It was virtually a game of two halves in the Investec Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships now in its 35th year and hosted by the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club. The event was held over two weekends on Saturday 11th July and Sunday 19th July.The races on Saturday proved both challenging and exciting for the teams with a north easterly wind gusting over 28kts testing their boat handling and teamwork skills. There were many capsizes and only 2 races were held due to the wind increasing before the start of the third race. All boats returned to shore safe and sound ready for the next round. Due to the strong wind forecast the following day, a decision was taken to run the remaining 3 Championship races on the following Sunday. This proved a good decision as conditions couldn’t have been better, a sunny blue sky day but still breezy with the NE wind 17kts gusting to 21kts allowing the Hobie Cat teams to excel in the great conditions on the long Championships courses encompassing most of St. Aubins Bay, a beautiful saling arena.
HOBIE 16 CLASS:
This class had the most boats competing. In the strong conditions on an action packed Saturday after 2 races it was Aaron le Cornu and Rachael Smith who had performed well to lead the field followed by Luke Paxton Garnier and Steph Egan, laying equal third were Luc Richard and Thomas Harris and Tom Newman with Lucca Gentili/Alex Lake. Garnier and Egan dominated the Sunday races with 2 firsts and a second to give them first place on the podium. Olly Voak and Megan Roworth pulled out all the stops with a first and 2 seconds on the day but they hadn’t done enough in the high wind sailing on Saturday to be in overall contention, ending in fourth place. Newman and Gentili came in with 3 thirds in Sunday’s racing to place them second overall, well deserved to a team that has seen a rapid improvement in their sailing over the last few months. Le Cornu and Smith couldn’t quite reach the heights from their spectacular sailing on the first day but fourth and 2 fifth paces gave them third just 1 pt behind Newman and Gentili.
HOBIE WILDCATS & TIGERS:
After the first day’s high action thrills and spills racing Adrian Jesson and Paul Martin with 2 first places were leading Andy Hart and Michael Kinross in second. Simon Martin and Julian Adamson were in third. That’s the way it stayed despite a late charge by Hart and Kinross coming in with 2 firsts on the last day with just 1 point separating the two teams, the H18 Champions went to Jesson and Martin, their first in the last race making the difference. Simon Martin and Julian Adamson sailed well to cement their third place finish.
HOBIE DRAGOONS:
The Junior teams racing on Hobie Dragoons didn’t race on the first day due to the strong conditions but they pulled out all the stops in Sunday’s racing which was still challenging for the lighter crews. It was Lottie Ohlsson and Capucine Bacquet who showed the Fleet a clean pair of transoms winning all 3 races from Cameron Castle and Raphael le Marquand who sailed well in their first major Championships to place second. Izzy Ohlsson and Harrison placed third after having to retire in some races due to them being extra light.
Thanks and appreciation were extended to Investec for sponsoring and their valued support of a highly successful Championships and to Race officers Dan Washington, first day and Elaine Burgis, second day and their race teams also the safety boat and mark laying crews and beach team who did such sterling work given the conditions.
OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS:
HOBIE 16 CLASS (top 6)
1st Luke Paxton Garnier & Steph Egan
2nd Tom Newman & Luca Gentili/Alex Lake
3rd Aaron le Cornu & Rachael Smith
4th Ollie Voak & Megan Roworth
5th Luc Richard & Thomas Harris
6th Kai Surcouf & Liv Forbes
HOBIE WILDCATS (top 3)
1st Adrain Jesson & Paul Martin
2nd Andy Hart & Michael kinross
3rd Simon Martin & Andy Frigot
HOBIE DRAGOONS – JUNIORS
1st Lottie Ohlsson & Capucine Bacquet
2nd Cameron Castle & Raphael le Marquand
3rd Izzy Ohlsson & Harrison Jesson
HOBIE 16 MASTERS:
Aaron le Cornu & Rachael Smith
HOBIE 16 GRAND MASTERS:
Grant Neale & Karen La Rose
HOBIE 16 WOMENS HELM:
Giselle Barrowcliffe
HOBIE 16 YOUTH PRIZE:
Kai Surcouf & Livy Forbes
Credit: Mic Trehorel
