Magic Marine Optimist and Tera Round Hayling Race – Full Report

Hayling Island Sailing Club (HISC) hosted the revival of the Round Hayling Island Race on Sunday 24th August 2025. Alex Browne, Optimist Class Captain at HISC, had the idea to bring this race back and with a small volunteer committee and months of planning the day arrived. The weather could not have been more perfect.

54 competitors: 40 Optimists, 7 Tera Pros and 7 Tera Sports took part. The fleet was divided into two races. The Bridge Adventure which consisted of a 9km course from Pilsey to a mark just oP Northney Marina and back to Pilsey to finish. The second race was Round the Island consisting of a 21km course plus portage over Langstone Bridge at Langstone Sailing Club. 35 sailors: 25 Optimists, 7 Tera Pros and 3 Tera Sports.

All boats competing were fitted with trackers generously provided by our sponsor Magic Marine.

A South Easterly 12-14 knot breeze meant a short windward leg on the Pilsey start at 11.40am before both fleets turned towards Northney for the first leg of the race. The fastest on the water to reach the Northney mark gate at 12.25pm was Cam Wilson, Tera Pro, who had an exceptional first leg taking only 45 minutes 18 seconds to get there.

The Bridge Adventure race was for the less experienced sailors. A total of 19 determined young sailors took part, 15 Optimists and 4 Tera Sports. Some of the sailors had only recently started racing but showed huge commitment to complete the race. There was also a coached division within the fleet consisting of 4 Optimists.

The prize winners of the Bridge Adventure were: 1st overall – Alexander Webley, Optimist, with an impressive total elapsed race time of 2 hours 28 minutes 50 seconds and a corrected time of 1 hour 31 minutes 15 seconds. 2nd overall – Freddie Wilder, Optimist 3rd overall – Ryan Wallace, Tera Sport 1st overall coached – Summer Campbell-Jones Youngest competitor – Isabella Limbrey

After going through the Northney gate the Round Island competitor’s race time was stopped to allow for Portage over the Langstone bridge. At the Langstone Sailing Club slipway the sailors were met by a Portage team who gallantly put 35 boats on trailers, pulled them up the slip, stopped the traPic on the bridge and helped re-launch the other side. The sailors then had some time for a short rest, if they wanted to, before continuing on into Langstone Harbour for the 2nd leg of the race.

The race time started again as the sailors went through the opening of the old Hayling Billy railway line bridge. The sailors then navigated their way through Langstone Harbour past the damaged concrete Mulberry Harbour and into the narrow harbour entrance. At this point the sea became very rough with big waves which continued on past the last mark they needed to round on the East Winner bank. The sailors then had a choice of whether to go closer to the shore or further out to sea to follow the Hayling Island southern coastline all the way to the West Pole finish at the entrance to Chichester Harbour. The bravery and resilience of the young sailors to continue in the big waves was awe inspiring to watch. But it didn’t stop there as after the finish they had to sail back to HISC against 5 knots of tide.

The prize winners of the Round Island Race were: 1st overall – Jack Ward, Optimist, with total race time of 3 hours 25 minutes and 15 seconds, elapsed race time of 3 hours 44 minutes and 26 seconds and a corrected time of 2 hour 5 minutes and 51 seconds. 2nd overall – Max Ellis-Asquith, Optimist 3rd overall – Finley Browne, Optimist 4th overall – Emily Tyrrell, Optimist 1st Tera overall handicap – Ben Gardner, Tera Pro 2nd Tera overall handicap – Zac Carveth, Tera Pro 1st Tera Sport – Felix Dobrijevic 1st fastest on the water to bridge – Cam Wilson, Tera Pro 1st 11 years and under and 5th overall – Felix Palmer-Ward, Optimist Endeavour prizes – Amelie Renard and Harry Limbrey

Both Optimists and Teras delivered exceptional performances in challenging tidal conditions. The top 4 overall sailors were separated by only 1 minute 46 seconds after 4 plus hours of elapsed time and the top 10 finishers were separated by only 7 minutes 31 seconds providing incredibly tight competition. 8 out of the top 10 finishers have represented Great Britian at International level.

Chichester and Langstone Harbours and Hayling Bay provided an amazing race course for the resilient young sailors to achieve their first circumnavigation of Hayling Island. The sailors have enjoyed looking back at their routes using the Magic Marine tracker link.

Thank you to HISC for hosting yet another fantastic open event. Thank you again to Magic Marine and the other sponsors Xtremity Sports and SailGP. Also to all the volunteers on the day for making this event possible.

By Catherine Tyrrell