After 5 very intensive races and a very close total result there is a new Dutch Champion RS Feva:

 Laura van Veen & Daan Dutilh

The Championship was held at the nice lake of Vinkeveen with very interesting circumstances. Light winds with sometimes a little more pressure gave the good sailors the opportunity to show what they can. It has been very close with 2nd Daniel Bramervaer & Thomas Van Den Brekel & 3rd Marloes & Thomas Rot. Thijs Minderhoud & Daan van Haarst were not lucky in their first day, so for them no prices but a very good last day with two times a first place!

It was a very nice event with off course nice dutch weather and a good BBQ. With 27 boats at the start the fleet is growing and growing in the Netherlands. The enthusiasm of all crews and support teams have been making this event perfect!

Forecast was that it would be a little windier than Saturday but much the same direction. First race would allow the discards to kick in. Pre-launch good news for the Oliver boys was that the Jury had given them redress for yesterdays last race when they got t-boned and holed. Morgans and Herbies case went nowhere.

So all on and the wind was indeed building. Having said that it then also softened in the middle of the first 3 lap race. Owen Bowerman and Charlie Darling looked to have found their sailing boots again and quickly established a nice lead. The Royal Torbay crowd had other ideas and after some intensive training recently at home they displayed their newfound expertise to very sharp effect. Jovian Short and James Barlow gradually reeeled them in and then shot off. Morgan Peach and Herbie Harford weren't leting someone else from home have it all their own way -after all they have been Torquays toast for some time now - and hared past as well for a stunning 2nd. Robert and Alice Masterman showed some great form too to come home 4th just behind Debbie & Tommy Darling (Debbie stepping in at the last minute).

At this point whilst nobody knew it at the time Jovian & James didn't actually need to complete the next race as they had won already. This wasn't known as nobody knew that there would ultimately only be 5 races overall. So what Jovian & James did was to show great speed up the second beat to establish a clear lead and then with formidable style kept in the gusts(which had built considerably now) and scooted home in plumes of spray. Meanwhile, and I'm not sure quite how they did it, Morgan & Herbie recovered from an abysmal first beat to overtake boats not in ones and twos but whole fistfulls to round the last windward mark in 3rd and then just fizzed along to nab another 2nd.

Package of the day - well the weekend to be honest, were Ben & Tom Oliver who worst counting result was a 5th! But overall then:...

Utterly dominant counting nowt but 1sts - Jovian Short & James Barlow (RTYC), Equally dominant in 2nd (counting one first) Morgan Peach and Herbie Harford RTYC again!). With all threes and one fourth, third overall Owen Bowerman & Charlie Darling (HISC). Prizes went down to 6th so 4th Ben & Tom Oliver(Calshot SC), 5th Robert & Alice Masterman (HISC) and 6th Anna Prescott & Jess Eales (Lymington Town SC).

Ronstan were very generous with their prizes and the Spot Prizes went to: Ruby Griffin & Harriet Winbush, Jordan & Benjamin Cook, and as top Stokes Bay boat in their first regatta together and 10th overall - Joshua Belben & Freddy Clampett. Stokes Bay were as ever first class in their hospitality and organisation.

Overall results here.

Next event - Zone champs and then the 2nd NJS/CNS qualifier.

discard kicks in after first race in the morning. Only big query on the results so far is whether Morgan Peach & Herbie Harford will get redress for the first race (a 9th) when I think he had been in lead... Exciting!

http://www.stokesbay-sc.co.uk/result/open/Feva.htm

Weather still looking great for the weekend at the Stokes Bay GP but ...

Just a quick reminder that the 2010/11 RYA RS Feva National Junior Squad
application web site area will close on 3rd October. Other squad
applications close on the last day of the relevant indicators.

If you are applying, do make sure you get your application in before these
dates to be considered. The selection policy can be found on the RYA web
site within Youth & Junior & at www.rsfeva.org/squads

Anyone struggling to apply for any squads or unsure whether their
application has been received can email me via debbie@rs-association.com to
ensure they are on the list. More in formation about squads has been put on
the RS Feva website.

is still predicting 9-15kts all w/e with it being a fraction more on Sunday than Saturday. Sun cream required as well - yipee! Given that it is a selector for the RYA NJS, the CNS (Class National Squad) as well it should be a great event! What with the sponsors promising lovely goodies as well...

Becca has just lost her crew she has been racing with over summer. Anyone who thinks they can help get in touch with her mum Lucy Morris on home@smithy-lodge.demon.co.uk . Good luck!

RS Feva sailors are invited to Stokes Bay Sailing Club near Portsmouth on the Hampshire coast this coming weekend, September 4/5, for a multi-faceted event which marks the start of the autumn racing season for the #1 two-person sailboat in the UK.*

- RS Feva Squads: the first selection event for sailors aspiring to join the RS Feva squad training programme 2010-11. Have you got the RS Feva Factor? See the RS Feva Squads web page for more information - www.rsfeva.org/squads

- RS Feva Grand Prix I: the first Grand Prix event of the 2010-11 Series, sponsored by Ronstan.

- RS Feva South Regional Circuit: the third and final event in the new South Regional Circuit 2010.

An overview of forecasts for the weekend suggests that we may expect fine weather with F3-4 winds and above.

An online Entry Form, event timings and further Information about the Stokes Bay GP are on the dedicated RS Feva Grand Prix web page - www.rsfeva.org/grandprix

* Source: Yachts & Yachting National Championship Attendance Table

Results for Irish RS Feva Nationals here or under the documents tab.

Brits relaxing indoors...

Irish relaxing outdoors ...  Nice one Brendan & Marc!

Brits relaxing outdoors... but the silverware already went!!

The Peachy summary...

