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Hadron H2 National Championship at Keyhaven Yacht Club - Day 2

by Keith Callaghan 12 Sep 23:47 PDT 11-13 September 2026
The start of race 5 on day 2 of the Hadron H2 Nationals at Keyhaven © Nick Boxall

Sponsored by Allen Performance Sailing Hardware and Hadron Dinghies

Day 2 of the H2 2026 Nationals brought stronger winds than day 1, so our PRO created larger trapezoid courses for the 3 races scheduled. It was a tough day for the competitors, especially after the strong tide had started to ebb.

Event leader Tim Blackmore gave us this account of his racing:

Tim Blackmore leads the field after day 2 of the Hadron H2 Nationals at Keyhaven - photo © Keith Callaghan
Tim Blackmore leads the field after day 2 of the Hadron H2 Nationals at Keyhaven - photo © Keith Callaghan
"It was a properly breezy day on the Solent, with the fleet building from a lighter first race up to a solid 20 knots by the finish. What was most striking was how tight the racing stayed even as the breeze piled in, with lots of battles across the fleet, testament to the fleet, and it let the race committee crack through the races at a good clip.

"Race 1 was a proper scrap up front between Richard Leftley, Tim Garvin, Gavin Fleming, Richard Le Mare and myself, before I took an early swim courtesy of a capsize and had to settle for fourth. Race 2 saw me locked in a battle with Leftley at the front again, but this time it was his turn to sample the Solent's distinctly tepid water after such a brilliant summer, leaving me to sail through to the win. In the final race I was once more trading blows with Leftley and had pulled clear into the lead when the race was cut short. Overall a great day of racing."

'The race was cut short' refers to abandonment of race 6 because the strong Spring ebb had dragged the second mark into Hurst Narrows and it was deemed unsafe to continue.

The start of race 5 on day 2 of the Hadron H2 Nationals at Keyhaven - photo © Keith Callaghan
The start of race 5 on day 2 of the Hadron H2 Nationals at Keyhaven - photo © Keith Callaghan

The 7.5 mile courses of races 4 and 5 were finished in about 45 minutes - an average speed for the front runners of 10 knots - well done all!

Tim Blackmore leads the event, with Tim Garvin and Gavin Fleming close behind. The final reckoning will be tomorrow, when the wind is forecast to moderate a little.

Results after Day 2:

PosBoat NameSail NoHelmClubR1R2R3R4R5Pts
1st 138Tim BlackmoreChichester Yacht Club221‑416
2nd 184Tim GarvinQueen Mary Sailibng Club3122‑58
3rdCluaran135Gavin FlemingHunts Sailing Club13‑4329
4thGulf Racing Colours145Richard LeftleyBowmoor‑7561315
5thLone Wolf142Barry WolfendenBough Beach Sailing Club‑9635418
6thPennyless126Malcolm HutchingsMaylandsea Bay SC / Royal Corinthian YC54‑119624
7th 168Martin OrtonChichester Yacht Club8‑1157828
8thRaspberry Ripple148Dave BarkerDraycote Water‑118108733
9th 200John EvansDerwent Reservoir Sailing Club4‑151211936
10thSouthern Hornet193Andy ConwayFelpham Sailing Club6‑17176RTD45
11thMidas202Richard Le MareH2 Association1278RTD(DNC)48
12thHigh Hopes122Ian BrooksChichester Yacht Club1099RTD(DNC)49
13thFaster Than a Lightning Ball116Gary FowlerHunts Sailing Club1314‑16141051
14thTPO102Ian LittleThorpe Bay Yacht Club1512‑21121251
15th 150Stephen OliverWarsash Sailing Club17107(DNC)DNC58
16th 177Chris BrownThorney Island Sailing Club14(RTD)RTD101159
17thUp Atom192David GatesSilver Wing SC/Salcombe SC18131513(DNC)59
18thA Touch of Yellow169Alasdair HoodRoyal Tay Yacht Club‑231913151360
19th 182Adrian PeckhamPevensey Bay Sailing Club‑212120161471
20thIndefensible153Neal LillywhiteBurghfield Sailing Club16(RTD)14RTDDNC75
21stHydrotherapy196Bob CowanWarsash Sailing Club192019DNS(DNC)78
22nd 129Tim HardyQueen Mary Sailibng Club221818RTD(DNC)79
23rdChief146Graham StrongWells Sailing Club201622(DNC)DNC82

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