RS200 Sailing Chandlery EaSEA Tour at Waldringfield Sailing Club

A record turnout, 28 RS200s descended on Waldringfield Sailing Club to battle it out in the third round of the EaSEA traveller series. It was a weekend of contrasts with wall to wall sunshine and light winds on Sunday, Monsoon conditions and gusts over 30 knots on Bank Holiday Monday.

Race 1 stared in a light southerly with a long beat against the flood tide making for some fantastic early season tacking practice as the fleet worked the righthand bank.

Antony & Jo Gifford, having travelled all the way from the Royal Tay Yacht Club, made the starboard end of the start line their own and shot into an early lead from local favourites Ian & Alyson Videlo. These two swapped places a couple of times but it was Antony & Jo who ultimately won through with Alan Krailing & Libbie Bush in third.

Race 2 and Antony & Jo were at it again this time port tacking the fleet from the pin end. Having held the lead for most of the race they were overhauled late on by the super-fast pairing of Tom Ahlheid & Bee Nee taking the win and Ian and Alyson coming through for another second place.

Alan Krailing and Libbie Bush at the RS200 Sailing Chandlery EaSEA Tour at Waldringfield - photo © Alexis Smith

Race 3 with the breeze building to 10 knots, the Giffords and Videlos were battling it out once again, but this time it was the younger generation leading the way with James & Rory Gifford battling it out with Stephen & Chris Videlo. Ultimately it was Team Videlo that took the win with James & Rory in a very strong second and Archie Penn & Alex Bell-Jones third.

Sunday's weather turned out to be exactly as forecast and there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm for rigging as the rain continued to pour. This temporary inconvenience ultimately proved more than worth it with most returning grinning ear to ear after some fantastic downwind legs (personally I was less keen on the upwind bit against the strong tide!).

RS200 Sailing Chandlery EaSEA Tour at Waldringfield - photo © Alexis Smith

Matt & Will Taylor showed that these were the conditions they had been waiting for - shooting off into an unassailable lead with Videlo's Stephen & Chris and Ian & Alyson vying for second. In the end youth gave way to experience with Ian & Alyson finishing runners up.

In the final race of the day it was again Matt & Will at the front early on with Stephen & Chris hot on their heels. Ultimately it was Stephen & Chris who broke clear to take the win and with it the event. Tom & Char Stewart showed that the breeze had blown away the early season cobwebs with a strong third place.

RS200 Sailing Chandlery EaSEA Tour at Waldringfield - photo © Alexis Smith

A big thank you to all the volunteers who made the event possible and thanks also to all those making long trips to compete, we hope to see you all again next year!

The next events on the Sailing Chandlery EaSEA Tour are Weir Wood on 3rd June, and the East & South East Area Championships at Felixstowe Ferry on 22-23rd July.

More photos: www.facebook.com/WaldringfieldSailingClub/photos

Overall Results:

Stephen and Chris Videlo win the RS200 Sailing Chandlery EaSEA Tour at Waldringfield - photo © Alexis Smith