Super Saturday at RS Feva Worlds

Clearwater, FL (April 7, 2018) – The forecast for the fourth day of the 2018 RS Feva World Championship had barely changed all week and it was labelled Super Saturday in anticipation of breezy conditions. The forecast was right and Super Saturday delivered an epic day of championship racing.

With the ocean course too difficult, the PRO selected course area C which placed the racing just off of the club on the intercoastal waterways. The sailors were made aware of all the shallow areas on the edges on the course area. The realise flag was raised and the sailors hit the water.

The course was quickly laid and Super Saturday was ready as 18-22 knots greeted the sailors as the fleet went into sequences for race 11. The fleet got away first time as Joshua Davies/ Freddie Ellis (GBR) led to the windward mark, closely followed by regatta leader Ben Hutton-Penman/ Abi Jayasekara (GBR) and second placed team Tom Storey/ Rupert Jameson (GBR) along with Robbert Huisman/ Gijs Zuidema (NED), and William Caiger/ Becky Caiger (GBR).

These five teams were in a league of their own in the breezy conditions and went on to make up the top 5 finishers in all 3 races of the day.

At the second windward mark Storey/ Jameson (GBR) rounded in first but clipped the mark and had to do a penalty turn, allowing Hutton-Penman/ Jayasekara (GBR) to hoist first and then lead the fleet to the finish. Annie Hammett/ Emma Wells (GBR) finished in 8th to move them into contention for the ladies title.

Race 12 again saw Davies/ Ellis (GBR) lead the fleet to the windward mark but they struggled to hang on as Hutton-Penman/ Jayasekara (GBR) continued to show how good they are in these conditions. They went on to grab their third bullet in a row and put themselves as clear favourites for the title. It was a photo finish for second and third as Storey/ Jameson (GBR) just crossed the line ahead of Caiger/ Caiger (GBR).

In Race 13, Davies/ Ellis (GBR) grabbed the hattrick of ‘first to the windward mark’ on race day 4, this time they led the fleet all the way around the course until they were close to the finish. With both Storey/ Jameson (GBR) and Caiger/ Caiger (GBR) right behind them, they had to choose which boat to cover. They chose the later, with Storey/ Jameson (GBR) splitting to the left-hand side of the course where they found more pressure to take the win.

Davies/ Ellis (GBR) hung on to 2nd with Caiger/ Caiger (GBR) just behind them. Hutton-Penman/ Jayasekara (GBR) finished in 5th on the water but this changed to 4th as Caiger/ Caiger (GBR) were OCS.

Hutton-Penman/ Jayasekara (GBR) were superb today, but with only a two point lead, have left the door open to Storey/ Jameson (GBR) for the overall title. Props to Hammett/ Wells (GBR) who now hold 1st place for the ladies title.

Clearwater served up a treat and Super Saturday will live in the memories of many young sailors for a long time to come. It’s the last day tomorrow with two teams left in the hunt for the World Title.

Racing is scheduled from April 4 to 8.

Day Four Standings (Top 10 of 51; 13 races, 2 discards)

Event details – Results – Facebook

Source: Lucy Jameson