Hayling Island Open Meeting/ Southern Area Championships - 28th April 02

Forecasts of gales failed to put off 52 young hopefuls for the Southern Area Optimist Championships held at Hayling Island Sailing Club. Racing was delayed for an hour while the Race Officer waited for the wind speeds to settle at around 22- 24 knots. The Regatta fleet was cancelled as the winds would demand experience.

With a lull in the wind and a gap in the clouds the main fleet sailed into Chichester Harbour heavily escorted by rescue craft to undertake 3 races on a Trapizoid course. Within minutes several boats were seen daggerboards uppermost with skippers bobbing in the water. Bailing was the order of the day. As the wind strength gradually increased a few skippers chose the safety of the beach where they would have noticed that the Optimists were the only sailing boats left in the harbour.

Over enthusiastic kids caused a general recall on the first race which was eventually won by Robert Claridge from Lymington who sailed brilliantly over the waves. Race two saw James Murdock take the lead after a general recall and a wind shift to the west bringing gusts of over 28 knots. The third race saw the fleet taken away from the line by the tide and a gust allowing Philip White to run down the line from port for a perfect start. He then went onto lead the fleet chased for most of the race in second place by Robert Godwin.

As the boats came over the finish line of the last race 37 knots was recorded. These kids are amazing - full results table below.

For photos CLICK HERE

Optimist UK Southern Championship & HISC Open Meeting - 28 April 2002
Pos Sail No Helm Age Club R1 R2 R3 Pts
1 5068 Robert Claridge 14 Lymington 1 13 2 3
2 4962 James Murdock 14 Bowmoor SC 9 1 4 5
3 5033 Sophie Ainsworth 13 Lymington 21 3 3 6
4 5081 Claire Lasko 12 Bowmoor SC 2 9 6 8
5 4860 Sophie Weguelin 13 Lymington 6 5 5 10
6 5010 Robert Godwin 14 HISC 10 4 7 11
7 5069 Chris Sanders   Lymington 5 6 9 11
8 5070 Justin Visser 15 Oxford 11 2 16 13
9 5090 Robyn Stock 14   3 10 53 13
10 4904 Philip White 15 Papercourt 13 32 1 14
11 4655 Alexander Ekstrou 12 Bowmoor SC 7 8 21 15
12 5064 David de Boltz 12 Corinthian 8 18 11 19
13 4986 James Tonkin 14 Papercourt 4 19 19 23
14 4811 Pippa Wilkinson 14 MRSC 22 15 8 23
15 4856 Edward Moore 14 Bosham 16 11 17 27
16 4798 Iain McKeeman 12 Bowmoor SC 53 7 22 29
17 5075 Amelia Garnett 12   12 25 18 30
18 4718 Peggy Webster 14 Bowmoor SC 24 27 10 34
19 5102 Max Holloway 14 Lymington 14 20 24 34
20 5067 Stuart Godwin   HISC 20 16 53 36
21 5087 Maria Claridge 11 Lymington 23 14 53 37
22 4740 Stella Cross 13 Bewl Valley SC 53 22 15 37
23 4942 Peter Hill 13 Seaview 53 17 20 37
24 4504 Charlotte Farrell 15 Yarmouth 26 12 53 38
25 5012 Alec Henry 14 HISC 29 26 14 40
26 4164 Jim McMillan 13 Lymington 19 21 53 40
27 4183 Hayley Gorcher 15 Weir Wood Sailing Club 18 28 23 41
28 4446 Edward Morris 13 Spinnaker 32 53 13 45
29 4756 George Stock 14 Lymington 27 24 53 51
30 4535 Alex Daish 14 Queen Mead Sailing 31 30 25 55
31 4847 Ben Muskett 12 RLYC 25 31 53 56
32 4940 Lucy de Boltz 12 Corinthian 28 29 53 57
33 4652 Katie Tessler 14 Bosham 53 53 12 65
34 4810 Matthew Rainback 11 Poole YC 15 53 53 68
35 4734 Ross Palmer 13 HISC 17 53 53 70
36 5026 Andrew Adam 10 Papercourt 53 23 53 76
37 3937 Hannah Snellgrove 11 Lymington 30 53 53 83
38 20310 Adam Emslie 12 CYC 53 53 53 106
38 20311 James Emslie 14 CYC 53 53 53 106
38 3568 Adrian Clay   Wraysbury 53 53 53 106
38 3830 Oliva Wells 11 Bosham 53 53 53 106
38 4592 Peter Henry 11 HISC 53 53 53 106
38 4639 Oliver White 10 Papercourt 53 53 53 106
38 4672 James Knill 13 Poole YC 53 53 53 106
38 4692 Oliva Pettit 12 Bosham 53 53 53 106
38 4793 Sarah Tessler 12 Bosham 53 53 53 106
38 4805 Hannah Diamond 12 Warash 53 53 53 106
38 4832 Fiona Cross 11 Bewl Valley SC 53 53 53 106
38 4907 Henry Maxfield 13 HISC 53 53 53 106
38 4983 William Bates 12 Papercourt 53 53 53 106
38 4984 Edward Bates 12 Papercourt 53 53 53 106
38 5032 Chloe Martin     53 53 53 106
Copyright © 2002, Hayling Island SC. http://www.hisc.co.uk