Fireball Open at Hayling Island Sailing Club

Hayling Island SC hosted the first sea event of the Fireball Open Meeting season over the weekend of 16th and 17th May. With the Fireball Worlds in Wales less than 3 months away there was a highly competitive fleet, including multiple champions from the Fireball and other classes, using the event as part of their Worlds preparation..

The first race got away after a number of general recalls in a shifty 15 knot breeze. Proving that the sun shines on the righteous (and the old) DJ Edwards and Vyv Townend got the peachiest of shifts on the left hand side to have a 100 yard lead at the first mark which they maintained to the finish. Christian Birrell and Sam Breary followed in second and Angus Hemmings and Steve Chesney, having also benefited from the OAP shift, came in third.

The wind had dropped to 8 knots for the second race and, after a few more general recalls and black flags, the fleet got away. This time it was Christian and Sam who got their bow around the mark first to lead all the way around with DJ and Vyv second and Tom Gillard and Richard Anderton third.

With the wind building to 12 knots for the final race of the day, there were some new faces at the front. At the final leeward mark, Richard Comes and James Goodfellow led from Dave Wade and Simon Hibbert in second and Matt Burge and Shandy Thompson third. However, DJ and Vyv after a cumulative 50 years of trial and error finally found the magic setting of height with speed, and romped from fourth to first on the last beat, with Dave and Simon second and Richard and James third. Unfortunately, several pints of HSB later that night killed all recollection of the magic setting and it may be some time before it is repeated.

After a long day on the water the fleet didn't get ashore until 6.30 and took in some much needed rehydration.

Sunday morning dawned with bright sunshine but little breeze. However, as the fleet sailed out of Chichester Harbour the breeze built to 10 knots to provide some great sailing conditions.

After more general recalls the fleet got away for the fourth race. Christian and Sam again led from start to finish. David Sayce and Nick Rees came in second and Anthony and James Willcocks did well to hold off a number of heavier and more experienced teams in the building breeze to take third.

With the wind building (and obviously after a few more general recalls!), the fleet got away for the fifth race. DJ and Vyv got round the first mark first, but Matt and Shandy proved they are faster on a broad reach by taking the lead by the gybe...but then DJ and Vyv proved they are faster on a tight reach to take back the lead by the leeward mark, a position they maintained to the finish with Matt and Shandy second and Ian Dobson and Ben Ainsworth third.

Going into the final race, two boats could still win the meeting: DJ/Vyv and Christian/Sam, but the advantage lay with DJ and Vyv.

The final race was pure champagne sailing. With the wind building to 18 knots and the sun coming out, the racing was the best of the weekend. Tom and Richard led at the first mark with a chasing pack hard on their heels. With the tide pushing the leaders up, DJ sailed low to sneak on the inside at the gybe. However, his lead was short lived as Christian and Sam got inside at the leeward mark and then bucked their recent trend by managing to stay upright for the rest of the race and take the winners' gun, with DJ and Vyv retaining second and Ian and Ben getting through to third. This was enough to give DJ and Vyv the meeting.

A big thank you to HISC members and staff, and especially the race officer and his race team, for setting some excellent courses in some testing conditions and providing a terrific weekend's racing.

Overall Results: