Results / RS Vareo National Championships Draycote Water SC - 10/08/2002
RS Vareo Nationals Championship, 2002
The 2002 National Championship for the RS Vareo took place on 11/12
August at Draycote Water Sailing Club. The Vareo, a sleek hiking boat
with asymmetric spinnaker that is capable of being sailed two-up and
raced single-handed, was launched last year and is proving a popular
choice for both recreational sailing and racing.
Force 1 winds on Saturday increased fairly steadily to force 4 on Sunday
afternoon, providing opportunities for competitors across their weight
range (67kg to around 95kg).
A simple windward � leeward course with a gate for the windward leg was
used on Saturday; boats on the leeward leg were not permitted through the
gate. For the first race at 1pm the wind proved elusive, both in strength
and direction. Eventually a course was set and, after a general recall,
the first race got underway. After the first leg the wind faded and then,
with spinnakers set in anticipation, the wind reappeared again but
shifted about 120 degrees: it was going to be an interesting afternoon!
Charlie �Dave� Merchant and Graham Cooper both spotted a significant bias
at the start of the second race and managed to port tack the rest of the
fleet: unfortunately Graham then managed to go from 2nd place at the
first mark to 16th at the finish, something to do with getting the
downwind angles completely wrong! The Vareo class representative,
Antoine Vincent, had more bad luck than most during the event: his main
halyard snapped during the third race and his clew tie-down disappeared
during the final race. Fortunately LDC were on-hand to provide
replacement ropes.
The shifting winds on Saturday often resulted in starboard bias and,
coupled with the gate ban, many runs were rather processional. So on
Sunday the OOD kindly agreed the competitors� request to remove the ban
on the gate, allowing more tactical racing. Most competitors had managed
to stay dry so far, but the wind provided a good test of overall ability
by peaking at force 4 during the final race and there were numerous
capsizes, usually while gybing.
Craig Burlton was impressive, winning the first four races and the
championship: he was presented with the trophy provided by Purple Sails
and Marine. Luke Fisher�s results improved throughout the event,
culminating in wins for the final two races and a well deserved second
place overall. Thanks to a very consistent set of results, Rob Burridge grabbed third place overall.
Draycote provided a great venue and smooth race management for the event,
complimenting the friendly atmosphere that existed amongst the
competitors all weekend. For some it was the first time that they had
raced against other Vareos and many lessons were learnt, evident by the
enthusiastic discussions that took place in the bar after Saturdays
racing. At the prize-giving Craig Burlton�s comment reflected the view
expressed by many of the top sailors present: �The Vareo is a cracking
boat� it�s going to be a great success�.
1st 153 Craig Burlton RYA 1 1 1 1 2
4 6
2nd 210 Luke Fisher Milton Keynes 8 5 3 2
1 1 12
3rd 131 Rob Burridge Weir Wood 3 3 2 4
3 2 13
4th 234 Greg O'Brien Sutton 2 4 4 3 4
3 16
5th 239 Charlie Merchant HISC 4 2 5 5
6 5 21
6th 142 Martin Barrett Craven 5 8 6 6 8
7 32
7th 208 Riki Hooker Bexhill 6 10 9 12 5
6 36
8th 139 John Taylor Bartley 9 6 16 9 11
9 44
9th 166 John Walter Leigh & Lowton 12 7 8 8
10 11 44
10th 193 Graham Cooper Bradford on Avon 10 16 7
7 9 15 48
11th 206 Dave Machin Netley 16 14 10 10 7
8 49
12th 154 M Sheenan Briston Corinthians 11 12 12
14 13 10 58
13th 207 A Howard Chipstead 13 11 11 11
16 12 58
14th 173 Antoine Vincent Burghfield 7 9 DNF 13
12 DNF 60
15th 183 Rene Smith Emberton Park 14 15 13 16
14 DNF 72
16th 179 Eddie McDonald White Friars 15 13 14 15
15 16 72
17th 199 Josh Cooper Draycote 17 17 15
DNF 17 13 79
18th 146 Roy Hart/P Henry Draycote 18 18 17
17 18 14 84