As Chichester Harbour Race Week 2024 reached its last-day climax, there was still all to sail for in many of the 20 different fleets competing. The family-friendly yet highly competitive regatta – England’s largest and celebrating its 60th edition this year – attracted 383 entries, from Optimists for the youngest sailors to Finns, Flying Fifteens, Hadron H2s, RS Elites and a multitude of other classic and modern designs for their elders. Largest fleet was the medium handicap, closely followed by the RS 200s.
In all, almost 600 sailors, from 59 clubs around the UK and beyond, took part. And 120 volunteers from member clubs of the organisers, Chichester Harbour Federation, ensured all ran smoothly on and off the water, with great support from host club Hayling Island SC.
After winds built over the first three days, Thursday was an enforced rest for everyone, with conditions too wild even for the keelboats to go racing. But on Friday all the classes spread out over the water between Hayling Island and the Sussex shore and enjoyed sunshine and a moderate-to-brisk breeze to end the week with smiles all round.
As the final races started, 13 top placings remained to be decided. There were a few moments of drama, including an embarrassing tumble overboard for the potential winner of the fast handicap fleet and two broken masts in quick succession for the RS Tera leader.
But consistency continued to pay. Most consistent of all was Ukraine’s Sofia Naumenko, who led the RS Aero 6 fleet home in every race and was so far ahead in the final one that initially she was overlooked at the finish. It was good practice for the Aero worlds that followed Race Week at HISC.
Others who did well all through the four race days and finished with minimum points after discarding their worst result were David and Fiona Sayce (Fireball, HISC), Matt Currell and David Brand (RS 200, Parkstone YC), Jonathan and Matthew Bailey (2000, Weir Wood SC), Russell Mead (ILCA 6, Lee-on-Solent SC) and Thomas Knight and Sam Machell (RS Feva, Chichester YC).
Entrants from HISC outnumbered those from all other clubs combined by more than two to one, so it was hardly unexpected that they came out top in the contests for the adult and junior club team prizes. The surprise was that Felpham SC were second-placed adult team, ahead of Chichester Harbour clubs with much large entries and the enthusiastic members of Bowmoor SC, who travelled from the Cotswolds with 23 boats, including an RS Elite keelboat.
Race Week 2025 will be held from August 11 to 15. For full 2024 results, a day-by-day blog and photo gallery, go to https://chichesterharbourraceweek.sailevent.net
Article by Liz Sagues
Photos by Peter Hickson
