RS Elite Southern Area Championship 2025 at Hayling Island Sailing Club

RS Elite Southern Area Championship at Hayling Island © Peter Hickson

The RS Elite Southern Area Championships were held at Hayling Island Sailing Club over three days of Chichester Harbour Race Week.

A fleet of 16 boats were out on their moorings for race 1. The cloud was stubborn to lift and the wind light and fickle. With an exceptionally strong flooding tide the few boats who tried slipping their mooring lines found themselves struggling to make headway. After an hour of waiting for breeze, thunder could be heard with lightning not far away. Racing was abandoned for the day.

Day 2 and the sun came out and a surprisingly strong 15 knots met the fleet as they arrived at the committee boat ready for 3 races.

Racing was as close as ever, as the wind fluctuated up & down, #65 took the win with #67 in 2nd and #007 in 3rd.

Race 2 saw the wind drop slightly but #65 was on fire and so again showed the fleet their transom with #15 in 2nd until the top of the 2nd beat when their jib halyard broke. They glided round the mark launched the kite & managed to re-hoist the jib on the pole uphaul. This temporary fix got them over the finish but #100 and #44 got through to 2nd and 3rd respectively.

RS Elite Southern Area Championship at Hayling Island - photo © Peter Hickson

The wind held for race 3 and again #65 was hot off the blocks, this time their win was taken away by an OCS. #44 took the point instead with #67 in 2nd and #46 3rd.

The final day saw more sunshine but a forecast of very light winds. The RO asked the fleet to be ready to go as soon as the sea breeze started to fill. If necessary he was prepared to tow us out into the bay. On cue the breeze filled in and we sailed out ready for racing in 8 knots. The Mediterranean conditions lasted all afternoon. Shifty 6 - 12 knots with the RO laying & relaying the course to perfection.

Race 4 got away with a slightly port biased line. #15 back out with a newly threaded jib halyard won the pin and looked like they had nailed the first leg only to find #69 coming in from the right hand corner. #69 rounded ahead & stayed there to the finish. #63 took 2nd and #65 on form again in 3rd.

RS Elite Southern Area Championship at Hayling Island - photo © Neil Shawcross

Race 5 started after a slight delay as the wind dropped and shifted left. Again #15 nailed the pin with the rest of the fleet fighting by the committee boat. This time the left held & #15 rounded ahead only for #76 to overtake on the extended 2nd beat. They held the lead to the finish but lost the point by incurring a 15% penalty for non tally. #15 stayed in 2nd whilst #69 again showed pace to finish 3rd.

The wind held for the start of the final race, fewer boats fought for the committee end but still left the pin for #15. Again they took the clear lane on port tack & lead round the windward mark. As it got softer on the run it was #100 and #67 who made gains and finished 1st and 2nd respectively. A 4th for #65 was enough to take the title by one point.

Incredibly close racing as usual but great to see Vagrant #65 crewed by Toby Strauss, Rob Cruikshank with Ken Comrie on Thursday & Adam Curley on Friday, win the event; whilst Rob's bronze medalist team-mate from the 1992 Olympics came in 2nd. Ossie Stewart was crewed by his son Tom & Ian Tillett sailing More T Vicar #67. Completing the podium was Tom Hewitson with Colin Smith & Anna Wells in Soak Therapy #100.

RS Elite Southern Area Championship at Hayling Island - photo © Neil Shawcross

Overall Results: