RS Aero UK River Championships at Avon Sailing Club, Gloucester
by Antony Lynall, Avon SC 9 May 2022 11:18 UTC
7 May 2022
RS Aero UK River Championships at Avon SC, Gloucester © Avon SC
The RS Aero UK River Championships were held on the 7th May 2022 at Avon Sailing Club on the river Severn near Tewkesbury.
Visitors and members were greeted with a beautiful sunny morning and a light northerly breeze. A total of 14 RS Aeros attended the event with 5 visitors and 9 from the home club. After bacon rolls and a briefing from Race Officer Jon Wood, the sailing got under way - all bar 2 competitors opting for the RS Aero 9 rig due to forecast light airs. Two back to back races were held in the morning and two more after lunch, with 3 out of 4 results to count.
Race 1 saw Dave Lynall (Bowmoor SC) get off to a good start closely followed by brother Antony Lynall (Avon SC) and Gareth Griffiths (Island Barn RSC) stretching out a sizeable lead over the rest of the fleet. A course error saw Dave Lynall drop back to third and then managing to climb back to second handing his brother the win.
Race 2 was led by Dave Lynall from start to finish with Jacob Lutton (Avon SC) battling with Antony Lynall for 2nd and 3rd place. Jacob Lutton claimed a well sailed 2nd.
Over the lunch break the breeze managed to hold and the course was moved up river to a more favourable stretch for races 3 & 4.
Race 3 saw the Lynall brothers and Gareth Griffiths battling to take the top spot in the now much more shifty conditions. At the start of the race, boats were able to plane back & forth across the river and one boat capsized in the starting sequence. By the end of the race, Dave Lynall was out in front with Antony Lynall 2nd, Gareth 3rd and Jacob 4th.
Race 4 saw the Lynall brothers extend a good lead over the fleet with Dave again taking line honours. The battle for 3rd and 3rd overall between Lutton & Griffiths was tight and came down to just a couple of seconds in the now falling breeze. Jacob Lutton just managing to slip ahead at the last moment.
A superb day's sailing in the sunshine with barbecue and camping was enjoyed well into the evening. Thanks to Rooster Sailing for their support with the prizes.
Next Up for the UK RS Aeros is the Lymington Open this Saturday 14th and the Irish Nationals at Ballyholme YC, Northern Ireland 14/15th. The RS Aero UK Nationals take place at the end of the month at Paignton SC on Tor Bay, 28-31st May with a fleet of 87 RS Aeros already signed up, showcasing the championship debut of the new RS Aero 6 fleet. View the RS Aero UK Events List here.
Overall Results: (4 races, 1 discard)
1 Dave Lynall - Bowmoor SC - 3 points
2 Antony Lynall - Avon SC - 5 points
3 Jacob Lutton - Avon SC - 9 points First Junior
4 Gareth Griffiths - Island Barn RSC - 10 points
5 Matt White - Avon SC - 16 points
6 Andy Warren - Avon SC - 17 points
7 Phil White - Bowmoor SC - 19 points
8 Richard Miller - Avon SC - 26 points
9 Mark Lambdin - Bradford-on-Avon SC - 27 points
10 Andrew Wilkins - South Caernarvonshire YC - 28 points
11 Simon Bullinghan - Avon SC - 29 points
12 Tony Hughes - Avon SC - 33 points
13 Peter Lewis - Avon SC - 41 points
14 Ian White - Avon SC - 43 points