29er Harken Grand Prix at Hayling Island Yacht Club

29er Harken Grand Prix event 6 at Hayling Island © Clive Grummett

29er Harken Grand Prix event 6 at Hayling Island © Clive Grummett

Day 1

With not a breath of wind to start, 63 boats waited in the sunshine to launch at HISC with 11 new pairings joining the racing and many juniors coming through. With light winds out in the Solent, the race officer only managed to get one race in for both flights which was disappointing for all. The two flights saw Dan Venables and Paddy Keech taking first as well as Matt Currell and Emma Hattersley. The race officer sensibly sent boats in early as it took well over an hour to make it back to Hayling Island against the ripping tide.

Day 2

With stronger winds than the first day the race officer wasted no time in getting the racing underway starting the first race promptly at 9:30. Red and Yellow fleets went off the start line first with Oli Aldridge and Nathaniel Gordon rounding the first mark in 1st place with the rest of the fleet hot on their heels. At the leeward marks Red and Yellow fleet met with Green and Blue, turning the Leeward mark roundings into carnage for all involved. The first boats to finally cross the finish lines in the two fleets were Crispin Beaumont and Tom Darling and Dan Venables and Paddy Keech.

The second race was similar conditions to the first so the race course stayed much the same. Jess Hammett and John Mather took 1st and Paris Thomas and Jacob Hutchings took the other 1st, having sailed a stunning race.

Third race of the day saw the tide become a bit slacker, opening up the race course meaning we saw more boats at the top of the fleet coming out from the left hand side as well as the right which had been the more favoured side for the races prior to this. James Grummett and Dan Budden and Dan Venables and Paddy Keech took the pole positions in this race, with juniors Nick Robins and Sam Grade, and Patrick Croghan and Nancy Scott taking the second places.

The penultimate race of the day saw the tide swing round completely on the race course. Ollie Aldridge and Nathaniel Gordon were one of the few boats to notice this and take advantage of it by hitting the land hard on the left and staying out of the tide for as long as possible. This allowed them to round the windward mark at the front of the fleet but they we were no match for the speed of Dan Venables and Paddy Keech going downwind, letting them through as well as Phoebe Connellan and Sophie Otter. Rowan Edwards and Daniel Blight won one race, and Dan Venables and Paddy Keech won the other race racking up to be their fourth bullet of the event with one more win still to come!

The final race of the day and it was still tight racing everywhere on the results! Ollie Aldridge and Nathaniel Gordon were joint points for 3rd with fellow Poole Harbour sailors Matt Currell and Emma Hattersley. They went hard left to keep out of the tide with the rest of the fleet, Ollie Aldridge and Nathaniel Gordon maintaining the lead to the top mark where they finally rounded behind Jess Hammett and John Mather, Huw Edwards and Josh Dawson, Elliot Wells and Jake Todd, Anna Prescott and Eve Townsend. With all to play for, helms and crews were doing everything they could. Winners of these final races were Dan Venables and Paddy Keech (no surprises there!) and Jess Hammett and John Mather.

Huge congratulations to everyone and it was great to see so many new people out on the water and some of them doing really well, beating some very experienced sailors who were out there. First Juniors across the line were Hugh Edwards and Josh Dawson in 6th position. First female boat Phoebe Connellan and Sophie Otter in 7th position.

Overall Results: