RS Feva Open at Emsworth Sailing Club

Culture shock! Following the early summer of benign conditions these last six weeks a proper breeze welcomed the 27 Fevas at Emsworth. Average breeze was approx 15 knots and fluctuated between 8 and 18 knots. This made conditions challenging for novices and utterley exhausting for the experienced as 4 fast back to back races were held. Each race consisted of 5 laps and was windward/leeward with a spreader mark at the top. The number and speed of hoists and drops was truly impressive. This meant that racing was incredibly tight throughout the fleet with tussles everywhere you looked.

The special Fat Face merit prize could have been one for any number of reasons (finishing upside down - 2 boats, backwards - 1 boat, sideways - 1 boat, capsizes varying from pitchpole to falling out any number of boats, etc). Almost winning it was an eyepopping overtake by Alex Poyner and Holly Tucker at the leeward mark – screaming up on the leader they fainted to go to leeward causing the leader to relax and get his kite down early but they then jinked back and got along side some 3 lengths from the mark before dropping whilst still on the plane. By the time they rounded they were clear ahead, kite was stowed and jib was set – awesome, sorry just had to tell everyone. From amongst several worthy possibilities thought the winner was Philippa Lawson with Angus Brown for dogged determination, persistence and growing skill in getting around 4 times in heroic fashion.

At the front though the competition was equally intense. Ultimately Rob and Georgie Cage were both lucky and skillful enough, for you needed both, to win this event for the second year running. We don’t think Rob was putting it on when he asked if that was it after Race 4. It was a weary smile that took him home. After discard his scoreline of 1,1,3, was just good enough to beat the irrepressible Jamie Bolingbroke and Matt Heathcote with 2,2,3. They in turn beat by one point both the next boats who on countback had Alex Poyner and Holly Tucker just in front of James Hamer with Josh Cripps. (James’ regular crew, Ben Gratton is currently injured – get well soon! – and Josh is doing a fantastic job standing in.

The most improved sailors so far this year are undoubtedly Robert Palmer and Matt Purdon who came 5th and the last of the Gull sponsored prizes went to Natalya & Francesca Eyre in 6th. You can’t miss these last 2 as they blast around with the only dayglow pink kite on a Feva (their nifty sail no 2000 was even upstaged by even newer numbers!).

HISC sent a large detachment down the channel to Emsworth, combining a great mix of up and coming sailors with some more experienced Feva hands. Charlie Williams and Will Nicholls got the upper hand in their domestic battles coming 7th overall and just beating Eilidh McIntyre and Cassia Roberts in 8th. Holly Watson with Brittney McKinley came in 10th sandwiching John Holmes and Catriona Ellis.

Jake and Dan Bullock made up for a slow start by improving in every race despite wind and exhaustion – great effort to work up to 12th. Laurence Gibbons and Henry Forward from Sevenoaks School are beginning to establish themselves as well doing great credit to themselves and their school in 13th. It should be noted however that Olivia Trapp and Camilla Pudney also from Sevenoaks showed great perseverance and were in the running for the merit award. In fact all 3 boats from Sevenoaks are clearly getting to grips with this circuit and are showing consistent improvement at present.

As for the Emsworth contingent there seemed to be 2 distinct categories. Ignoring the club Feva rockstars in 3rd place there were the parent/child combos and the young uns. Between the parent/child combos honours (ignoring Rob And Georgie who a)won and b) aren’t from Emsworth) were taken by Neil & Phoebe Warren 3 ahead of Mark and Charlie Stubbings who comfortably beat Craig & Lily Summers. A clear challenge has been issued here and I suspect we may well have to formalize such jousting. Amongst the young uns (I’m not sure John Holmes really counts as he is semi retired from Feva sailing and is now in a 500) Hamish Ellis and Hugo Tucker took the choccies (metaphorical ones) home. In all there were 10 boats from Emsworth and 17 very welcome visitors.

Unfortunately time and space mean that I can’t mention everyone who participate and helped out so I will just restrict myself to mention another coming young HISC name Harry Bowerman who was crewed by the versatile Jordan Watson. Harry is representative of the new breed emanating from HISC and their active junior wing and from amongst whom it is clear new champions are being edumacated. Well done.

Overall Results:

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