RS Feva and Youth Race Week at Hayling Island SC

by Debbie Darling on 13 Aug 2011 RS Feva and Youth Race Week was held at Hayling Island SC, Hampshire from 8th to 12th August 2011.

Many new teams use this event as a warm up for the new season and this year was no exception. 30 boats raced in wide ranging conditions over a five day period.

On Monday the Feva fleet were released from the beach at 13.20 for the first race. At 13.30 the wind started to build and by 13.35 (31 knots on Chimet) the Race Officer radioed to keep all boats not already launched on the beach. Meanwhile Anna Prescott and Jess Eales were already 'flying' down to the start area, as were Libby Askew and Emily Proud, Rob Masterman and Marcus Payne. Tom Darling and Will Dolin popped the kite just off shore and took off in a wall of spray. The half dozen boats were soon rounded up by the safety crew and escorted back home. The wind held at 22 to 28 knots and the Race Officer decided to postpone racing to another day.

Sun and light winds were the order of the day on Tuesday. Elliott Wells ( RS Tera Sport World Champion) crewed by Jake Todd won the first race, Jamie Smith and David Brand race two, Rob Masterman and Marcus Payne race three. More wind was forecast for Wednesday so the fleet launched early and managed one race before gusts over 20 knots forced the race officer to call it a day. The race was won by Wells and Todd with Prescott and Eales second whilst Hugo Andrews and Elliot Spensley-Corfield took third.

Strong winds on Thursday lead to racing being cancelled but Friday proved tough with a shifting six to ten knots of breeze. Andrews and S-C crossed the line first in all three races with Darling and Dolin second however an OCS gave Darling and Dolin the win in race three.

Hugo Andrews and Elliot S-C won the Youth Race Week trophy in their last Feva event together. The team took delivery of a 29er yesterday!

Second overall was Elliott Wells and Jake Todd; Rob Masterman and Marcus Payne in third; Anna Prescott and Jess Eales in fourth; Tom Darling and Will Dolin in fifth and Robert and Jonathan Baddeley in Full RS Feva Class Association website