Results / RS Fat Face Racing Circuit Derwent SC - 27/05/2006

The 5th round of the Fat Face circuit hit Derwent Reservoir in beautiful Northumberland over the Bank holiday weekend.Or rather Derwent hit the event full in the face with force 7, wound up to 40 mph at times. We promised terrific sailing and bee jaybers you got it. With a top notch RYA dude in charge in the committee boat, after a bit of coaching on RS windward leeward courses, 24 competitors shot out from the starting blocks for race 1. Tom & Joe Hewitson (Rickmansworth) made good of the short course and 3 laps piping Matt & Emma Jenkins (Pennine) over the line after some hairy down wind sailing. Further discussion with the "man in the motorboat" as the wind swung further south produced a peach of a course with a half mile /half hour beat & 90 second (it seemed like that) run downwind to a standard leeward gate. Race 2 & 3 had six laps signalled when we were expecting the postponement or abandoned flags. Fully hiked pounding up the beat again Ronald Millar & Jennie Reekie from Dalgety Bay were this time on the heels of Matt & Emma pursued by Keith Escritt & Sophie Hartley. (Yorks. Dales).The fleet blasted past the windward mark as the kites exploded from their chutes. Three questions arose before the second breath, as the dam wall raced towards you. When to gybe, where to gybe or chicken out & tack? We were certainly only going to do this once down wind at this speed. The sight of the National Champ tacking down wind made the mind up for a lot of us. But some did succeed while others made quick recoveries. The one boat to avoid the plunge proved to be the leaders after day one with two firsts and a second Matt & (mighty atom) Emma hiking limpet like all day. The Silver fleet saw Martin Penty & Jeremy Collins(Beaver) Hartleys (A&E) and the Gebhards (you guessed it J) still in the hunt of the leaders. Jonathon Thompson & Dan Philips (Ripon) and the Smiths (M&B) from Delph were again right up with pack to make for a very competitive second day. If the sailing was Blast the social was too. "Mint" the band was described as? Travis to Greenday.Verve to Proclaimers had them pogoing to the rafters. Some succumbed to the demon drink at 5am it was lights out. Day 2 dawned sun & blue sky again, force six gusting seven.. Great practice for Garda some said. The gybing was slicker or were we just more used to it now. Just one mistake separating places at the finish. The champs said they hadn't had more than a hand full of days at great high speed sailing as this weekend. Well they won the three races and the event. Well done Tom & Joe. Matt & Emma Second was it the demon drink? Improving Keith & Sophie third. Watch out for Martin & Jeremy fourth, you gold fleet members. See you at Weymouth town for the next round. Andrew Hartley