Hayling Island Sailing Club Christmas Cracker Pursuit Race 2019

HISC Christmas Cracker 2019 © Peter Hickson

HISC Christmas Cracker 2019 © Peter Hickson

HISC Christmas Cracker 2019 © Peter Hickson

34 boats of all shapes and sizes took part in the HISC Christmas Cracker Pursuit Race on Saturday 28 December 2019 in a light southerly breeze with an overcast sky.

First to start was Oscar Hoult in his Topper who struggled to make ground upwind over the adverse tide. Nick Rawlings led the six-strong Solo fleet around the weather mark having showed the way by short tacking along the Hayling Beach while his fellow competitors chose the Winner Bank. It wasn't long before David Sayce and Nick Rees in their Fireball overhauled the smaller boats to take the lead which they were to hold until the last thirty seconds of the 150-minute race.

Steadily making progress through the fleet were two RS21s - the latest keelboat from RS Sailing - one sailed by Paul Fisk, Simon Childs and Kato, tussling at close quarters all the way round the course with the other sailed by Henry Jameson, Joe Bradley, Louis Johnson and Freddy. In the meantime, Ian Swann in his RS700 was leading the charge of the late starting faster boats chased by Rob Gullan and Mari Shepherd in their RS800.

In a nail-biting finish, the RS21 of Paul Fisk, Simon Childs and Kato just managed to find a way past David Sayce and Nick Rees in their Fireball who had battled hard all the way up the final beat only to be agonisingly pipped at the final post. Third to finish was Henry Jameson, Joe Bradley, Louis Johnson and Freddy in the other RS21 who somehow managed to hold off the fast finishing Ian Swann in his RS700. Rob Gullan and Mari Shepherd rounded off the top five in their RS800.

HISC Christmas Cracker winners: Paul Fisk, Simon Childs & Kato - photo © Peter Hickson

Overall Results: