Noble Marine RS400 National Championship 2024 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club - Day 3
by Rob Henderson 22 Aug 17:14 NZST
19-23 August 2024
After Tuesday's shenanigans, Wednesday dawned relatively sedate, with a moderate 12 to 15 knots and sunshine welcoming the weary competitors down to the pier.
Torbay flattered to deceive. We "turned left" out of the harbour entrance into full planing conditions and, fundamentally, more of the same.
Usual service did indeed resume as Edd Whitehead/Ben Whaley took Race 5 by a huge distance to continue their neat scorecard. Following behind in quick succession were the Martin brothers Ian and Chris, then Ollie Groves/ Esther Parkhurst after some neat work downwind as the breeze funnelled over Paignton town. There was a notable 6th place from our Silver fleet leaders, Niall Houston and George Zavos. This follows a 2nd in yesterday's racing. Niall and George are showing some remarkable speed and positioning upwind this week.
Race 6 had a more variable breeze, still from a West-ish direction but the puffs were stronger than before. Just what the doctor ordered...
I can't really remember the order to start with, but it was close. RS400 sailing at its best - there's nothing like hammering along at full chat while neck-and-neck with 16 other likeminded individuals. Anyway, a spell seemed to have been cast somewhere in the region of Totnes as the fleet rounded the leeward gate at the end of the first lap, and the breeze died across the course, apart from on the right, where Dave Exley/Alistair Coates and Jack Holden/Rob Henderson found themselves on a one-tack track to the windward mark.
Jack and Rob gybed at the spreader to take a long gybe down to the bottom and the win.
Edd/Ben shimmied through to second with Chris Eames/Rachel Tilley hot on their heels.
Jon Heissig/Nicky Griffin had their best result of the regatta in 7th, as did Charlie and Caroline Exley (Silver Fleet/Youth) in a well-earned 9th.
Race 7 was close at the start, middle and end, as the breeze started to give even the most experienced teams something to think about (hats off to the Royal Torbay team for laying on some fabulous racing!). A harumscarum final downwind saw Edd/Ben take a narrow win from the fast charging Sam Knight/Chris Bownes.
I'm afraid, sports fans, we will not be returning until Friday as Thursday's forecast looks too biblical.
Thankfully, the wise head of Mr Currie has reshuffled the schedule this week so we can get our full quota of hiking, holding on and hiking again with three races due on Friday.
Results after Day 3:
Pos | Sail No | Division | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
1st | 1541 | Gold | Edd Whitehead | Ben Whaley | Parkstone YC | 1 | 2 | ‑10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 14 |
2nd | 1550 | Gold | Jack Holden | Rob Henderson | Chichester YC | ‑13 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 27 |
3rd | 1526 | Gold | Ollie Groves | Esther Parkhurst | Beaver SC | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 17 | ‑23 | 29 |
4th | 1555 | Gold | Jon Gorringe | Toby Lewis | Parkstone YC | 4 | 4 | 8 | ‑9 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 30 |
5th | 1504 | Gold | Sam Knight | Chris Bownes | Lyme Regis SC | 7 | ‑11 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 33 |
6th | 1528 | Gold | Christopher Eames | Rachel Tilley | QMSC | 3 | ‑14 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 36 |
7th | 1538 | Gold | Ian Martin | Chris Martin | Burghfield SC | 8 | 1 | 1 | (DNC) | 2 | 27 | 6 | 45 |
8th | 1535 | Gold | Tom Halhead | Paul Hilliar | Llandegfedd SC | 9 | (DNC) | 6 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 45 |
9th | 1460 | Gold | Dave Exley | Alistair Coates | Leigh & Lowton SC | 5 | ‑15 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 47 |
10th | 1553 | Gold | Howard Farbrother | Jack Munnelly | Lymington Town SC | 10 | 6 | 15 | 5 | 14 | 10 | ‑16 | 60 |
11th | 1414 | Gold | Sam Watson | Darren Roach | Nantwich SC | 12 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 20 | ‑23 | 14 | 66 |
12th | 1511 | Gold | Hamish Gledhill | Ross Southwell | West Riding SC | 11 | 5 | 12 | 17 | ‑19 | 11 | 12 | 68 |
13th | 1502 | Gold | Jon Heissig | Nicky Griffin | Llangorse SC | 19 | ‑26 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 11 | 71 |
14th | 1479 | Gold | Chris Webber | Nicki Webber | Pevensey Bay SC | 15 | 16 | ‑28 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 9 | 89 |
15th | 1463 | Gold | Stewart Robertson | Sarah Robertson | Royal Forth YC | 6 | 10 | 13 | (DNC) | 11 | 29 | 24 | 93 |
16th | 1500 | Gold | Nick Craig | Adam Craig | Burghfield SC/Frensham | 14 | 12 | 20 | 12 | 18 | 20 | (DNC) | 96 |
17th | 1210 | Silver | Niall Houston | George Zavos | HISC | (DNC) | 27 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 16 | DNC | 103 |
18th | 1469 | Gold | Martin Powell | Arun Powell | Parkstone YC | 18 | 30 | 26 | (DNF) | 7 | 12 | 10 | 103 |
19th | 1455 | Silver | Garry Knott | John Tailby | Notts County SC | (DNC) | 9 | 29 | 14 | 21 | 13 | 17 | 103 |
20th | 1557 | Gold | Paul Smalley | Anna Kerslake | Chew Valley Lake SC | 22 | 13 | 21 | (DNC) | 15 | 21 | 15 | 107 |
21st | 1239 | Silver | Paul Cullen | Matt Sargent | Weirwood SC | 20 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 22 | ‑25 | 13 | 107 |
22nd | 1461 | Silver | Charlie Exley | Caroline Exley | Leigh & Lowton SC | 23 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 25 | 9 | ‑26 | 110 |
23rd | 695 | Silver | Jake Willars | Nicola Willars | Notts County SC | ‑27 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 14 | 18 | 122 |
24th | 1480 | Silver | Andy Jeffries | Allyson Jeffries | Eastbourne Sovereign SC | 16 | 17 | 18 | (DNC) | 16 | 18 | DNF | 122 |
25th | 1 | Silver | Ross Ryan | Amy Hinsliff‑Smith | Notts County SC | 21 | 21 | 22 | (DNC) | 27 | 24 | 19 | 134 |
26th | 1377 | Silver | Neil Bevington | Alan Skeens | Lee on Solent SC | 17 | 20 | (DNF) | DNC | 26 | 15 | 22 | 137 |
27th | 506 | Silver | Alex Zamaria | Alice Harper | Saltash SC | 26 | 29 | 19 | 20 | 29 | ‑31 | 20 | 143 |
28th | 690 | Silver | Jeremy Stephens | Thomas Kliskey | Penzance SC | 25 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 28 | 28 | (DNC) | 147 |
29th | 1324 | Silver | Richard Watney | Grant Shoebridge | HISC | 24 | 25 | 27 | 22 | ‑33 | 26 | 25 | 149 |
30th | 1376 | Silver | Tim Le Couilliard | James Le Couilliard | King George SC | (DNC) | 22 | DNF | DNC | 24 | 22 | 21 | 163 |
31st | 517 | Silver | Max Burrows | Amy Burrows | Rutland SC | 28 | (DNC) | 25 | 23 | 30 | 32 | DNC | 175 |
32nd | 1220 | Silver | John Cooper | Matthew Wright | Burghfield SC/Thorney Island SC | (DNF) | 31 | 30 | DNC | 31 | 30 | DNC | 196 |
33rd | 1287 | Silver | James Bowman | Andrew Gladstone | Starcross YC | (DNF) | 28 | 31 | DNC | 32 | 33 | DNC | 198 |
34th | 1487 | Silver | Andrew Bray | Sarah Bevington | Lee on Solent SC | (DNS) | DNF | DNC | DNC | 34 | DNF | DNC | 219 |
35th | 411 | Gold | Figs Cain | Barney Dearsly | Starcross YC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 222 |
35th | 1328 | Silver | Steve Peat | Jonathan Carr | Starcross YC | (DNF) | DNC | DNF | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 222 |