The final day of the Irish Feva Nationals was met with AP over 2 (2hours postponement) the GBR team kept peeping out into Dublin Bay hoping for the 30plus knots to abate so the 58 boats could get out on the water.

Finally the racing was abandoned at 1pm as there was a small craft warning for Dublin Bay still in existence. Job done for Team GBR who's top performance came from Rob and Emma Loveridge, followed closely  by Morgan Peach and Herbie Harford just one point behind in 4th overall.

Owen Bowerman and Charlie Darling (World Champions) came in 10th overall after working on various mechanics/crew work  onboard their boat.

Morgan Peach and Herbie Harford won the top under 14 boat and collected their trophy to chants of "Peachy Peachy" from the irish teams they had made friends with over the weekend, Morgan said "the Irish have been really friendly and we have exchanged facebook profiles with lots of new friends"

Rob and Emma collected their 3rd place trophy from the Vice Commodore of the Royal St George YC draped in the customary Union Jack flag.

The whole Irish fleet were incredibly welcoming and really fierce competition on the water, "this is defiantly an event Team GBR are planning to do again as its a great opportunity to test your skills against competitive sailors" said Niall Myant National Squad Coach.

The overall winners and Irish National Champions were Irelands finest Brendan Lyndan and Marc Cudmore with counting results of 1,2,1,3 and an OCS. Second were RCYC Vikki Cudmore and Amy Harrington who sailed a tactically flawless regatta.

a great turnout of some 53 boats racing and the wonderful Dublin Bay to do it in. Here is the 2nd day report from your intrepid reporter on the scene - over to Adrian Peach:

Day 2 of the irish Nationals saw 20 knots plus from the NW so the OOD decided to run the racing in the relative shelter of the harbour wall. Go out of the harbour and turn right the competitors were told!

After a short postponement the racing got underway with Morgan Peach and Herbie Harford starting the favourable end of the line and heading for the shore into less tide. The boys rounded the top mark in second place behind, top Irish boat Brendan Lydan and Marc Cudmore (regatta Leaders day 2) Rob and Emma rounded in 8 position and were first to really put the bow up and hoon it down wind whilst Owen and Charlie rounded deep in the pack. The Loveridge down wind masterclass paid off as the pair caught up to 2nd by the bottom rounding closely  followed by Morgan and Herbie. Upwind saw the guys battling it out looking for pressure and shifts, Rob and Emma extended their lead by the final bottom mark, and finished 2nd, Morgan and Herbie 4th, Owen and Charlie 21 after getting caught up in a bundle on the final downwind leg.

Race 2 and after a short AP in the final 20 seconds of the countdown because the whole fleet were pushing the line! the race officer went for the "Black Flag" This time the fleet got away and the GBR team rounded the top mark Rob and Emma 3rd Morgan and Herbie 4th and Owen and Charlie 7th. Rob and Emma once again put the bow up and literally flew down wind by the bottom mark they were leading Morgan and Herbie 4th with Owen and Charlie just a boat length behind in 5th. The race officer decided to shorten the course at the windward mark with Rob and Emma taking line honours, Owen and Charlie 5th, Morgan and Herbs 7th.

The Overall GBR Results for day 2 are:
Rob and Emma Loveridge 3rd with 13 points
Morgan Peach and Herbie Harford 4th with 14 points
Gemma Bird and Guy Wilkinson 7th with 26 points
Owen Bowerman and Charlie Darling 10th with 40 points

Results for Day 1 of the RS Feva Irish Nationals are available via the following link: 

RS Feva Irish Nationals - Day 1 Results

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photo coming! - words from Adrian Peach...

Just a quickie to say Morgan Peach and Herbie Harford sail consistently to lead the Irish Nationals, 3 GBR boats are part of the RYA National Team being Owen Bowerman, Charlie Darling and Rob and Emma Loveridge and a forth are National Squad Hopefuls this year Gemma Bird and Guy Wilkinson.

The Racing took place in Dublin bay today with the winds shifting and varying in velocity under low clouds, National Coach Niall Myantt took the race briefing at the start of the day and said heads out of the boats looking for the shifts and lets get down to practicing some of our weaknesses. (the target for the regatta)

Race 1 Started in 8 knots of breeze with gusts of 13 if you were lucky enough to get one! The GBR team settled themselves well within the top 10  and Rob and Emma paid the price for not understanding the course card, as they rounded the leward mark in the lead and beat up to the finish they didn't spot the inner distance mark for the finnish line and left it to the wrong side! they soon realised their mistake and came back to finish 7. Morgan and Herbie capatlised on the mistake of others and came in 4th whilst Owen and Charlie 10th.

Second race saw much of the same with all 4 GBR boats remaining in the top 10.
Race 3 and the wind had dropped off a little, some boats were individual recalled at the start and went back but not all.

Morgan and Herbie rounded the top mark in 3rd Rob and emma 11th and Owen and Charlie around 20th with some work to do, over the finish line went the first 2 boats with that sinking feeling of no hoot (OCS), whilst Morgan and Herbie got the gun to win the race, Gemma and Guy 4th  Rob and Emma 8th Owen and Charlie 17th

The Royal St George YC couldn't have made us more welcome if they had tried, says Adrian and Gina Peach the teams house parents for the event!

All to play for tomorrow when the discards kick in.

Please note that the NJS & CNS selection events are the early Sept GP at Stokes Bay and the early Oct GP at Queen Mary.

Oppie! True story from Emsworth yesterday! One of the leading Oppies in the Junior race week took a nosedive and filled up with a significant amount of Chi Harbour and ... one 5 inch fish! The race was blown primarily not by half a ton of water but by the sailor trying to give the fish the kiss of life or some such similar life saving activity. So the new use is as a trawler!