RS700 National Championships

Tom Gruitt / www.tom-gruitt.co.uk

True to form, Plymouth, the Mount Batten Centre and the folk from Plymouth Youth Sailing delivered another excellent day’s sailing. We were blessed with an oscillating 6 to 8 knot breeze, perhaps a chance for those who favoured the light stuff to take a turn at the front. Race nine was a shootout between those sitting in the top four positions at the end of day three.

Neil Ashby won the start, was first to the top mark and went on to take his second bullet of the event. Behind him second was being fought over by Smithwhite, Bell and Wales with Richard Kennedy in the mix as well. It was only one oscillation that allowed Wales past Smithwhite for second and it wasperhaps that extra pasty that dragged Bell back to fourth. Kennedy slipped back to ninth but is definately one for the future, well the distant future. Jerry Wales now had his second National title won and Neil Ashby and Dave Smithwhite and Robbie Bell were safe in second and third and fourth respectively.

The final race could have been an anti-climax but all stayed out. A big shift to the left in the final seconds of the start sequence resulted in significant bias towards the pin. Spod Olive showed why he is a professional coach. He may be lacking time in the boat but he controlled the fleet as only experts do, easily winning the start with that Kennedy bloke close on his hip but holding on to his