UK Global Flying Fifteen UK Nationals at Hayling Island SC - Day 3

Peter & Jo Allam on day 3 of the UK Global Flying Fifteen Nationals © VR Sport Media

Simon Childs & Simon Hunt on day 3 of the UK Global Flying Fifteen Nationals © VR Sport Media

All change at the top and everything to play for

One-design racing doesn't get much closer than this. Another stunning July day at Hayling Island Sailing Club with 25+ knots of breeze and patches of sunshine. The atmosphere in the boat park is warm like the weather, despite the tussle in the top ten!

All change at the top with Jeremy Davy and Martin Huett heating the front with two firsts today. Local HISC sailors, Hamish Mackay and Andrew Lawson, picked up the other first place of three back to back races.

All three races were very similar in character. Windward leeward courses, a fleet keen to get away, and numerous boats being black flagged. With each race the fleet split into the now traditional search for the best route to windward. Even with a tide change between the second and third races the result was very close, perhaps slightly favouring the "shore huggers" in the third race.

The runs were as exciting as on day 2 with perhaps even bigger waves as a result of the overnight 20+ knots of wind that blew through the night. Submarining was a great danger to the crews who did not sit back far enough.

The closing leg of race 2 caught a number of boats out as unlike other races it proved not possible to sail from the final mark to the finish under kite. This caught out one or two of the front runners resulting in late place changes.

With only two points between the top two boats there is all to play for tomorrow to crown the 2016 UKGlobal Flying Fifteen National Champions. However, it is not inconceivable that the winners could come from the third or fourth boats if one of the leaders gets a Black Flag; with light winds forecast and an adverse tide seeking to sweep the unwary over the start line, it will be a tricky day at the starts.

Results after Day 3: