Results / RS Vareo Gul Winter Champs Northampton S.C. - 18/02/2006

On the 18th & 19th February at Northampton Sailing Club the 2006 programme was launched for the RS Vareos. The Gul RS Winter Championships and Fat Face racing circuit. Saturday no wind, having started out with fog then later warm sunshine gave the fleet the opportunity to chat. Some had travelled great distances. Geoff Shaw from Cornwall having just got over the flu chose to have a weekend in his van? Peter Noble from Kent to study flat water and Nicholas Crickmore from Norfolk, his specialist subject proved to be pirouettes just before the finish, all will be revealed. Sunday, again there was fog but this time, wind as well. With every moment that past before going on the water the wind rose in speed and the fog lifted. By the time race one got under way the wind was steadying to a force 3 and at times a lively force 4. Chris Larr was clearly at another level with four straight wins culminating in a port tack flyer in the last race. However, there were times when even he saw transoms ahead of him. One unexpected moment was in race three; Jamie Morgan went from third around the windward mark with Chris and Richard Kemp-Salt clearly ahead. Jamie chose to go the opposite way and took off with very nearly just his foils in the water. At the leeward mark he had a huge lead which meant some hard work on the ensuing beats for the other two to get anywhere near him. It was only the last run which caught him out, in fact the final gybe to the line, Splosh! Not a happy bunny. Jamie at just 16 years old was clearly the star of the weekend proving he had arrived. Having had his boat only a couple of months and proving he did not have to get excited when ever the weather forecast was for light winds. He had clearly shown a stiff breeze was not so much the problem he thought, but perhaps technique, when tired limbs come into play. Watch out Vareo fleet later in the year he is training very hard. Richard Willows from the host club showed consistent downwind speed and caused all but Chris a fright at various times throughout the races. Tim Greenwood chose to bring his summer race gear, which he might have got away with on Saturday sitting outside the club, but not on the Sunday, No! In his customary port tack flyer in race three the whole fleet had to watch while he shook his boat clear of the fleet and with his teeth chattering, well, it was quite unnerving for the fleet. It took sometime to get past him, some choosing to sail on the other side of the lake in order to be clear of his pain. If he had been back at Uni� instead of working he would probably still been in his hot bath. But the prize must go to Nicholas who in race four capsized just before the finish line, (sorry, photographic evidence) and was blown over the line whilst standing on the plate to earn his third overall, what a friendly lot The Vareo Fleet. Team prize went to Grafham Water Sailing Club and thanks go to Northampton Sailing Club for the windward leeward courses and very slick four race series, giving an opportunity for those who had long journey�s to get away in good time. Richard Kemp-Salt