RS Feva World Championships at Hayling Island Sailing Club - Day 1

RS Feva Worlds at Hayling day 1 © Richard Gibbons

Given the UK weather recently we wouldn't blame you for thinking this is a spoof, but it was Mediterranean at HISC for the 180 boats competing for the World title.

For the first day in 4 to 8, maybe 9kts and a tricky short chop defending world champs Matt Whitfield & James Taylor (GBR) wore the leaders yellow jerseys. Next best from last year, Leonardo Stocchero & Gianluca Vigenti (8th ITA) wore blue and the red jerseys went to Georgia & Camilla Angiolini (11th ITA). Flighting for the first day was based on seedings lists provided by each country. Flighting is reallocated for the next 2 days of Qualifying based on the overnight results from the day before. And this is where today's little irony comes in.

It has been impossible to miss over here that the Tour de France Yellow Jersey was being worn by the UK's own Wiggins. Well tomorrow! Tomorrow the Yellow goes to France's Louis Chambet & Lucas Tissot. They were utterly magnificent in posting 2 bullets and a 3rd. The tide in Hayling Bay is still at it's spring strongest and that is making it hard. The bulk of the fleet was going quite hard right, out seaward, on the way to the first mark. But the leading small bunch in each flights races seemed to be only going right of center. That leaves the defending champs in blue for tomorrow following a very solid 1,2,5. Red will be worn by Irelands Robbie King & Josh Atherton?!

Keeping the international theme going Leonardo & Gianluca are 4th overnight. With 3 fleets the points are incredibly close with the top 15 all within 10pts of each other. After the next race the Q series discard kicks in so that will give hope to those who included a chuckable result today.

The top 14 places include boats from 7 nations! In order they are FRA, GBR, IRL, ITA, ESP, EST and NED. Daan Dutilh & Roos van Lokeren (14th) seem to have stepped on the gas since attending the International Training Camp in Spain at Easter. The upward curve got a further boost at the windy UK nationals. Tomas & Mads Mathisen improved every race today to take 18th. Last years U13 Winners, Courtney Bilbrough & Orla Mitchell will have been delighted by their 3rd in R2 after the setbacks suffered this year with various glandular fevers etc. Given equal performances tomorrow Swedens Battle for supremacy will be interesting following the discard kicking in. Frida Winzell & Sofia Lundgren count 14, 7, 11 whilst Johanna Frisk & Sofia Lewerin have 2x9 as their best results today. Meanwhile Malta's Andrew & Michela Mifsud will be aiming high tomorrow with big improvements in each race today.

Briefings do seem to work on the whole as only one boat suffered a 6pt penalty for failing to tally in. Alternatively it also seems wise to avoid the inevitable result of one boat today that started with the wrong fleet, not once, not twice, but for all three races. Also hard luck for Guus Dutilh who became so seasick that his helm headed for the steadyness of the beach for him to relieve his nausea. Fair ply of the day to Tim Bilborough for realising in R2 that he had missed a mark out in R1, fessed up to it at the end of R2 and consequently transformed the result to the noblest of DNF's. Great sport cobber!

Tomorrow's forecast seems to be less wind but more temperature and so the locals are predicting a tad more sea breeze. Rock on! Many thanks to our wonderful sponsors for their brilliant support. Allen Performance Sailboat Fittings, Sekonda watches (each sailor got a limited edition time piece!) and I'll tell you about the others tomorrow!

Full results after Day 1 can be found here.