Charles Ainsworth
28-11-2005
The event was held at Rutland Water over the last weekend of November in a biting F3-4 north wind, which fortunately had left its snow in Scotland and Cornwall. The northerly wind direction was the least helpful direction to the race officer, Adrian Stogall, who set a trapezoid course near the dam end of the reservoir in order to get a reasonable length beat. The event was characterised by place changing both up- and down- wind as the short course meant that the boats needed to pick a side rather than use the middle of the course with more breeze on the right but a generally less favourable direction. The first race got away in 15-18 kts with Tom Mallindine and James Clark (taking a break from their 470 Olympic campaign) first to the windward mark, followed by Sophie Ainsworth and Jasmine Husband, then Richard Mason and Dan Schieber, all of them exploiting a wind bend off the land on the left. Mallindine/Clark were never overtaken and won the race from Mason/ Schieber, then Robin Stewart and Matthew Forrester.
Race 2 was started under a black flag and, surprisingly for a 420 fleet, no boats were OCS. After a big right shift on the start, first to round were Sophie Weguelin and Katrina Hughes, Mason/ Schieber and Ainsworth/ Husband. The wind dropped towards the end of the race with the finishing positions being Weguelin/Hughes, Stephen Tiernan and Jamie Crapnell, Ainsworth/ Husband. Both the first two races kept the Rutland rescue fleet busy with capsized boats.
Race 3 was sailed in less wind and was led by Stewart /Forrester from Mallindine/Clark then Tiernan/Crapnell. Stewart /Forrester capsized on the final run allowing Mallindine/Clark to win from Mason/ Schieber and David Brewer/Oren Richards. On the second day there was less wind, and the ISAF girls, Hannah Mills and Peggy Webster, finally found their form winning the 4th and 6th races. Mills/Webster led Race 4 from Tom Gillard and James Foskett then Oliver Dix and Phil Lasko with no place changing amongst the top three.
First to the windard mark in Race 5 were Optimist stars Ben and Tim Saxton followed by Ainsworth/ Husband and Claire Walsh and Claire Best. The leading two boats headed for the wind bend on the left, but suffered due to more pressure on the right. Final positions were Brewer/Richards, Dix /Lasko, Weguelin/Hughes.
The final race was a battle between Mills/Webster and the Ellis bothers who steadily increased their lead over the fleet. finishing ahead of Mallindine/Clark.
The event was deservedly won by Mallindine/Clark, followed by Brewer/Richards and the Ellis Brothers.