International Canoe UK National Championships and Europa Cup at Hayling Island Sailing Club

Hayling Island SC hosted the International Canoe Nationals and Europa Cup from 18 to 25 July. Competitors enjoyed sailing in Bracklesham Bay in sunny conditions throughout the week in winds ranging from Force 2 to 4.

Unfortunately, some entries were unable to sail having succumbed to Covid and two of the German entries had forgotten that following Brexit, a passport is needed to enter the country, so did not get past customs.

Race 1 was sailed in a Force 2 south-easterly with plenty of pace changes, and at the finish Tont Robertshaw took the gun from World Champion Robin Wood with Gareth Caldwell coming third. Race 2 followed was in similar conditions, but Gareth Caldwell took an early lead, holding it to the end, a sign of things to come.

Robin Wood finished second with local sailor Phil Robin in third.

International Canoe UK National Championships and Europa Cup at Hayling Island - photo © intcanoe.org.uk

A Force 5-6 delayed racing on the second day, but by the afternoon it had dropped away completely to be replaced by a Force 1- 2 south-easterly, that enabled one race to be sailed before the wind disappeared again. Tony Robertshaw rounded the windward mark in the lead followed by Perham Harding in his new Warren designed boat.

Gareth Caldwell had a premature start but went the right way on the beat and then showed devastating downwind speed, possibly partly attributable to his foiling rudder to take the gun followed by Tony Robershaw, Phil Robin and Robin Wood.

A Force 4 south-westerly greeted the fleet on the next day, with bigger waves, that made tacking successfully more difficult, especially for sailors not used to sea sailing.

But the greater challenge was the abundance of sea weed across the course, difficult to clear from daggerboards and rudders in a narrow boat in waves, but making it almost impossible to steer for the four boats with rudder foils, none of whom (including the series leaders Caldwell, Robertshaw and Wood) to complete the race, which was won by Dan Skinner, followed by heavy weather specialist Chris Hampe and Phil Robin.

Race Officer Greg Lamb wisely concluded from the attrition rate to send the fleet home, who enjoyed a fast reach, playing waves across Chichester Bar, back into the harbour.

International Canoe UK National Championships and Europa Cup at Hayling Island - photo © intcanoe.org.uk

Racing in the next day was postponed until the afternoon to allow the forecast south-westerly breeze to fill in, which reached steady Force 3, and best of all, much less sea weed. The first race was won by Gareth Caldwell, again quick downwind, followed by Class Chairman Steve Clarke, again fast downwind but without a rudder foil, and Phil Robin, who rounded the windward mark first, but was slower on the downhill legs.

The second race was similar but this time Tony Robertshaw rounded the windward mark first, but could not keep ahead of Gareth Caldwell downwind, with Phil Robin finishing third.

The final race of the day was sailed in late afternoon in a dying breeze. Dan Skinner rounded the windward mark first, but could not keep ahead of Gareth Caldwell downwind and then losing a places to Phil Robin and Chris Hampe following a capsize clearing the dreaded sea weed.

A force 6 greeted sailors on the last day, so the decision was taken to abandon racing, with Gareth Caldwell taking a well-deserved championship, in his American designed Maas boat and the first European sailor, Niklas Steirmann from Germany in seventh position.

In the top six there were five different hull designs, three different sail lofts represented, and two boats having rudder foils, demonstrating the continuing scope for development in the class.

International Canoe UK National Championships and Europa Cup at Hayling Island - photo © intcanoe.org.uk

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International Canoe UK National Championships and Europa Cup at Hayling Island - photo © intcanoe.org.uk