Noble Marine WASZP Stadium Event at Hayling Island Sailing Club

The Hayling Island water main bursts ahead of the Noble Marine WASZP Stadium Event (it wasn't quite this dramatic!) © Waszp UK

Noble Marine WASZP Stadium Event at Hayling Island © Waszp UK

Noble Marine WASZP Stadium Event at Hayling Island © Waszp UK

Hayling Island was the location for the Noble Marine WASZP Stadium Event. The WASZP have been experimenting with some alternative race formats as well as the GP style racing and this was to be a sprint and slalom event with shorter more intense racing.

On Friday night M27 was shut and the water main was burst in the centre of Hayling Island causing 2 hour tailbacks with the flood. Understandably the traffic and forecast put off some of the sailors but, it was six boats that made it from all corners of the Uk from Scotland to Cornwall.

Friday evening started with Hannah Mills & Eilidh McIntyre and Salcombe gin who were at HISC to share their journey to win gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and hear all about their Big Plastic Pledge.

Two races were sailed on the Saturday with winds reaching 27 knots in the second race. Top speeds that day were 19 and 20 Knots buy Dan Welbourn Hesp and Duncan Hepplewhite. Joe Pester got his first ever race win with Racheal Jenkins coming second. Super-mum Rachael also had a child in the HISC Oppi Open event, getting the family on the water.

Insane gusts slapped the fleet making it tricky getting into he groove. The boats came ashore with tired but smiling faces. HISC had an all women's Race Committee for the event and a third of the entered sailors were female With Melissa Welbourn Hesp as the fabulous WASZP shore crew and bosun for once the boys were outnumbered even with guest appearance of Dave Lilburn.

As ever the WASZP social gathering started at the SailingFast area of the boat park. The class ethos was shown with the top sailors helping out the settings for others to make their boats go faster, followed by the class getting together for dinner. Overnight leader Joe and the class secretary took to the dance floor to show the HISC Optimist Open Meeting some WASZP moves.

Sunday winds looked gusty and the rain fell horizontally, Joe and Dan were super keen and they smashed out four races. While Joe port tacked the fleet he managed to take second place overall. Dan kept in flight for the racing showing off his superior skills and kept upright while the rest of the fleet tried out a little swimming in the tricky conditions. The best Dan won the event convincingly.

The winners were presented with incredible prizes from our class Sponsor Zhik. Zhik have supported the class during the 2019 season making the WASZP events even better.

Back on the way home in his van willow the WASZP alongside him where the passenger seat should be Joe delivered a heartfelt Radio 2 interview about this exciting class saying "Could not be happier, It's like being strapped to a missile been fired across the sea".

Overall Results: