Salcombe Gin RS200 Masters Championship 2023 at Hayling Island Sailing Club - Preview
by Sally Campbell 24 Oct 2022 10:01 BST
23-25 June 2022
Karen Oldale and Jo Hewitson, Tom and Lucy Hewitson © Phil Jackson / Digital Sailing
The RS200 Class Committee have announced a new event for 2023, the Salcombe Gin RS200 Masters Championship, an idea spearheaded by the class's new Master's Rep, Jon Chapman from Budworth SC.
The event will take place at Hayling Island Sailing Club, with three days of racing from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th June. The Masters will race on their own for day 1 and enjoy a Championship Dinner on Friday evening, before being joined by the rest of the RS200 fleet for the Salcombe Gin Summer Regatta.
Masters results will be extracted from the overall results to determine who will be crowned RS200 Master and Grandmaster National Champions. Masters in the RS200 fleet are those aged 45 or older.
Sally Campbell, RS Class Secretary said "The RS200 Class Association are known for their high youth contingent and lively social scene, with over 50% of the 182 boat nationals fleet aged 22 or under this year. But many of those Nationals sailors were sailing their parent's boats - a clue to the fact that the backbone of the RS200 Class around the country is a different story!
"In many regional tour events, masters outnumber youths and this is certainly also the case in club fleets. We want to give these sailors an event they can call their own and all masters will be very welcome, whatever their sailing level."
The RS200 fleet has some very talented and dedicated older sailors, some of whom have sailed RS boats for over 30 years! Lee Sydenham placed 6th at the Nationals and 1st lady helm went to Karen Oldale, crewed by master sailor Jo Hewitson. Tom Hewitson won the RS Games.
Jon Chapman said, "As the new RS200 Masters Rep, I am excited to be involved in the organisation of the inaugural Master's Championship. It is an event that is well overdue and I am sure it will be extremely popular with the many talented RS200 sailors of more mature age who sail regularly at clubs up and down the country. I look forward to meeting many of you at Hayling Island next June."
More details about the Salcombe Gin Masters Championship to follow: visit event website