May is a hectic month for members, staff and competitors at Hayling Island Sailing Club. It started on 3 & 4 May with an Olympic Classes Regatta for the 470, 49er and Finn classes. The May Day holiday saw the inaugural Pursuit race in aid of the Andrew (Bart) Simpson Sailing Foundation. Andrew, an Olympic sailor, crewed for Emsworth’s Ian Percy in the Star Class and tragically lost his life sailing in the last Americas Cup event in San Francisco Bay in the USA. The pursuit race attracted 92 entries from dinghy sailors keen to support the Foundation. Warm summer like conditions with light breezes favoured the slower nontrapeze boats.
The race was won by local Solo Class helm, Nick Peters. Second was the Merlin Rocket of Russell Peters and Graham Williamson. The final podium place went to Ross Harvey in another Solo.
The new HISC ‘Get Racing club’ enjoyed a successful event on the 10 & 11 May weekend. Nearly 30 members new to racing took to the water in a variety of boats for 4 quick races. The aim is to encourage more members to try racing for the first time and those who have raced before but want to build their confidence.
On Saturday 17th May, sunshine and light winds greeted competitors for the 2014 Open Glyn Charles Pursuit Race (in aid of the John Merricks Sailing Trust). 88 entries took to the water for the annual race to remember and celebrate the life of Glyn Charles, the talented sailor and Olympic helmsman, who was tragically killed at age 33 whilst competing in the Sydney to Hobart Race in Australia in 1998.
As the pursuit race progressed the local Solo fleet again dominated, gaining the lead from the early starters with half an hour of the allotted race time still to run. However the final 15 minutes resulted in a classic pursuit race finish with the faster boats moving swiftly through the fleet. Chris Powles of HISC had skilfully built a lead amongst the Solos and held on to win in a close finish from James and Will Rusden from Lymington in an RS 200. HISC Solo Robert Hack was 3rd The Youth prize went to Youth International sailors Elliott Wells and Jake Todd of HISC in an RS 200.