Hunter 707 class at the Royal Southern May Regatta

Light winds in the Solent for the 707s in the at the Royal Southern May Regatta © Cassie Richardson

With a different winner in every race and over half the fleet scoring a top five position, competition in the Hunter 707 fleet for the first Royal Southern regatta of year was as hot as the sun that shone all weekend.

After waiting for the wind to fill in, race one saw the fleet watch Sword hit the left corner, find breeze and sail a blistering beat to lead round the windward mark. They held that lead to the finish despite pressure from the boats behind, with Charlie Fish finishing second and then Doh! although being over the line at the start with a selection of others, meant the Ant Hill Mob took third.

With the line bias in the second race it was Committee boat end for prime spot and a race for clear air up a heavily biased beat. Sword led until the second beat where the right side of the course paid heavily and The Sweeney and Giraffe got through to first and second which they held until the finish. The battle for third was won by Charlie Fish who recovered from being over the line at the start to choose the favoured pin end of the finish to pip Sword to the line.

For the third race the fleet got clean away off a square line in new breeze and split to bang the left and right corners. Those hitting left hardest and overlaying the mark benefited from much less tide, and it was Charlie Fish first round the mark. At a shortened finish, Charlie Fish retained their lead finishing infront of Giraffe in second, the Anthill Mob third and Cezanne fourth.

Race four on the Sunday and when the wind did fill in it was light. After a general recall, it was Sword who again got the first leg right by staying in the stronger breeze on the left. They rounded first followed by Beaver Hunter and the Anthill Mob. Sailing fast and low down the run Beaver Hunter got through Sword, to take the lead.

With the Anthill mob up to second, Sword were defending third from Doh! and Double Trouble, but they pulled away again on the next beat. At the windward mark it was Beaver Hunter, the Anthill Mob and Sword.

Downwind, by staying in the breeze Doh! moved up to third behind Beaver Hunter and Sword, positions they held until the finish. Double Trouble having found the accelerator blazed a trail up the last beat to finish fourth infront of the Anthill Mob.

In this no discard event, in conditions which were tricky to ensure consistency it was the crew of Charlie Fish who finished overall winners. The Sweeney was second, only two points clear of Sword and the Anthill Mob, though it was Sword with their win in the first race who took third overall. To have lost only one race all weekend in such fickle conditions was a credit to the race committee to whom the fleet are very grateful.

Full results for all races are on the Royal Southern Yacht Club website

Overall Results: