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RS200 Inland Championship 2024 and Rooster Championship Tour at Grafham Water Sailing Club

by Will Taylor 8 Oct 23:41 NZDT 5-6 October 2024
RS200 Inland Championship at Grafham © Hilary Talbot

Once again we made the trip to Grafham Water for our Inlands (part of the Rooster Championship Tour) with a promising forecast for the weekend.

With the fleet returning to the flat waters the question was who would come out on top; National Champions Ben Whaley and Lorna Glen, the experienced duo of Chris Catt and Emma Clarke, British Sailing Team member Sam Whaley with super crew Jess Hammett, Scotland's finest Brendan Clarke and Emilia Russel or would another in the fleet set up to challenge these contenders?

With a relaxed noon start the fleet caught up before heading on the water with many questions over how much breeze there would be. Forecasts suggested 12-18 kts from the South East.

Once on the water, the fleet got into the conditions and were ready for race 1. As with most first starts when we are doing line starts following our Nationals we had the customary general recall, with the start line re-laid we got away the second time under the U-flag that would remain for the weekend. Although there was one boat missing with Sam and Jess having snapped their tiller in the general recalled start now sailing in to find another rudder! Rumour has it Sam is getting good at this having done it two weeks previously in his Switch.

Race 1 saw the wind shift to the right leading to a boat speed race but passing lanes did present themselves when utilised especially downwind and the ability to get planning. Ben and Lorna continued their Nationals form to take the win from Brendan and Emilia with Jamie Harris and Ellen Main in third.

Race 2 saw the windward marks moved under the trees following the right-hand shift in the first race which enabled more ladders up the beat but equally many snakes. Ben and Lorna continued with another win this time beating Sam and Jess, having sourced the spare rudder from the club boat, with Paul Cullen and Verity Hopkins taking third.

The third race of the day saw the breeze build slightly more with more consistent downwind planning being achieved, this saw Will Taylor and Niamh Davies win the race from Fresh Abendstern and Ross Kemp (Southwell), followed by Ben and Lorna to secure the most consistent results of the day on an otherwise very difficult day. Overnight this left Ben and Lorna leading from Will and Niamh with Fresh and Ross tied on countback in third.

Most fleets go to Grafham for the racing but the RS200 fleet also has an additional competition that is possibly becoming more important, the Ben Whaley Fussbal Invitational. For those unaware, this occurs at any club with table football and Ben is attending. There were many challengers to Ben's crown but he fended off all to retain his status as champion on the Grafham table.

Returning to the club for Day 2 the wind appeared more down the lake from the dam so the question became would the breeze be more consistent? The forecast implied slightly more breeze with 12-21kts again from the SE. After a short blast out to the course it looked like conditions would remain the same as Day 1.

Fastest out the blocks were Ewan Wilson and Rory Gifford with Brendan and Emilia second, it seemed these were the conditions of Team Scotland taking the 1,2, with Sam and Jess in third. Although the sail out to the race course presented planning conditions it was clear these were less occurrent than on Day 1 with soaking skills also being tested.

Race 5 saw Chris and Emma take the win from Ollie Evans and Zoe Nieveen with Fresh and Ross in third.

Race 6 and the final race saw Sam and Jess take the win from Chris and Emma with Brendan and Emilia in third. Upon arriving ashore and washing boats down, the fleet knew the final results were going to be tight with no boat achieving all top fives throughout the racing.

Once calculated the winners were Chris and Emma from Sam and Jess with Will and Niamh rounding out the podium. This year the experience came through and with Sam and Jess getting their eye in could be challengers next weekend at the Endeavour. But downwind flyers Will and Niamh were proof that gains could be made on those final runs if confidence was there and breeze utilised.

The racing over the weekend proved how much you had to keep racing to the finish with gains still possible with a tightly packed fleet and gusts that would be 20m wide at points. At the prize-giving Emma spoke highly of the enjoyment that was had during the racing and thanked to the club and association for putting on the event, as well as the RS200 Championship Tour sponsors, Rooster.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1st1603Chris CattEmma HiveyRNSA/ASA‑164641217
2nd880Sam WhaleyJess HammettSwanage SC(RTD)2736119
3rd1747Will TaylorNiamh DaviesLymington Town SC‑105154520
4th1700Ben WhaleyLorna GlenSwanage SC11389‑1222
5th1709Fresh AbendsternRoss KempRDNBYC682‑133625
6th1739Brendan LynchEmilia RussellELYC26152(BFD)328
7th1676Paul CullenVerity HopkinsWeirwood SC7311‑1510435
8th1640Ewan WilsonRory GiffordELYC991215(BFD)36
9th1439Jamie HarrisEllen MainHISC314106‑151043
10th1237Tom AhlheidFinlay Lomas‑ClarkeFrensham Pond SC1579‑207947
11th1721Joseph WarwickerMathew WostlenholmeBough Beech SC‑181349111148
12th1716Ollie EvansZoe NieveenHISC12‑1613162851
13th211James MorsonFiona HarringtonSYC1311‑211013754
14th1358Charlie WhitakerLucy GatesQMSC8‑17814161460
15th296Ben TylecoteAlistair CoatesRutland SC510‑1717171362
16th728Adam CatlowFinlay LloydLee on Solent SC1912511‑221663
17th433Adam FullerAaron WoolfOrwell YC/WSC/RHYC419‑2212191771
18th900Jamie CalderEmily HillRoyal Highland YC1415161918(BFD)82
19th297Mark ThomasAlex LingHISC211818188‑2283
20thBlankCameron HarrisFiona NeeWaldringfield SC/Frensham Pond1122202212(BFD)87
21st1262Giles KuzykToni DuffyParkstone YC222323720(DNC)95
22nd1436Samantha NeeBee NeeFrensham Pond SC2421142714(BFD)100
23rd1202Tom MossPoppy ChristieBassenthwaite SC‑252419232415105
24th1184Catherine WhitehouseSophie DowningBartley SC17‑3025212618107
25th909James HobsonAmy Hinsliff‑SmithWarsash SC2020‑27262321110
26th1705Neil WashingtonJames WashingtonGrafham Water SC2325‑29242520117
27th1105Felix HarleTheodore harleParkstone YC272724‑282119118
28th1123Sam JohnsonFreya WelhamWaveney & Oulton Broad YC26262625‑2823126
29th1377Robert MainConnor MainPembrokeshire YC2929(RTD)292724138
30th1242Will GloverRachel GloverCarsington Water SC282828(DNC)DNCDNC146

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