We intend to continue to concentrate on one-off events, as well as the usual club racing and major events such as Cowes and Fed Week.
During the season, we intend to run another Flying Fifteen vs Elite Challenge (see below for more details of how this works) as well as a Match racing day with input from a qualified match racing coach on starting and racing techniques. We will also continue to push for strong turnouts for the Pennant Weekends with racing in the bay as often as we can.
2007 season at HISC
2007 saw continued strong interest in the class with Elites participating in all the major events. Elites were out and about in the regular club racing and pennant weekends, but also at Cowes and in Fed Week.
2007 saw the Elite Nationals return to HISC with some 22 boats in attendance. See below for a full report.
A new initiative for the season was launched with several one-off events where we achieved very good turnouts and competitive racing:
1. Mini-pursuit race day.
In the early Spring, we held a mini-sprint day for the Elites. C 10 boats participated. We started with a couple of short races with all boats starting together in the usual way. We then applied handicaps to the faster boats and ran the next 3 races as mini-pursuits. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it with the faster boats finding it difficult to work their way through the fleet, and the boats that started first, finding it easier to capitalise on clear air and less congestion, and able to break away from the fleet
2. Challenge event vs the Flying Fifteens.
At the back end of the season, we ran a challenge event with four Flying Fifteens and four Elites. Each helm sailed each boat to achieve the best result over 8 races. Again with a short sprint style format, the Elites headed off first, followed shortly thereafter by the Flying Fifteens. Boat swapping followed each pair of races, and then we were off again. The race team did a fantastic job in managing to run 8 races in around 3 hours. The Flying Fifteens triumphed this time, but all agreed that we should run it again next year
2007 Nationals at Hayling
Hayling Island Sailing Club hosted the 3rd RS Elite Keelboat National Championships in July. The Elite was conceived at HISC for ‘Gentleman sailors’ as an easy to sail, tactical keelboat to be raced mainly in Chichester Harbour. We must have got it right because fifty have now been sold and it is spreading round the world.
It seems the younger, fitter and keener sailors have also taken a liking to this very fine ‘yacht’ and they were very much in evidence in the top half of the results this year.
Racing was mainly in Hayling Bay, 21 boats competed, with visitors from RBYC (Burnham), RFYC (Scotland), and HRSC (Helford Cornwall).
The first race was in fact sailed in light airs in the Harbour, with TNT, Toby Strauss HISC, a convincing winner, followed by Pandemonium James Peters aged 15 crewed by Kate Peters (Mother) and local Bev Moss, with Aeolus the Hon Secretary’s boat from Burnham third. It wasn’t the easiest of races with the wind deserting the last 7 boats who failed to finish within the time limit and two over enthusiastic boats disqualified for being OCS.
The next two days and seven races were real heavy weather stuff in the Bay, big seas, too much wind for some, up to 30 Knots (Force7) and close competition It was so rough in fact that there were two man overboards and several dramatic broachs under spinnaker – not quite the ‘Gentleman’s yachting’ originally envisaged! For those that could handle it there was some real adrenaline packed runs and reaches.
Going into the last day Eclipse, Ian Andrews, Bill Masterman and Kevin Richardson, held a small advantage but with the last race a long distance race round the buoys in the bay and back to finish the race and the regatta off the club line in the harbour, counting 1 ½, several boats were in with a chance.
For the last day the weather changed for the better with sunshine and a light breeze at the start until the on shore breeze brought in a lovely force 3-4. TNT again showed up her speed in the lighter stuff and won convincingly, behind her Eclipse did enough to hold on to her points lead from the fast improving ‘No Riff Raff’ sailed by the Burnham Class Captain’s team.
Pandemonium brilliantly sailed by James Peters who normally struts his stuff in a 29er was a close third. An ideal finish and much appreciated by those who had struggled through the previous two days.
All very satisfactory especially because the fleet had enjoyed a thoroughly sociable four days with excellent food and entertainment laid on by the HISC ‘Crew’ (staff) and the local Elite sailors. Thanks for the prizes go to Harbour Chandlers, LDC Racing Sailboats, Batt Sails and Fat Face.
Overall Leading Results;
1. Eclipse, Ian Andrew, Kevin Richardson, Bill Masterman. HISC 145pts
2. No Riff Raff, Guy Chevenix–Trench, Daniel Wasrnage, Kirsty O’Dell RBYC 139pts
3. Pandemonium, James Peters, Kate Peters, Bev Moss. HISC 138pts.
