RS Feva and Laser Open at Hill Head Sailing Club
by Andre Ozanne 20 Jun 2014 10:17 BST
15 June 2014
RS Fevas at Hill Head © Ken Murray
Hill Head Sailing Club hosted a combined RS Feva and Laser Open last weekend, Boreas and Eurus wind gods arrived mid-morning giving PRO Tim Johnson a great opportunity to place the windward mark close to the clubhouse balcony providing the supporters and club Sunday lunchers a fine spectacle. Wind ranged from 8 to 16 knots with a challenging 15-20 degree swings.
First off on time were the Laser Standards with a good sized fleet with a mix of locals and clubs sailors from along the coast, a couple of Stokes Bay Sailors sailed from their home club. This race caused some course confusion and six sailors failed to get a hoot on the line, local man Ian Morgan kept his belief in the sailing instructions and took the bullet followed by Larry Lawrence Stokes Bay and Rich Bailey Musket Cove following. Radials were off next with a good number of local youths mixing it with visitors, local lad Max Hindry showed off his experience of this stretch of water with a satisfying first race bullet followed up by Tom Fenemure Royal Lymington and Rob Beere FPSC.
Fevas first race was a story of the young bulls and old bull with all 25 sailors sailing the wrong course apart from father and daughter team Katie And Simon Shillaker plugging on and taking the bullet much to the cheer of all the waiting early non finishers, the only young bulls that could be forgiven were Rosie and Imogen and Leuan and Luke who also sailed from Stokes Bay without attending the briefing so well done to these teams for their timely arrival.
Race Two started quite light with some stronger gust down the course this time Matt Howard Stokes Bay put it all together and pulled out a convincing cushion on Ian and Nick Harrison Stokes Bay coming through for third, Radials saw local sailor and Stokes Bay member Chloe Barr show the boys how to do it with David Saunders in a borrowed boat having a great race coming in second and Ted Blowers from GSC third.
Fevas was of a story of very young crew bull and slightly older brother bull showing older young bulls and old bull how to put it together, Billy Vennis Ozanne and Ollie Vennis Ozanne local bulls rounded the first mark in 5th after a general recall picking their way through the fleet and then first at the leeward gate pulling out a big lead, Josh Haynes and Dom Cotteril Trent and Bowmoor SC kept it all together keeping Liam and Arran from Lymington Town at bay. Much to the relief of the PRO all sailed the course with a full contingent of finishers.
Race three, Matt Howard dominated the Laser fleet and David Jessop Papercourt and Malcolm Courts Stokes Bay coming through to mix up the proceedings, Radial fleet was won by Tom with Chloe and Max having a ding dong for race position and overall result Chloe just pulled through.
Fevas set off cleanly for the third start with Josh and Dom battling with Ed Norbury and Charlie Hutchings Warsash SC and Dan And Dom from Tonbridge School Jessie Main and Alice Powell Warsash SC Billy and Ollie all mixing up the top slots and keeping the balcony sailors captivated at the line Ed and Charlie took the bullet with Josh and Dom on their stern and Jessie and Alice on theirs.
Matt Howard closed off the prize giving thanking all competitors and thanking the Race team and Galley team for all their efforts, he recalled being at the club for Hill Head Sailing Clubs Dinghy Weeks which are a two week Junior Sailing Regatta during the summer around 15 years ago and how it was great to be back. Margaret Hyde, the club's stalwart of Junior sailing, managed to get to the prize giving after putting 60 cadets through her Opi training sessions during the day, she reminisced about Dinghy Weeks 15 years back and beyond. A great day for all at Hill Head with the club packed out with 80 plus sailors 60 cadets, lunchers and some club potterers, a day of seconds for the home club with, as Margaret put it an honorary first.
Overall Results:
RS Feva
1st Josh Haynes/ Dom Cotteril
2nd Billy Vennis Ozanne/ Ollie Vennis Ozanne
3rd Simon Shillaker/ Katie Shillacker
4th Ed Norbury/Charlie Hutchings
5th Dan/Dom
Laser Radial
1st Tom Fenemure
2nd Chloe Barr
3rd Max Hindry
4th Ted Blowers
5th Rob Beere
6th David Saunders
Laser Standard
1st Matt Howard
2nd Ian Morgan
3rd David Jessop
4th Nick Harrison
5th Malcolm Courts
The renowned Junior Dinghy weeks start on August 11th 2014 and full details can be found here www.dinghyweeks.co.uk this is a regatta open to all with multi class and handicap racing with other water activities set around the racing.