29er and 49er Opens at Hayling Island SC

by Dave Hall on 5 Oct 2005 The 29er and 49er fleets at Hayling Island SC for the 9er Open Meetings were disappointed on Saturday to be kept ashore due to high winds in Hayling Bay. Later in the afternoon several squalls eventually convinced the race officer that there would be no racing.

On Sunday the start time was brought forward to allow for five races to be heldin the Bay for both fleets on two race tracks. A North Westerly force 3 - 4 made for lively but manageable racing and exciting sailing.

The 29er fleet had a real international flavour to it with boats travelling from Europe and Scandinavia to take part. It looked like the current UK National Champions Hew Humphreys and Max Todd with a win in race one were going to be the ones to beat. However it was the new pairing of Dylan Fletcher and Rob Partridge who eventually took the day with two firsts and two second places.

Humphreys and Todd slipped to third overall behind Dave Hall and Jonny Clegg who in spite of a black flag in the first race kept a consistent score line to finish second. A new team to the front of the fleet was Will Tremlow and Peter Petera ending up with a second in the last race and fourth overall. First girl team were Sarah Martin and Nicola Groves.

Final 29er overall leaders:
1 Dylan Fletcher and Rob Partridge NSC/BSC
2 David Hall and Jonny Clegg Thorpe Bay SC
3 Hew Humphreys and Maxwell Todd Holyhead SC
4 Will Tremlow and Peter Petera Nott County SC
5 Gregory J Hall and Dicken Maclean Oxford SC
6 Sarah Martin and Nicola Groves Island Barn SC

The 49er fleet had Richard Bone and Chris Rodway (sailing allgoodfun.com) making a good start to the regatta with a win in the first race after Fred and Hugh Shone made an interesting start. The Shones soon got themselves back on track to win the next four races and the open.

Richard Bone and Chris Rodway were kept at bay by the Shones to finish second in the same four races which left the battle for third between Jon Emmett and Nick Murray, and Phil and David Hyde. A capsize by the Hyde brothers in the last race allowed Emmett and Murray to take third.

Many thanks to Hayling Island SC and well done to the Race officers and their teams for getting so many races in. Lots of thanks are owed to the many rescue volunteers.

49er Final overall leaders:
1 Fred and Hugh Shone 4pts
2 Richard Bone and Chris Rodway 7pts
3 Jon Emmett and Nick Murray 14pts
4 Phil and David Hyde 20pts
5 Ed Chapman and Ryan Visser 22pts

Event website: http://www.hisc.co.uk