GKO RS Feva Grand Prix at Queen Mary Sailing Club

65 happy, tanned and tired little human units left QM Sunday evening. The 66th was a more experienced unit of similar size but with Olympic type credentials and an uncanny ability to move the younger units around the country. Summer was delivered early with a solid F4 gusting maybe a low 6 on Sat from the NW and a F2-3 with gusts of maybe a 4 from the SE on Sunday. The twist that the brilliant race officer team had to contend with was random 20 – 30 degree shifts on Sat but perhaps as much as 40 degree shifts on Sun – oh yes, and apparently random holes in the breeze allowing for entertaining place changing (from a spectator point of view – or not so entertaining depending on whether the spectator in question was using bino’s and therefore unnaturally keen and the beneficiary or victim was a related smaller unit).

A leisurely 1pm 1st race start time on Saturday was the counterpoint to 3 windy, fast and exiting races. Eilidh McIntyre was slowish out of the blocks following a significant family holiday 12,000 miles away with Vikki Payne (no she didn’t do the Oz trip!) but showed great downwind speed to recover from an unpromising first beat. It was a classic case of slip sliding and soaking away whilst not compromising speed. But in fact it was Charlie Darling guiding her elderly relative around the course that took first honours. Jack Hawkins and Chris Thomas settled into a remarkable consistent series in 2nd place whilst the at times outrageously quick Robert and Emma Loveridge took 4th behind Eilidh and Vikki.

Race 2 saw Hugo Jones-Warner and James Poyner recover from a modest start to see them smoking away on the run in a burst of spray to finish just behind Ollie Cooper and Callum Ellis. Ollie & Callum are developing into a fine team after the winter but just need a little more consistency once the kite is up – particularly in marginal planning conditions. Team Kernow (Jack & Chris) got a 3rd whilst Eilidhi & Vikki again showed downwind speed to recover well for a good 4th place overtaking the Darlings after Charlie ‘jumped ship’ on the final gybe to the finish. Leaving her mother to drop the kite & sail back for her.

By race 3 the wind seemed to be at its peak and the physical effort required was telling. The rescue teams were kept fairly busy and the likes of Debbie & Charlie had heard that the showers were running low on hot water and headed in quickly! Out on the course Eilidh & Vikki didn’t waste the earlier recovery races by sailing superbly for a big ish win. Hugo Jones-Warner & James Poyner had another pants first beat but then… wow. They showed classic asymmetric skill in the conditions by being the only boat to heat it up, go high and blast away on apparent wind. They looked like they were coming home but no – they hit the corner, gybed towards the leeward mark and still looked set to have blown it. There were gasps in the club as it became clear that the lone red kite out of it on the left appeared in the peripheral vision and swept passed huge numbers to climb into the top 10 by the mark. Second lap it couldn’t happen again could it? Yup – off they went in spume of spray and again covered twice the distance but overtaking a number more. Third lap the same except they overcooked it. Tim Norris and Molly Knowlden clearly had their heads out of the boat and covered by heating it up and this time making a better job of it. By the end Tim and Molly were 2nd and Hugo/James blazed past the others at the last moment to snatch 3rd – Epic!

So overnight Eilidh & Vikki had the lead putting the pressure on them for the next day.

Showing marvellous temperament though in the first race on Sunday they won to consolidate their position. Jack Hawkins and Chris did well to limit the damage to 6th but it was Amber & Jamie Brown who had a blinder in 2nd. Ollie Cooper and Callum Ellis kept it tight but in the lighter found the downwind speed challenging. Truth be told however they did suffer from some of the breeze fickleness particularly at those times. Local heroes Alex Curtis and Andrew Clarke had a slightly disappointing first day but were back on form in this race. They had won the winter champs and first Open of the new season and it was reassuring to see them mixing it at the front again.

Race 5 saw more of the gusts and shifts but Jack & Chris hit the front confidently and stayed there. Charlie finally got some consistency out of her mum to come second whilst Ruth & Tess Allan finally hit their straps with a well deserved 3rd. Going into the last race points were incredibly tight with realistically 3 possible winners. It was front up time for Eilidh/Vikki, Jack/Chris and Ollie and Callum.

While the squabbling was going on Will Lowes and Hugo Tucker established what would on any normal day have been an unassailable lead of some 200yds. Then – oh dear – the wind malfunctioned where they were, not to reappear for several minutes. In the meantime Ruth & Tess got into a handy lead of their own. Everybody looked behind them for the chasing pack and all was still on for just about everyone. Everybody looked to the front again as the chasing kites were filled but exactly straining. Ruth & Tess were having one of those private moments – they were headed pretty straight for the leeward mark, flat hiking in cloud of spray. The handy lead was suddenly massive. They did well to retain it whilst behind them Charlie egged Debbie on to close out a very successful day of 4,2,2. Jack and Chris blew their chances by losing 3 or 4 places on the last run as did Ollie & Callum. That left Eilidh and Vikki able to discard the last race and cruise home in glory and possibly some relief.

So as to the prizes: The National Squad saved on embarrassment by nailing the top 12 places (assuming you ignore the adult unit Darling – sorry Charlie – you were awesome!). That left the merit awards as follows. Ben Davies and |Tristan Ellis were top Intermediate squad boat in 14th (we disqualified from consideration the unfortunate Toby Hodge who was 13th but not sailing with his normal crew Abbie Page (Ollie Smyth was a great stand in so watch it Abbie!). Adam & Lisa Kay were top Regional Squad sailors in 15th. Tom Johnson & Tom Neeate from Oakham got the endeavour award being the first? Boat to not count a retirement in their score. And finally both Jason Harbor & Liam Horgan and Ellie Tapper & Brooke Chandler were both competing in their first ever open meetings. They both came up through the QM Youth system and had fabulous experiences. Sadly for Jason & Liam they had skipped off early so the award was given to Ellie & Brooke who additionally were in their own boat for the first time having taken delivery only a few short weeks before.

Overall Results:

Photo  ©Geoff Curtis