Rooster West Country Boat Repairs RS400 Southern Tour at Exe Sailing Club
by Trisha Clancy 22 Sep 2021 00:35 NZST
18 September 2021
The penultimate event on the 2021 Rooster West Country Boat Repairs Southern Tour took place at Exe Sailing club last Saturday where the 200s joined the 400s for a one day Open.
The Devon weather played its part brilliantly in welcoming the visitors and despite the light conditions forecast we sailed out of the Estuary in sunshine and decent breeze.
After a brief postponement, race one got under way and true to their impressive form this year Steve and Sarah Cockerill showed the fleet how it's done by leading from start to finish. Having enjoyed the chance to hike out and stretch our legs on the first lap, a decrease in wind prompted the RO to shorten the course. Sam Knight/Chris Bownes battled it out with Kevin Podger/Heather Chipperfield for second with Kevin/Heather eventually taking 3rd.
Race two saw a shift to the right but again the Cockerills secured a first with Podger/Chipperfield in second followed by Starcross locals Richard Cain/Barney Dearsley in 3rd.
The wind shifted back again in race 3 which resulted in a tight first beat. Strong tides and light winds prompted the RO to shorten the leg but again the Cockerills tucked another win under their belts. Knight/Bownes showed their fighting spirit and took Podger/Chipperfield on the last run to secure a well deserved 2nd.
The wind picked up slightly for race 4 and Caroline Whitehouse/Trisha Clancy's pin end start paid off dividends as they rounded the windward mark ahead of the fleet. The Cockerills, determined not to let anyone deprive them of four wins, managed to take Whitehouse/Clancy on the first downwind leg and went on to secure another first. Whitehouse/Clancy held their second place followed by Podger/Chipperfield in third.
Happy faces all round as we made our way back to the clubhouse for the very welcome tea, delicious cakes and prize-giving. All in all, a fantastic day out on the water. The race officer did an excellent job running the four races in some tricky conditions. Many thanks to Exe Sailing Club for another successful event. The efforts made by the boat park marshals, registration and galley team were very much appreciated by all the fleet.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 1515 | Steve Cockerill | Sarah Cockerill | Stokes Bay SC | ‑1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2nd | 1376 | Sam Knight | Chris Bownes | Bartley SC | 2 | ‑4 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 3rd | 1439 | Kevin Podger | Heather Chipperfield | Lymington Town | ‑3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 4th | 1509 | Caroline Whitehouse | Trisha Clancy | Bartley/Starcross | 4 | ‑6 | 5 | 2 | 11 |
| 5th | 1356 | Richard Cain | Barnet Dearsley | Starcross | ‑5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 6th | 1280 | Stewart Brown | Harriet Crosby | Chew Valley | ‑6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 |
| 7th | 1287 | James Bowman | Andrew Gladstone | Starcross | ‑7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| 8th | 1326 | Frankie Upton | Debbie Woodcock | ESC | ‑10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 25 |
| 9th | 1097 | Paul Raven | Mark Swan | ESC | 8 | 9 | 9 | ‑10 | 26 |
| 10th | 1435 | Matt Sheehan | Ellie Sheehan | Warsash/QMSC | 9 | ‑10 | 10 | 8 | 27 |