29er at HISC

Contact: Conrad Cockburn - 29ercaptain@hisc.co.uk

Welcome to 29er sailing at HISC, a high performance youth boat, this 2-person single trapeze skiff offers enormous fun both on and off the water, in the Harbour or Bay, whether racing, training or out sending it with your mates. 29er sailing at HISC is thriving and we have an ultra-keen group of sailors ready to jump in as soon as conditions look good.

Training
The hugely popular winter training saw around 25 sailors, experienced and transitioning, sign up to join in a comprehensive programme coached by our very own talented ex-29er sailors returning to pass on their expertise and enthusiasm for the boat.

We also run a transition day during the early summer to let aspiring junior and youth racers in other classes have a taster of 29er sailing.

Racing
A cracking start to the 2022/23 Winter season saw many of our sailors heading to GPs around the UK to race on the very competitive national circuit. Congratulations to all those who made it onto the podium and also to many other fantastic performances too numerous to mention here. From these we have a healthy number of sailors who have earned well deserved places in the RYA Youth Performance Squad and Class National Squads.

Back in Summer ‘22 we jumped at the chance to run Sprints in the brief weather windows between gales and calms. These saw 10-20 boats filling the Harbour or Bay with fast paced, action-filled races. The aim is to continue to run these going forwards when we see those gaps appearing in the calendar!

The weekly club racing, as always, offers an amazing opportunity to get out on the race course and enjoy harbour racing within the skiff handicap fleet, and once a month 29ers get their own start each HISC pennant weekend in Hayling Bay. All great practice for pairs hoping to do well on the national circuit – spread the news - it would be wonderful to see more 29ers making the most of this so please do use the WhatsApp group to let us know you are about and encourage others to get out too.

Looking forwards, our 29ers will be joined by 29er sailors from around the world this year in late July/August when WPNSA in Weymouth hosts the 2023 29er Nationals and World Championships. And some will then head off on the road to the European Championships and EuroCup events in Sweden, Spain and Italy later in the year …Good luck to all who venture away!

Those choosing to stay closer to home will continue to enjoy close competition in Chichester Harbour Race Week (which always sees a strong turnout of 29ers enjoying the big Harbour racing and socials) and this year, the chance to join in HISC’s Youth Race Week in August, a fantastic event particularly for transitioning sailors with the chance to form new friendships and become part of this exciting fleet.

We are fortunate to have one of the largest fleets of 29ers in the country, so there is nearly always a fellow boat heading out on the water, or around to support on shore with advice and top technical tips. With a full diary there’s lots to look forward to - why not come on down and enjoy 2023 in this lively and friendly class!

Facebook: HISC 29ers

See the Youth Fixture List here