Results / GUL GP HISC - 25/06/2011

57 RS200s arrived at Hayling Island Sailing Club on a distinctly blustery and rainy Saturday morning accompanied by a healthy fleet of RS800s and RS700s.  After a short postponement on shore to allow the tide to turn and the seastate to reduce sufficiently for the ‘faster’ boats to survive the conditions, the fleet was launched into Hayling Bay with the RS200s racing closest to the shore.

The first race was somewhat lumpy with a healthy 17 (ish) knot breeze giving the fleet ample opportunity for surfing downwind; the Rusden brothers carried on their good form from the Eurocup event held in Carnac over Easter and won the first race from Hayling’s Tom Morris and Emma Porteous. 

Race 2 allowed the fleet to demonstrate their keenness on the startline resulting in a general recall and the deployment of the black flag – on the second time of asking the fleet got away, making the most of champagne sailing conditions that had arrived; the seastate reducing all the time and the sun burning through the clouds.  Tom and Emma showed the fleet that they meant business by taking the race win, followed by Stu Bithell and Sophie Weguelin. 

Race 3 was more of the same conditions as race 2 with Stu and Sophie fighting off Christian Birrell and Matt Johnson for the race win. 

After a great evening enjoying the hospitality of Hayling Island Sailing Club, the fleet awoke to a wall of slow moving fog.  Unfortunately despite the best efforts of the sun to burn off the fog and the breeze to fill in, the race committee considered the conditions un-sailable and racing was abandoned for the day. 

With no racing on Sunday and no discards available, consistency was the key to winning the event.  First place went to Tom and Emma, with Hamish Walker and Emma Clarke second and the Rusdens third. 

Many thanks go to HISC for their hospitality and a great three races.