Noble Marine RS400 Nationals 2026 at Hayling Island Sailing Club - Day 1

Noble Marine RS400 Nationals at Hayling Island Day 1 © Phil Jackson / Digital Sailing

Sun and a building breeze greeted the fleet of 57 boats for day one of the RS400 national championship. It was indeed a star-studded fleet with Olympians, elite sailors and more national champions than you could shake a stick at, racing alongside sailors new to the RS400 and a healthy contingent of youth sailors, most notably from the Northern clubs.

By the time racing got under way it was a spicy blend of 12-15 knots and decent waves, with the tide pushing boats over the start line.

Noble Marine RS400 Nationals at Hayling Island Day 1 - photo © Phil Jackson / Digital Sailing

After two general recalls, the RS400s were put on the black flag naughty step, which seemed to do the trick. Tom Morris/Rob Ashman looked great out of the middle of the line and as more boats got spat out of the front row to find space on the right, Lady Luck bestowed a gift of a 20-degree right shift. Thusly Jon Gorringe/Derek Hill led around the first mark from Edd Whitehead/Ben Whaley. A downwind roller coaster put smiles on faces everywhere but especially for Whitehead/Whaley who sailed off into the distance to record a comfortable win. Olympians Mickey Beckett/Ellie Aldridge made 400ing look easy in a borrowed boat by flying through to second place, only to join Morris/Ashman as victims of the black flag.

Those disqualifications nicely promoted Gorringe/Hill into second and Mark Oakey/George Yeoman to third. Thommie Grit/Finn Campbell won the hotly contested silver fleet.

Noble Marine RS400 Nationals at Hayling Island Day 1 - photo © Phil Jackson / Digital Sailing

For the second race of the day, the waves continued to build as the tidal flow increased, but with a squarer start line the black flag wasn't required and the fleet got away first time. Where previously Lady Luck had smiled on the right, this time she evened things out with a nice (for those who went left) big leftie. Martin Powell/Sean Murray (somehow silver fleet?) scorched in from the left to lead from Simon Potts/Richard Cornes and Oakey/Yeoman. When the wind shifted right halfway down the first run Powell/Murray had stayed in phase and held onto top spot, which they kept all the way to the finish. Oakey/Yeoman pulled through to finish second and Paul/Anna Smally surfed the waves best downwind to nab third ahead of Morris/Ashman.

Noble Marine RS400 Nationals at Hayling Island Day 1 - photo © Phil Jackson / Digital Sailing

So overall a day of great sailing conditions and tight racing in a friendly fleet. Plenty of boats and bodies have been left requiring some TLC before racing resumes.

A chilled evening was spent in the HISC bar, with a helpful new initiative of a 'Top Table Q&A session' led by Class Chair Sam Knight, with Tom Halhead, Chris Bownes and George Yeoman explaining what worked for them and answering questions form the floor.

Noble Marine RS400 Nationals at Hayling Island Day 1 - photo © Phil Jackson / Digital Sailing

The championship runs through to Sunday, with ten races scheduled. The RS400s are sharing the national champs venue with the 4000s.

Provisional Results after Day 1: (subject to protest)