31st Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships
by Gordon Burgis 24 Aug 2022 02:35 AEST
20-21 August 2022
Racing conditions on the first day of the Championships were almost perfect for the 30 Hobie Cats and 60 crew participating as they rigged their boats at the Gunsite beach in preparation for the 3 races scheduled for the Saturday and 3 the following day.
This was the 31st event in its history, The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club once again were the host organising Club and Savills Estate Agents were sponsoring the event for the 5th year running. With a steady westerly wind of 11 to 14 kts and fine weather there was the usual buzz in pre race anticipation on the beach as the teams prepared their boats ready to launch for the first race, scheduled for 10:00am.
Three Hobie classes were competing over the weekend, Hobie 16's, Hobie 18's Wildcat class and the Hobie Dragoons, raced by Junior sailors. After excellent racing throughout Saturday, Sunday dawned with less wind. The south westerly wind of 6 to 9kts produced more good racing and quite technical for the crews concentrating in the light wind on the long Championship courses set by the Race Team on Committee boat 'Spirit of Variety'
HOBIE 16 'A' FLEET
The H16's were the largest class entered with 20 boats competing. The racing was close and highly competitive over the two days, after the first day it was reigning British Hobie 16 Champion Andrew Boyd and his crew Kim Troll who were leading after 3 straight wins, following were top UK ranked women's H16 helm, Elsa Swetenham crewed by Will Holden, behind them in third position were Gordon Burgis and crew Kenny Snell.
There was just one point separating Grant Neale and Karen Larose and Aaron le Cornu and Rachael Smith in fourth place at the end of the first days racing.
Sunday's final races saw a complete turnaround with Burgis and Snell upping their game to place first in the 3 races, Le Cornu and Smith also pulled out the stops to take 3 second positions, with Boyd and Troll sailing into third. There were 5 races counting out of the 6 for the final overall positions. At the end of the weekend's racing it was Burgis and Snell who triumphed in the 'A' Fleet by 2 points from Boyd and Troll in second with Le Cornu and Smith a well-deserved third. Swetenham and Holden placed fourth with Neale and Larose in fifth, Women's team Malin Martin and Sandrine Martin came sixth after their improved results during Sunday's racing.
HOBIE 16 'B' FLEET
Youth team Will Dengate and Oli Haslam showed a clean pair of transoms and sailed well throughout to win the H16 'B' Fleet trophy. Another Youth helm Archie Willetts crewed by Thomas Harris sailing for the first time together showed good potential in placing second, Philip Richardson crewed by his son William, who are relatively new to Hobie sailing in Jersey showed improvement over the summer months coming a credible third.
HOBIE WILDCATS
The racing was fast and tight in the Wildcat class with the boats making full use of their big spinnakers on the downwind and reaching legs. Darren Stower and Graeme Monks set the pace on the first day with 2 firsts and a second, Andy Hart crewed by Bob McAllister on the first day and Michael Kinross on the second were in contention, just 2 points behind, Jimmy Fullerton and Perry Stone sailed well to place second after day one.
Hart and Kinross came out all guns blazing to take the first race in Sunday's lighter conditions, but Stower and Monks came back to win the second race, at the end of the day it was Stower and Monks who took the class title followed by Hart and McAllister/Kinross with only a point separating the two teams. Adrian Jesson and Simon le Huray's first place in race 6 elevated them to third overall with Fullerton and Stone sailing into fourth.
HOBIE DRAGOON CLASS
Racing was very close and exciting for the Junior teams competing on the Hobie Dragoons. Lucas Mc Allister and Thomas Allo were the team to beat after the first day where they had posted 3 wins, they were followed by Olly Hunt and Jamie Washington laying second with Olin Rogers and Ilya Mc Carthy in third. It all changed on the Sunday with Rogers and McCarthy surging to the front. At the end of racing on Sunday all 3 teams were on 9 points, after countback taking into account the number of wins for each team it was Mc Allister and Allo who were the winners, Rogers and McCarthy placed second and Hunt and Washington came third, the result couldn't have been closer amongst the young teams in their first major Championships. Jamie le Marquand and rookie crew George Scarr sailed well to come fourth as did all girl crew Amelia Weber and Mabel Patten who came fifth, only a couple of points behind.
Prize giving took place at the RCIYC on Sunday evening, where thanks and appreciation were extended to the Race team, safety boat and mark laying crews, the beach team and to Savills for their valued sponsorship and support of a highly successful Championships. Trophies were presented by Geri O'Brien, Managing Director of Savills Jersey.
Overall Results:
HOBIE 16 'A' FLEET (top 6)
1st Gordon Burgis & Kenny Snell
2nd Andrew Boyd & Kim Troll
3rd Aaron le Cornu & Rachael Smith
4th Elsa Swetenham & Will Holden
5th Grant Neale & Karen Larose
6th Malin Martin & Sandrine Swetenham
HOBIE 16 'B' FLEET (top 3)
1st Will Dengate & Oli Haslam
2nd Archie Willetts & Thomas Harris
3rd Philip Richardson & William Richardson
HOBIE 18 WILDCATS (top 3)
1st Darren Stower & Graeme Monks
2nd Andy Hart & Rob Mc Allister/Michael Kinross
3rd Adrian Jesson & Simon le Huray
HOBIE DRAGOON (top 3)
1st Lucas Mc Allister & Thomas Allo
2nd Olin Rogers & Ilya Mc Carthy
3rd Oliver Hunt & Jamie Washington
Other Awards:
Hobie 16 MASTERS:
Andrew Boyd & Kim Troll
HOBIE 16 GRAND MASTERS:
Alastair Richardson & Sarah Weber
HOBIE 16 WOMENS:
Malin Martin & Sandrine Martin
HOBIE 16 YOUTH:
Will Dengate & Oli Haslam
HOBIE 16 YOUTH SPI:
Luke Paxton Garnier & Peter Washington