Sailing Chandlery East and South East Area (EaSEA) Tour Announced
by Andrew Wishart 30 Jan 2023 16:47 GMT
RS200s at the Waldringfield Easter Egg 2022 © Alexis Smith
With the support of Sailing Chandlery, the RS200 East and South East regions have united to create a mouth-watering new series, the EaSEA Tour, pronounced Easy Tour!
Taking in several of the enlarged region's premier venues, the eight-event series promises to bring together a wealth of strong club fleets in the area for some exceptional racing. With the venues finalised and the social program is in hand, there are now just six weeks to go until the battle to become the inaugural Sailing Chandlery EaSEA Tour Champion begins.
Round 1: 11-12th March - The Curtain Raiser at Queen Mary SC
We ease into the tour with a day of training led by home-grown RS200 rockstar David Jessop. The training on Saturday will be followed by dinner at a local Mexican restaurant with a dangerously promising rating of 4.8 on Google maps (verified by reigning RS200 person of the year, Bethan Matthews). On Sunday the series kicks off for real. We hope to find out whether the regions sea-specialists can do it on the flat water too? Or will a pair of Frensham bandits sweep to victory?
Round 2: 7th April - A very good Friday at Netley SC and Round 3: 9th-10th April - The Waldringfield Easter Egg
The Easter weekend is bookended with opportunities for the estuary specialists to make their mark on the series leaderboard. While well known in dinghy racing circles, Costa del Netley is a hotly anticipated new venue for the RS200 fleet this season. Two days later a stalwart of the RS200 circuit returns in the shape of the Waldringfield Easter Egg, where a large turnout of home boats is guaranteed. Can anyone overcome the locals on their home turf?
Round 4: 3rd June - Weir Wood SC
The EaSEA tour wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Garden of England. Weir Wood will play host to a last chance for the shift specialists to get a strong result on the board before the summer sea season kicks off.
Round 5: 17-18th June - Southern Champs at Itchenor
A venue that needs no introduction and where a good turnout is guaranteed by the mass of RS200s that surround Chichester Harbour. The EaSEA Tour joins forces with the Rooster Championship Tour for a cracking weekend of sailing.
Round 6: 22-23 July - EaSEA Championships at Felixstowe
The jewel in the crown. A proper sea event to get boats and crews dialled in for the lumpy stuff that Scotland will deliver at the Nationals fortnight later. With camping available near the club, sailors can expect a good warm up for East Lothian in the bar too.
Round 7: 2nd September - Shoreham SC Open
The EaSEA Tour's answer to post-nationals blues is a return to the ever-popular Shoreham SC. The club offers easy access to a fantastic sailing area on the open sea. Never turn down the chance to send it down some Sussex coast rollers.
Round 8: 30th September - 1st October Rope4Boats Inland Champs at Grafham
The 2023 Sailing Chandlery EaSEA Tour ends on a classic note, with the traditional Grafham shoot out.
We hope you agree that the new tour offers a cracking range of venues. Entry for the Queen Mary Training Day and Open Meeting will be opening shortly. Be sure to keep an eye on the class website for details.
Full Tour Dates here.