Results / RS Fat FaceEurocup, Garda Fraglia vela Riva - 26/07/2004

The RS600 fleet revelled in classic Garda conditions for the RS Fat Face Eurocup at Fraglia de la Vela, Riva. Five days of hot sun and strong winds provided exhausting but exhilarating racing, while the evenings of eating and drinking became more of a challenge for some! The racing began with blue skies and once the wind built to a perfect hairdryer force 4-5 Griff Tanner shot off in to the lead heading for the cliffs. He held this lead finishing ahead of Rob Chaplin (who was going to star later on in the week) and Ian Marshall. In the second race Tanner once again led the way but was caught downwind by Marshall who too first with Chaplin in third. The fleet were rightly concerned by how early the breeze filled in on the second morning. As the wind started whistling through the marina they were hurriedly changing their rigs down to the smaller rigs. Whilst sailing towards the start the large waves and black clouds further down the lake was not enough to change Rob Chaplin�s mind to return ashore to swap back to the full rig � he finished the race in last! Tanner won, with the lighter boys Marshall and Andy Heissig taking second and third. For the fourth race Tanner again won with Marshall second and Chaplin recovering with a third. Races five and six saw the fleet settling down as the top five all finished in the same order with Tanner maintaining his dominance with two firsts followed by Marshall and Chaplin. Race seven was another victory for the yellow boat of Tanner who was followed by Chaplin and Richard Lilley who was starting to put his fast boat speed to use. Tanner continued to lead the fleet with his big breeze boat speed and he had won the event with a day to spare, but what a day that was to be! The final day saw a morning of sore heads after the club organised an evening meal followed by plenty of dancing. As many people ventured to the Oca Bar to continue to indulge upon Mojitos and other cocktails, the week�s exertions all got too much for some. Some of the largest shots of Sambucas known to man (and to woman) were consumed. Andy Heissig behaved himself this year as he fell asleep in a bar for the second year running, but this time when he woke up he didn�t disgrace himself!!! Instead it was left to Rob �the Chunder� Chaplin to take the honours after he spent the whole night glad that his accommodation had proper toilets and not those holes in the ground! He managed to provide more �pizza� entertainment the next morning and even in between races! Possibly the hottest day of the week saw the strongest winds, in the region of 30 knots, and the 600 fleet didn�t have the opportunity to change rigs down this time. Tanner again left everyone behind but Chaplin did have an opportunity to challenge for the lead. Unfortunately, he couldn�t focus properly and didn�t realise that the marks were so heavy as he hit it with his back and fell in! So the penultimate race finished Tanner, Heissig, Marshall. With the final race finishing with the order of Tanner, Lilley and Marshall, Griff Tanner won the event convincingly, with Ian Marshall second and a sore Rob Chaplin in third. A week of amazing sailing conditions, entertaining evenings, lovely food and friendly people made for an excellent event.