Hayling Island RS200 Sandy Shell 2026
by Jamie Harris 12 Oct 07:38 NZDT
Hayling Island RS200 Sandy Shell 2026 © Paul Hammett
Writing this with blistered office hands and sore knees - weak from the gap in sailing since the nationals. There is nothing quite like the Sandy Shell Trophy - signing off this season of hugely competitive RS200 sailing at Hayling Island Sailing Club.
With a stacked entry list (as come to be expected!) including multiple national champions and Olympians a fresh forecast for 4 sharp races against the best in the country the scene was set to decide the 2026 champion.
First race saw wind with tide, flat sea state, blunt gusts over a 15 knot avg. Paul Hammett and his brilliant race crew swiftly kicked off the racing.
A gruelling 10 seconds passed before some people were spotted drop hiking (you know who you are!).
Rob Henderson and Rebecca Videlo were out the blocks hot - taking the first shift and running away with the race like a run-away locomotive. A hypersonic speed they demonstrates the whole day.
The loving duo of Tommy Darling and Liv Stanley took a tidy second place closely followed by James Peters and Maddy Anderson who returned to the 200 scene and quickly got back into their habits old!
Race two - on the turn of the tide, saw another escape from the fleet by Rob and Rebecca. James and Maddy led the charge for the rest of us, and Cam Stewart and Chris O’Neill snuck a well deserved third place.
Wind holding consistent (albeit gusty) the fleet now decided best to head left from the pin to take more of the slack/ebbing tide. The third race saw the same names locking out the front of the fleet - James and Maddy, Tommy and Liv, and Rob and Rebecca.
The final race of the day saw the fleet overlay the port layline. Although mathematically safe, Rob and Rebecca showed class leading from the defending champions Ollie Evans and Zoe Nieveen (who would later found out they were unfortunately UFD) allowing Jamie Harris and Ellen Main to take the crucial second place points.
Overall, huge congratulations to the dialled in duo of Rob and Rebecca - champions of the Sandy Shell 2026. James and Maddy 2nd overall, and 3rd for Jamie and Ellen.
Special mentions (duckhams if you will) to Harry Chatterton for christening the brand new 200 with a little swim and kite difficulties despite spending 3 weekends bimbling! And Theo Williams who found tacking a bit harder than usual after ‘upgrading’ to a tiller extension long enough for a Nacra!
See you at a RS200 sprints this winter!
2026 Sandy Shell, over and out!