Arran Holman and James Crossley lead after Day 1 of the RS200 UK National Championships hosted by the East Lothian YC.
Back to back wins put Holman and Crossley into a three point lead with second Ian Martin and Emma Clarke (2, 3) with 5 pts.
In third place are local pair Brendan Lynch and Ellen Clark (6, 2) on 8 pts.
Day one was sunny with 15-23 knots forecast. Actual breeze was around 24-26 knots in the second race resulting in lots of ‘thrills & spills’.
Downwind was ‘holding on mode’ with Holman commenting that even he had to pull on more kicker to stop the mast inverting! Perhaps that was at the point when Race Officer Robbie Lawson recorded a gust of 29 knots.
With the increase in wind this was a true battle to get around the course and avoid the many capsized boats. After two tough races, the fleet were happy to be heading to shore to repair boats and bruised bodies.
The evening social of haggis and ceilidh were surprisingly well attended, considering the demands of the day. A third of the fleet are Scottish sailors so the tartan flowed on the dance floor. Quite a sight.
RS200 2023 UK National Championships – Day 1
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