The open meeting attracted a cross section of dinghy sailors from afar and wide. Again, the Osprey fleet were the modal dinghy with the lasers in close pursuit. The racing consisted of three races back to back in conditions which could have been described as "quite breezy". The gusts proved a handful for several of the helms and crews which resulted in a few early retirements. The racing was very close with only a few seconds separating some of the boats after handicaps were taken into account. All agreed the racing had been demanding yet exhilarating. The final results were as follows:

          Many thanks to all the safety personnel, Blake Shaw and Mark Dashfield and the management crew, Jane Brace for taking the entries, Terry Evans for working out the results, Colin Parmenter for his sterling efforts in the clubhouse and Dave Morgan for his inimitable style of beach-mastering. It takes a lot of effort to run an event such as this.

          The weather played a major role in this year's county regatta which the club hosted last weekend. Considering the prevailing conditions the turnout was high. Proceedings got off on time with the first race starting at the scheduled 12.30 p.m. During the race the wind speed rose dramatically and became increasingly gusty which forced several retirements. Conditions such as these do not make for safe sailing so the decision was made to postpone the second race until it was deemed suitable for safe sailing. Unfortunately conditions worsened so racing was abandoned for the day.

          Sunday's Round Caldey race was cancelled after carefully considering the conditions. Gusts of 30 knots and above were recorded by the officer of the day which prompted the decision to abandon racing for the day. The decision was applauded by all present. The prize-giving took place on Sunday morning and was attended by the vast majority of the sailors who took past in Saturday's race. Commodore, Daniel Jackson, presented the prizes assisted by results coordinator, Terry Evans. Daniel thanked all who had contributed to the weekend and praised the sailors for their staying power, especially the junior section who showed remarkable skill in dealing with the conditions.

          The results were as follows:

          After presentation the winning helm, Keith McDonald, thanked the club for putting on a great show under very demanding circumstances and pledged to return next year.

The Results

          What a superb week! 130 RS200 dinghies descended on Tenby on Saturday, 18th. Remarkably all were found a space for the week. Due to the large fleet Saturday evening saw two briefings given by commodore Daniel Jackson and principal race officer Blake Shaw followed by a mouth-watering curry prepared by the galley crew of Julia Dashfield, Karin Morris and Ruth Tebbutt.

          Sunday's racing was postponed for a few hours due to the strong winds. Eventually the fleet were called to race in conditions deemed safe by the race committee. The fleet was thoroughly tested by the prevailing conditions which was an indication of the skill which was demonstrated throughout then week. After this demanding first race the fleet was treated to a Terry Evans Bangers and Mash which included the much praised onion gravy. The evening's entertainment was supplied by the ever popular Steve Briers.

          Monday's racing was in similar conditions with the wind speed being slightly less. Nevertheless the competitors enjoyed the thrill of finishing on a plane. The Tyler Brown Blues Band was the evening's entertainment. The fleet thoroughly enjoyed their music, demanding several encores.

          Tuesday's conditions were such that three races were completed back to back. After such a gruelling feat the fleet decided to forego the beach games in favour of the world renowned Terry Evans Barbecue.

          Wednesday saw yet another day of strong northerly winds. This did not deter the fleet as the competitors, now used to the conditions, showed great skill. The observers were certainly impressed by the sailing prowess shown by the leading competitors. The day was completed by an evening of entertainment by Gina. The fleet thoroughly enjoyed the karaoke!

          Thursday conditions were the same as Wednesday's. The entire fleet turned for the final day's sailing which was a testament to the skill and enthusiasm of the fleet. The prize giving took place in the marquee specially hired for the event. Club commodore, Daniel Jackson, thanked the class for choosing Tenby as their championship venue and commented on the fleet's focus and sailing prowess. He hoped the class would choose Tenby in the future. Class chairman, Pete Vincent, thanked Tenby for a superb week. He thanked key personnel for their efforts in making sure the week was such a success. He then presented the vast array of cups and trophies to the winners. The evening was completed in style with local band Elephant Gerald putting on a great show.

          The final 1-2-3 were as follows:

          Our website includes information about the RS200s. Photographs from Monday, Tuesday and Thursday can be found in the website. The final day's report and full results can be found on the RS200 website. Many thanks to Phil Wathen, our website manager, for including the information.

          The above championship was the largest to be held in the UK this year. The success of such an event is dependent on the time and effort given by several members and friends. Many thanks to the 70 or so who gave of their time. Can we book you for next year when we host the Enterprise class?