time, this proved costly for Alex Knight who was in 6th place had a meeting with a rather quick 800 and was subsequently wiped out putting his trapeze hook through his hull in the progress. Race two saw more clashes with the other two fleets on the approach to the top mark, this time Damon Bower in the middle of the fleet getting a face full of 800 kite. By this time the wind had got up to a good three. All of a sudden the majority of the fleet got wiped out by a squall complete with hail the best moment being Matt Conner auditioning for a place in the Red Arrows by getting his 600 airborne and crashing vertically in a true you�ve been framed moment. Race three saw the fleet swapping positions regularly both towards the front and at the back where there was a real battle going on. Dave Nunn held second for several laps to somehow finish 9th. And the back four were constantly swapping places with Damon Bower slipping from 10th to 13th after falling out of the boat at the gybe mark. Ian Marshall finished second behind Matt Humphries. Day two racing was abandoned due to the 40 to 50 knot winds blowing across the lake. Overall results were Matt Humphries 1st Griff Tanner 2nd Andy Heissig 3rd and Ian Marshall 4th.