RS Aero News Roundup - December 2015

My friends and I have packed away our RS Aeros for the winter. Two of my friends are planning to enjoy some RS Aero sailing at Nonsuch Bay Resort in Antigua in a few weeks time,  and I have been racing my Laser with the fleet in Newport.

But there's plenty happening in other parts of RS Aero World.

1. The Extraordinary English
There's so much RS Aero sailing going on in England at this time of year that I can't keep up with all the news.

There's an RS Aero UK Winter Series with nine events in various locations from Cornwall to Yorkshire, including the UK Winter Championship at Oxford SC and one event at the last club I belonged to England before emigrating to the US, Rutland SC.

Somewhere in deepest England

There was an event at Lymington on the Sunday after Xmas where the trophy was awarded to the sailor or sailors with the best fancy dress...

English people dressed up in silly costumes

And on the same day, that energetic chappie, Peter Barton (far left below), the RS Aero international class manager, entered a multi-class pursuit race called Emsworth Slipper's Slipper Shiver (huh?) and won the day although I can't figure out what that weird trophy he is holding is. It's not a slipper.

The winners at Emsworth Slipper's Slipper Shiver

2. The Formidable French
When my sons were little whippersnappers we lived in England and often took the boys for camping holidays in the French region of Brittany. One of our favorite spots was Carnac on the south coast of Brittany. I was reminded of our happy summer holidays in Carnac when I saw this video of Gilles Peeters sailing his RS Aero downwind from Carnac, past La Trinite, then on to Arradon. Over two hours of downwind heaven, zig-zagging through the islands.


Wait. It gets even better. Rumor has it that the first RS Aero World Championship will probably be held in Carnac in 2017.

Sign me up!


3. The All-over-the-map Americans
Apparently close to 120 RS Aeros were delivered in North America this year. Reports of new RS Aero sightings keep popping up on the web all the time.

Here is Neil Ray sailing his RS Aero on a lake near Denver, Colorado

Rod Favela enjoying some sunny weather at Rush Creek YC near Dallas, Texas

And KO Sailing took some RS Aeros over to New Orleans to show them off at the North American Optimist Midwinters.

All over the map!

4. The Tempting Thais

I have another tempting place to put on my RS Aero bucket list after reading about the RS Aeros at the Royal Varuna YC in Thailand. Apparently a few RS Aero sailors (and some other boats) from RVYC took a sail this week to Sattahip, 21 miles away, to visit the the beautiful white sand beach at Had Nam Rong. After staying in the Navy Hotel overnight the group sailed back to the club the next day.

I know the Royal Varuna YC have run world championships for other classes before, including the Laser 4.7s one year.

Just saying.


5. The Babbling Baby
OK, this picture is just too cute not to include.

Jason came back to his boat after packing up and having a shower at the club to find his wife had found a new use for the Aero... Who would have thought it can substitute for a baby change table?