RS200s during the RS Sailing Summer Championships at Hayling Island

RS Sailing Summer Championships at Hayling Island © Alex Irwin / www.sportography.tv

And so to Hayling Island Sailing Club for the 2017 RS Summer games. The island is a funny old place, with its rusty funfairs, chippies, estate agents' boards offering a free pizza with purchase, cars with second hand value of a corn plaster.

Then there is the bit by the coastline, where the real estate is impressive but odd - everyone has their front room on the first floor for the sea view. The splendid HISC itself, as you probably know, is quarantined in splendid isolation at the end of Sandy Point, an anagram of which I note is 'dystopian'.

Anyway, the sailing. Saturday there was a sort of sea breeze (f2...ish) to take the edge of the heat. The Race Officer sensibly flew a U flag, meaning he could penalise the premature without throwing a spanner in the 4 fleet start works. Wind (I think) was generally moving a wee bit left, but with nearly fifty 200s, getting the front row was the priority – I let myself get buried, duh.

RS Sailing Summer Championships at Hayling Island - photo © Alex Irwin / www.sportography.tv

Downwind was tricky for crews, with the waves and tide causing collapses in spinnaker and helm patience. (Not my crew, of course, who handled the sheets as gently as she might an octogenarian lover. With cardiomyopathy). Sunday the wind was lighter, but our estimable race officer got us off the line for all three races. Personally, I had a few purple patches, which you need to stay in contention – and had set the rig up for 'asthmatic-wheezing-through-a-straw' breeze. What I failed to avoid were a couple of brown patches, one of which involved getting stuck under the windward mark with Chris Catt, whilst half the fleet sailed over the top of us on the starboard lay line. Anyway, results below – Matt and Emma from George and Sophie etc.

RS Sailing Summer Championships at Hayling Island - photo © Alex Irwin / www.sportography.tv

Fabulous weather, and excellent RO-ing was much appreciated by all. We also trust Andy Peters recovers soon from his olfactory infection, diagnosed by his shipmate as 'snyphillis'.

Overall Results: