Results / RS Racing Circuit HISC - 18/07/2009

RS200 Racing Circuit Event at Hayling Island – a tad feisty

Trying to remind themselves that this was actually July - 56 RS200’s gathered at Hayling Island, along with the RS400’s and RS800’s, for round 8 of the National Racing Circuit. The last big event before the real  major event of the summer, the GUL RS200 Nationals (3 spaces left). The big breeze of the morning had eased so the race teams were happy to take the fleets out into Hayling Bay.

After the now compulsory starting practice, Race 1 started in 18-21 knots of breeze with a confused sea that made upwind hard work with no distance to work with between the steep chop. Whatever James Stewart/Toby Lewis had for breakfast everyone should have it; once they got past just Rob/Jan Martin they just disappeared, Nick Charles/Helen Wightman won the fight with David/Jane Hivey for second. Although 39 boats finished and the 200 fleet clearly were coping with the conditions the race team signalled they were taking the fleet ashore. It soon became clear why as we sailed past many 400/800’s being towed in with very sad looking masts, the poor flowers had capsized a lot and the rescue boats were stretched.

With significantly more wind forecast for Sunday the race team decided to bring the start time forward to 10.00 so they had the option to race inside the harbour on the top of the tide. This of course did not stop the RS family partying hard.

Sunday and that rare thing the sun, did say hello but there was already 20-24 knots out in the bay with more expected, so the alternative plan was put into action. Luckily because of the poor weather and forecast there was very little other boating activity in the harbour, which was just as well, as approx 80-90 asymmetrics now filled the main channel, not always fully in control! The race team kindly placed the windward & spacer marks in the lee of the club house giving the spectators a great view. The trick was to hoist & gybe before the big gusts got you. In 20-22 knots James Stewart/Tobytastic again took control of race 2 to win with the same second and third places behind them. The last run became very lively and gybe corners became a graveyard. Race 3 and the wind had become a tad feisty at a steady 25/26 knots with some real long periods of extra wind on top. Most crews who took part will talk about downwind for a very long time; half the fleet did finish. The Hivey’s led but went splat on a gybe leaving James and Tobytastic to score their third win with James Boyce/Sam Tozer second and Sam Littlejohn/Marianthe Evangelidis third.

And that was wisely it with the wind still rising and sandbanks rapidly appearing.

John Teague/Ali Lucas just won the silver division from the Martins scoring glorious sixth and seventh overall. Emma Johnson/Paul Weeden won the bronze division in 24^th overall from Matt Sheahan/Kim Tipple.