RS Elite Cathedral Eye Clinic UK National Championship

Date: 28 June 2023 - 01 July 2023
Club: Strangford Lough Yacht Club

Russell Peters’ Riff Raff, RS Elite 20, is the new RS Elite National Champion, having won the Cathedral Eye Clinic RS Elite National Championship, held at Strangford Lough Yacht Club from 28^th June to 1^st July. On what turned out to be a very windy day Peters and crew extended their lead over Tom Hewitson’s Soak Therapy, RS Elite 100, who took second place overall.

Stephen Polly’s Storm, RS Elite 37, was first Irish Boat, taking third place overall and Michael Browne’s The Love Bug, RS Elite 53, was fourth overall and second Irish boat. James Yearsley’s Urafiki, RS Elite 92 was fifth and Elliot Caldwell’s Eclipse, RS Elite 44 was sixth. The order of the leader board did not change from the second day of the event to the finish. The full results are tabulated below.

Weather conditions were variable over the four days. The wind was very light on the first day causing the second and third races to be postponed to the next two days, giving the competitors four races each day and long days on the water. Winds strengthened on the succeeding days, leading to a strong but just sailable wind, with gusts of up to 30 knots, for the last race on the final Saturday. Some competitors were pleased to have survived intact. Competition was intense at all levels of the fleet and Riff Raff was not certain of an overall win until the final race.

Saturday’s  very windy race was won by Riff Raff. Matt Abbiss and crew in Disco Inferno, RS Elite 61 secured second place, their best result of the week, ahead of Soak Therapy who finished the race in third place but still retained second place overall. The competition was just as intense as on the previous less windy days with the last boat to cross the line finishing within a few minutes of the winner.

With two championship events held in Northern Ireland within a few days of one another a total of nine boats, all from Hayling Island Sailing Club, crossed from the mainland to take part. Competition was fierce on the water where the race officer Ruan O'Tiarnaigh and his team coped admirably with a wide range of wind conditions and managed to sail the full ten-race event. Ashore, Irish hospitality ensured that here were memorable social events each evening, Including Irish dancing on the evening of the class dinner.