Feva and ILCA Chichester Harbour Series
by Kendall Massey 9 Apr 09:36 BST
Collaboration, community and bigger-fleet competition - that's what defines the Chichester Harbour Series. What started as a one-off initiative by three harbour clubs in October 2022 to keep kids sailing has since grown into an annual series. Bosham, Hayling Island and Itchenor Sailing Clubs rotate hosting across three winter weekends, welcoming sailors from any of the ten Chichester Harbour clubs to join the racing.
Each weekend starts out with sailors rigging their boats, launching from their own clubs and having fun with their friends on the water. Club racing as usual? Well, not exactly. With the Harbour Series, boats launch from their own clubs, but they venture out further. As they sail to a central rally point, laughter and banter echo across the water and competitors' sails come into view. The excitement and anticipation build as the sailors converge on the Committee Boat, closing in for the perfect rendezvous.
Every Harbour series event brings fresh faces - first-time competitors, a different Race Officer and new volunteers - but the feeling of community stays the same. Clubs send a safety boat (or two!) and everyone pitches in to make each event a success. We owe a tremendous thank you to the host sailing managers - Ryan Breach from Itchenor, Mike Storey from Bosham and Theo Galyer from Hayling Island - without whose invaluable support the Harbour Series would not happen.
The Feva and ILCA Series is open to all sailors and guests from the ten harbour clubs - Bosham, Chichester Yacht Club, Dell Quay, Emsworth, Hayling Island, Itchenor, Langstone, Mengham, Thorney Island and West Wittering.
The last two-day event of the 2024/2025 season is Thursday 17th and Friday 18th of April. Jake Elsbury will be providing coaching in between races and a debrief of the event via WhatsApp.
Entry fee is just £5/day: www.itchenorsc.co.uk/event/1062817
We hope to see lots of new sailors out on the water!