Sailing Chandlery RS200 Northern Tour at the Lord Birkett
by Nigel Pepperdine 18 Jul 2023 04:32 NZST
1-2 July 2023
After collecting my cap from the grounds of Ullswater Yacht Club I knew it might be a bit windy. 22 knots gusting 30 was the forecast, with a bit of luck it might be wrong but too late for me to hide this information from my crew. Knowing the implications of not telling the truth could be severe, a replacement was found in Simon. His wife was also not so keen.
Together with 17 other RS200s two gladiators tackled the start line. Some of the entries wisely decided not to sail. Conditions at the start were windy but quite manageable, however we were warned. Conditions in the narrows would be windy. It wasn't really a 200 day with a long windy beat more suited to trapeze boats. At the finish excuses about "not really a 200 day" didn't hold good. Andy & Jill Peters finished an excellent 10th. The two gladiators did finish at 37th and were just happy to get around the course.
Sunday promised to be a better day, the forecast was for a lower windy strength and gust were not in 30 knot range. An 11 o'clock start and conditions looked good, it really wasn't windy and off we trotted to "the narrows." In the distance we could see RS 1559, Andy & Jill were looking good. The wind started to build and was a solid force 5 for the that long 3 mile beat. Bizarrely at the windward island the wind dropped, there was nothing as conflicting wind patterns produced big dead patches.
The fun really started at the start off that long run. A dismasted 505 and keelboat lying on its side were just the appetiser. It just never dropped. Of course, we all know what we must do when approaching a bank with the spinny up. A gybe was needed but there was no hiding, no quiet inlets, no lulls nothing. We had to go for the gybe. Success on the first and second manoeuvres but a swim on the third. At least we weren't alone.
Andy and Jill consolidated on their position with an excellent 12th whilst John Wilson & Laura Close produced a handy 19th to added to Saturdays 31st to finish a very creditable 20th. Jamie Tylecote and Evie Coates were 3rd Rs200 in 35th. Ourselves Nigel Pepperdine & Simon Kelsall finishing 4th 200 in 42nd.
A really super weekend and thank you to the team at Ullswater YC and event sponsors. As always, special thanks goes to our sponsors Sailing Chandlery for their continued support of the Northern Tour.
The Sailing Chandlery RS200 Northern Tour now takes a summer break before returning on 16th and 17th September for the Great Northern Asymmetric Challenge (GNAC) at Bassenthwaite SC where we will also be crowning the new King and/or Queens of the North as GNAC is the RS200 Northern Championship!