Please select your home edition
Edition
Trinidad and Tobago - Sail Service Stay

International Canoe UK National Championships and Europa Cup at Hayling Island Sailing Club

by Philip Robin 1 Aug 2022 14:04 BST 18-25 July 2022

Hayling Island SC hosted the International Canoe Nationals and Europa Cup from 18 to 25 July. Competitors enjoyed sailing in Bracklesham Bay in sunny conditions throughout the week in winds ranging from Force 2 to 4.

Unfortunately, some entries were unable to sail having succumbed to Covid and two of the German entries had forgotten that following Brexit, a passport is needed to enter the country, so did not get past customs.

Race 1 was sailed in a Force 2 south-easterly with plenty of pace changes, and at the finish Tont Robertshaw took the gun from World Champion Robin Wood with Gareth Caldwell coming third. Race 2 followed was in similar conditions, but Gareth Caldwell took an early lead, holding it to the end, a sign of things to come.

Robin Wood finished second with local sailor Phil Robin in third.

A Force 5-6 delayed racing on the second day, but by the afternoon it had dropped away completely to be replaced by a Force 1- 2 south-easterly, that enabled one race to be sailed before the wind disappeared again. Tony Robertshaw rounded the windward mark in the lead followed by Perham Harding in his new Warren designed boat.

Gareth Caldwell had a premature start but went the right way on the beat and then showed devastating downwind speed, possibly partly attributable to his foiling rudder to take the gun followed by Tony Robershaw, Phil Robin and Robin Wood.

A Force 4 south-westerly greeted the fleet on the next day, with bigger waves, that made tacking successfully more difficult, especially for sailors not used to sea sailing.

But the greater challenge was the abundance of sea weed across the course, difficult to clear from daggerboards and rudders in a narrow boat in waves, but making it almost impossible to steer for the four boats with rudder foils, none of whom (including the series leaders Caldwell, Robertshaw and Wood) to complete the race, which was won by Dan Skinner, followed by heavy weather specialist Chris Hampe and Phil Robin.

Race Officer Greg Lamb wisely concluded from the attrition rate to send the fleet home, who enjoyed a fast reach, playing waves across Chichester Bar, back into the harbour.

Racing in the next day was postponed until the afternoon to allow the forecast south-westerly breeze to fill in, which reached steady Force 3, and best of all, much less sea weed. The first race was won by Gareth Caldwell, again quick downwind, followed by Class Chairman Steve Clarke, again fast downwind but without a rudder foil, and Phil Robin, who rounded the windward mark first, but was slower on the downhill legs.

The second race was similar but this time Tony Robertshaw rounded the windward mark first, but could not keep ahead of Gareth Caldwell downwind, with Phil Robin finishing third.

The final race of the day was sailed in late afternoon in a dying breeze. Dan Skinner rounded the windward mark first, but could not keep ahead of Gareth Caldwell downwind and then losing a places to Phil Robin and Chris Hampe following a capsize clearing the dreaded sea weed.

A force 6 greeted sailors on the last day, so the decision was taken to abandon racing, with Gareth Caldwell taking a well-deserved championship, in his American designed Maas boat and the first European sailor, Niklas Steirmann from Germany in seventh position.

In the top six there were five different hull designs, three different sail lofts represented, and two boats having rudder foils, demonstrating the continuing scope for development in the class.

Overall Results:
If you finished in the top ten at the International Canoe nationals then enter your Gear Guide information here

PosClassSail NoBoat NameHelmClubR1R2R3R4R5R6R7PenaltyPts
1stIC335Ska'd For LifeGareth CaldwellShoreham SC311(DNC)111 8
2ndIC328Little ScarlettPhilip RobinHISC‑4333332 17
3rdIC329 Tony Robert Shaw 142(DNC)925 23
4thIC340Monkey's UncleChristopher HampeMt Batten SC77‑82443128
5thIC321 Dan Skinner ‑8871574 32
6thIC353Midnight QuillPerham HardingSwanage SC9136(DNF)857 48
7thIC81 Niklas SteirmannDeutsch Britischer101013(DNC)666 51
8thIC338Money4NuffinStephen ClarkeLlandegfedd SC655(DNF)2DNCDNC153
9thICOD275Mustang SallyAlasdair AlstonWest Kirby SC‑121110412109 56
10thIC344Black BettyRobin WoodTenby224(DNF)DNCDNCDNC 59
11thICOD303IconicStephen FlemingWestkirby‑1312115131110 62
12thIC345Geoff CarneGeoff CarneJervis Bay151412(DNF)788 64
13thIC343 Phil Allen 569(DNC)DNCDNCDNC 71
14thIC349Waka TauaMartin RobbCastle Cove169(DNF)DNF11911 73
15thIC346The Last HorizonJohn EllisScaling Dam1115(DNC)DNC10DNCDNC 87
16thICOD333White KnightTony MarstonWest Kirby1416(DNC)DNCDNCDNCDNC 98

Related Articles

International Canoe 'Not the Nationals'
A wonderful week of racing, tuning and development at West Kirby The UK International Canoe Class had a spare Nationals date set aside at West Kirby, as a backup for their Dale SC Nationals in case their numbers were low, as it was very close to the date of the Worlds in Travemunde. Posted on 10 Sep
21st International Canoe Worlds overall
No racing on final day The forecast for the final day of the International Canoe World Championships at Travemunde Woche, hosted by Lubecker Yacht Club, was always looking tricky. A decision was made to cancel all further races. Posted on 29 Jul
21st International Canoe Worlds day 5
Glen Truswell wins with a day to spare It was another early start for the six competitors from Germany and Great Britain that would sail the deciding race of the New york challenge Cup at 09:30 before regular championship races would resume at 11am. Posted on 27 Jul
21st International Canoe Worlds day 4
The result of the New York Challenge Cup remains in the balance After another long day of delays the result of the New York Challenge Cup remains in the balance. The match was a tense affair the Germans were fielding a team of light air specialists so the minimal 5-6 knots on the course had them as a slight favourite. Posted on 26 Jul
21st International Canoe Worlds day 3
Even the party-goers of the fleet had to take an early night Racing was brought forward for the International Canoes at Travemünder Woche; with a first warning signal scheduled for 09:30 even the party-goers of the fleet took an early night. The forecast was for a north westerly that would be strong. Posted on 24 Jul
21st International Canoe Worlds day 2
Another long frustrating day of waiting on the water for over 6 hours Day 2 of the Championships was another long frustrating day of waiting with only two races sailed despite all boats being on the water for over 6 hours. Posted on 24 Jul
21st International Canoe Worlds day 1
Travemünder Woche hosts on the Baltic shores of Germany The 21st International 20 square meter Canoe World Championships kicked off in boisterous conditions on the first Monday of Travemünder Woche on the Baltic shores of Germany. Posted on 23 Jul
International Canoe May Cup Invitational at Weston
Anticipation was high with the forthcoming World Championships fast approaching Warm Sunshine and a building sea breeze greeted 14 International Canoes as the fleet gathered at Weston Sailing Club on Southampton Water for the May Cup invitational. Posted on 28 May
Oldest videos of International Canoes sailing
A look back into our video archive We delve into the past, and round-up all videos which show sailing in the International Canoe class of dinghy. Posted on 1 Dec 2023
West Kirby Festival of Sailing
Zippy Zero reports from event once called 'Not the Canoe Nationals' Hello all from Zippy the D-Zero. I've returned from the Menai Straits to my comfortable home club and friends at West Kirby Sailing Club and have been indulging myself in a bit of gentle play and rest at our summer's Festival of Sailing. Posted on 25 Aug 2023