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RS Aero 6 & 9 UK National Championship at Felpham Sailing Club, West Sussex

by RS Aero UK Class Association 31 May 05:51 UTC 25-27 May 2024
RS Aero 6 & 9 UK Nationas at Felpham © Jonathan Bailey

Wow, what a Championship! Felpham Sailing Club in West Sussex is probably the best kept secret on the south coast. It enjoys open sea and excellent English Channel rollers to surf downwind on.

The sea breeze cranks up and the race area is straight off the beach in front of the club, giving a very quick sail out and great spectating from the clubhouse balcony and promenade. Felpham SC were the perfect welcoming hosts. They provided expert assistance on launch and recovery when the shore break got testing at high tide, assistance loading and unloading to welcome arrivals, cakes after racing, cozy bar, friendly galley with wonderfully bulging bacon butties!

The Championship, supported by Rooster, saw good fleets of 43 RS Aero 6s and 18 RS Aero 9s, 61 RS Aeros in total, and benefited from a good mix of conditions. Day 1 saw light/medium winds and flatish seas followed by two days of the most excellent waves and fresh breezes. This gave everyone an opportunity at the front, great racing and very exciting off wind legs with flat out planing on reaches and precariously weaving down the wave troughs to gain places on the run.

RS Aero UK Class Association was the lighter day with 6-10kn, but with plenty of wind to put our shoulders back occasionally. We were fortunate to have International Juror, Chris Atkins, in attendance helping to keep our racing fair and enjoyable whilst also giving the fleet good Juror and RRS42 experience ready for this summer's International Championships.

The RS Aero 6 results showed consistency to be key with Andrew Frost (Sutton Bingham), Abby Hire (Lymington) and Steve Jackson (Lee on Solent) coming out ahead. Several potential contenders were notably buried in the pack.

The RS Aero 9s saw the first race win go to Dom Hall (Hayling) after a chasing Ben Flower (Paignton) took a yellow flag turn at the end of the run. Ben went on to take the next two wins with Peter Barton (Lymington) taking two 2nds.

Saturday evening saw the RS Aero 10th Anniversary Karaoke Championship. A wide range of talent was in part masked by an abundance of enthusiasm - but you can only kid the judges so far! The international panel awarded the win to the sweet voice of Abigail Larr, whilst notable Poor Performances came from RoryC, BenF, MarkR and PeterB. Full Karaoke results here...

Day 2 - Big Sunday!

We woke to wind and rain, but the rain cleared off early to leave clear blue skies and a fresh breeze reaching 22kn, gusting 26kn. The waves were building and we could all see we were in for a big day. Game on!

The graft to the top mark was worth every moment for the screaming reaches bouncing across the waves and the downwind run - launching off the crests, accelerating down the wave faces then weaving through the troughs to avoid the wave in front. Yee-haa!

The RS Aero 6 fleet saw a change at the top with those who preferred stronger winds regularly at the front. Noah Rees (Torpoint Mosquito) scored a clean sweep of 1sts with Jack Miller (Felpham) and Andrew Kilburn (RS Sailing) close behind with 2s, 3s and 4s.

In the RS Aero 9s the big boys worked valiantly to control the power of their mighty rigs and keep them pointing upwards above their hulls. Ben Flower also saw a clean sweep of 1sts with Peter Barton taking the 2nds and Dom Hall the 3rds.

After racing the Felpham SC beach crew, aided by the RS Aero fleet, did an incredible job of getting the fleet ashore safely as the high tide shore break kicked up. Thank goodness for our featherweight hulls and gunwales to enable easy lifting to launch and recover in surf!

After three hard exhilarating races and an exciting surf in the fleet were delighted to see an RS Aero 10th Birthday Cake in the club house, it was delicious! And what a day to celebrate it!!!

Day 3 started and little lighter than the day before at about 16kn but as the skies cleared the wind piped up well into the 20kns+, and similar to Big Sunday by the end.

In the RS Aero 6s Noah Rees secured his lead with a 1,1,2, enabling him to discard his 44UFD &16 from Day 1 for a 'comfortable' win. Similarly, Jack took 2nd overall with a 2,8,1, enabling him to discard his 17 & 12 from Day 1. A one lap 'sprint finish' final race was set to beat the high tide for boat recovery back onto the beach. Andrew Frost gave it his all against the strong wind supremos but in pushing the limits downwind was tripped over and swallowed by the Felpham seas, leaving him relying on his earlier results to take 3rd overall.

Ben clinched the RS Aeros 9s with a Race 7 win before returning to shore for a lie down, the title already secure. That left Peter an opportunity to take the win in R8 and Chris Larr powered away from the pack in R9 to stay ahead downwind and take the final win.

Everyone left Felpham worn out and aching through their endeavours, but with fantastic memories of a very enjoyable few days and the experience of some very exciting sailing conditions!

Congratulations to those who made the decision not to launch when the conditions turned testing, to those with the courage to launch, to those who survived the downwinds to complete races and to the winners!

Thanks to all at Felpham SC for a fantastic championship and to Rooster for their generous support of the prizes and our RS Aero UK Nationals custom kit.

Sign Up Now to be part of the RS Aero 5 & 7 UK National Championship at East Lothian YC, North Berwick, 28 July- 2 Aug!

