Good Championship Year for HISC sailors
by Nikki Eaves 14 Dec 2018 23:05 PST
A good championship year at HISC © HISC
Sailors from all the active HISC classes were out and about getting in the silverware this year. Firstly, eight Elites travelled to Belfast Lough where Mike & Caroline McIntyre & Simon Childs were victorious. Narrowly missing the runner up spot with third overall was Paul Fisk, Nick Peters & Pippa Jubb.
Meanwhile the club's biggest class, the Solos, were playing at home in 2018, with a massive 110 boat Nationals turnout, no fewer than nine regular HISC club sailors finished in the top 20. Top of the pile was Stuart Godwin, Rich Bailey & Richard Lovering with 6th, 7th & 8th respectively.
The RS200 Nationals, part of the RS Games at Weymouth, saw four HISC members in the Top 10. Rob Henderson, crewing for Amateur Yachtsman of the Year, Maria Stanley, was first place crew. Young Amelia Hewitson, ably crewed the 4th place boat and notably brother & sister combo Tom & Charlie Darling finished a creditable 8th place & 1st family.
Notably the HISC Tasar class has grown from 3 to 12 boats & HISC hosted one of the biggest Nationals the class has had, as a forerunner to the Tasar Worlds in 2019 also at HISC. Two HISC boats were in the top 3 only beaten by one of the top Aussie's on holiday! One of these HISC Tasar's was sailed by the long standing and successful David Sayce (crewed by wife, Fiona) who was fresh from being the top HISC boat at the Fireball Worlds with a creditable 6th place, this time crewed by Nick Rees.
Also at the RS Games the RS800 Nationals were held, where a simply glamourous performance from Tom Morris & Guy Fillmore secured top spot with a string of firsts. Phil Walker & John Mather also finished 4th.
Regular faces at the club, International Moth sailors Ross Harvey & Mike Lennon both managed top 10 in this most challenging class.
Finally, in San Francisco after 29 years of trying, Vice Commodore Sailing Andy Partington, latterly crewed by son Tom won the International 14 World Championship... Andy summed it up with "Dreams can come true!".
To finish the season off in style the HISC annual Christmas Cracker Pursuit Race takes place on Sunday 23rd December. This Open Meeting raises funds for the Friends of Chichester Harbour and is a great way to blow those Christmas shopping blues away.