The Categories were scored after extracting results from each race:

1st RS Aero 9 Master (O55) - Paul Halliwell, Island Barn
1st RS Aero 9 Grand Master (O65) - Gareth Griffiths, Island Barn
1st RS Aero 6 Youth (U22) - Abby Hire, Lymington
1st RS Aero 6 Female - Abby Hire, Lymington
1st RS Aero 6 Female Master (O45) - Cathy Lunn, Leigh & Lowton
1st RS Aero 6 Male Master (O55) - Darragh Sheridan, Howth, Ireland
1st RS Aero 6 Grand Master (O65) - David Stockton, Wimbleball
1st RS Aero 6 Great Grand Master (O75) - John McKeown, Lancing

Overall Results:

PosSailNameClubCatR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9Pts
RS Aero 6
1st4515Noah ReesTorpoint Mosquito (UFD)7‑1611111214
2nd4397Jack MillerFelpham ‑17‑12632328125
3rd3875Andrew FrostSutton Bingham 1275756‑13‑2933
4th4551Andrew KilburnRS Sailing (DNC)‑9243457934
5th4516Paul HaswellHayling Island ‑15‑191065236638
6th1750Mark RipleyPaigntonY‑2615‑20241942450
7th4431Daragh SheridanHowth YCM9‑16‑23768810351
8th1566Abby HireLymtown/RLymYCF Y4381011‑12115‑1352
9th4539Noel ButlerNational 64‑1798157‑16554
10th2739Sam BlakerThorpe Bay 58‑1281099‑11756
11th4542Dan VenablesSutton (UFD)6111‑15713121060
12th2738Spike DanielsHayling IslandM‑145‑19131310103862
13th3046Steve JacksonLee‑on‑Solent 21041614‑201514‑1875
14th3866Ellie CraigBassenthwaiteF8133121913‑2121‑2489
15th3669Chris RustBrightlingsea 19‑205‑2091117181796
16th2686Guy RivingtonStokes Bay 723181518(RET)124(DNC)97
17th3744Chris JonesSutton BinghamM12221414166‑24‑2416100
18th4355Sammy Isaacs‑JsonMaidenhead 1019‑262116‑282222101
19th4455Richard BentleyFelphamM28‑35‑3021121419911114
20th4275Zak SmithFelphamY18‑24131920181419‑23121
21st3931Yana SkvortsovaIsland Barn ResF31811‑28242626‑3426134
22nd1455David StocktonWimbleballM20‑361517(RET)22162820138
23rd3305Richard BullockItchenor ‑34‑3126182521201515140
24th1888Abigail LarrDraycote WaterF Y‑3128‑39242317222012146
25th1006Sophie StocktonMaidenheadF221121‑3127(DNC)183121151
26th2572Andy HillWarsashM111724272223‑30‑3028152
27th4287James BaylissItchenor ‑3227‑29221725232514153
28th4543Matt VenablesSutton/QMSC 162122(DNC)(DNC)DNC251719164
29th1414Torquil MorrisonEmsworth SlipperY25142723‑30242927‑30169
30th4458Mark AldousFelphamM23343234(RET)(DNC)312325202
31st2677Jeff JacksonLee‑on‑SolentM29‑37332529(DNC)332627202
32nd4500Cathy LunnLeigh & LowtonF M1326(UFD)3632273832(DNC)204
33rd4183Catherine HemsleyFelphamF M21303429(DNC)(DNC)343633217
34th4291Chris DuckerHayling Island 27‑3935352829‑373531220
35th4346Kingsley BrownGurnardM33‑41‑42322628353732223
36th4207Simon PattersonItchenor ‑3829363331(RET)363334232
37th4517Paul OkeyPortchesterM392525(DNC)(DNC)DNC27DNCDNC248
38th3328Klauss HarrisSwanage 40434030(RET)(DNC)322935249
39th4092John McKeownLancingM243328(DNC)(DNC)(DNC)RETDNCDNC261
40th4353Bruce MayoRoyal SolentM363831(DNC)(DNC)(DNC)39DNCDNC276
41st3180Roger BeltonFelphamM304037(DNC)(DNC)(DNC)DNSDNCDNC283
42nd2927Peter FusseyLancing 373238(DNC)(DNC)(DNC)RETDNCDNC283
43rd1205Penny LukeFelphamF M354241(DNC)(DNC)(DNC)DNSDNCDNC294
RS Aero 9
1st1031Baabii'o FlowerPaignton 2111111(DNC)(DNC)8
2nd4396Peter BartonLymington Town (OCS)‑2222221213
3rd3183Dominic HallHayling Island 1‑3333333(DNC)19
4th4430Chris LarrDraycote Water (OCS)75(RET)4442127
5th3023Richard WatshamStarcross YC/RNSA (OCS)4‑755554533
6th3130Rory CohenSouth Cerney 5‑964‑8666336
7th3855Tom TwistFelphamY7547‑9(DNC)85440
8th3175Gareth GriffithsIsland Barn ResM46911117‑17‑121058
9th3042Paul HalliwellRWB/Island Barn ResM‑10108879‑119960
10th4538Ben SwannHayling Island/MRSC 815‑1866(RET)713661
11th2904Andy HannayHayling Island 13‑18‑1610128128770
12th3397Matt PerkinsLymington Town 611139(DNC)(DNC)10141174
13th2384Simon GeymanLymington Town (OCS)1310(DNC)10RET97876
14th4471Jon MillsCNV Aix‑les‑BainsM3812(DNC)(DNC)DNC13101378
15th3811Andrew WilkinsSouth CaernarvonshM91411(DNC)(DNC)DNC15111291
16th2581Tobias LloydFelpham 111217(RET)(DNC)DNC1416DNC108
17th2839James GerwatShorehamM121714(RET)(DNC)DNC1615DNC112
18th3887Andy ConwayFelpham (DNC)1615(DNC)DNCDNCDNCDNCDNC126

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