Estimating Services Minquiers Hobie Cat Dash

Wildcats exiting St Aubin’s bay on way to Minquiers reef 10 mile

The Estimating Services Minquiers Hobie Cat Dash was held Sunday 22nd August. 10 Hobie Cats launched from the Gunsite beach in bright sunshine on Sunday morning for the distance race to the Minquiers Reef and back. The Fleet comprising of 3 Wildcats and 6 Hobie 16’s started the race in St.Aubin’s bay in a north westerly wind, 15 gusting to 18kts which was the top of their limit for this open sea race.

With 6 guard boats in attendance the Hobie 16’s with several Youth teams among them started first and blasted all the way to the Minquiers on a broad reach, the fastest point of sail for a Hobie 16, the boats virtually reached for the full 10 miles. The first Hobie 16 to finish on the first leg was crewed by sisters Elsa and Chloe Swetenham in a fast time of 1 hour 3 minutes, just 4 minutes outside the record set last year by Leo Marshall and Chloe Swetenham in almost identical exhilarating conditions, the rest of the H16’s came in within minutes of each other.

The Hobie 18ft Wildcats started 10 minutes after the first group, they finished in a similar time, unable to hoist their powerful spi’s due to wind direction. Adrian Jesson crewed by Paul Martin were first to the reef just 1 minute ahead of Andy Hart and Rob McAllister with Steve Longstaffe and Leo Marshall following in third.

After a welcome break on the spectacular southerly reef and replenished energy from the food and beverage provided, the crews started the race back at 3:30pm, off a start line transit between the Committee boat and Jetee des Foantains de Bas pole.

The race back couldn’t have been more different from the first speedy reaching leg, this time the boats were sailing back to Jersey upwind and against a strong tide, This is where the Wildcats came into their own with powerful sail area and long dagger boards enabling them to sail high and fast with the crews double trapezing all the way back into St. Aubin’s bay and the finish off St. Aubin’s Fort. Even though Hart and McAllister crossed the finish line 1 minute ahead of Jesson and Martin in 2hours and 45mins it was the latter who won overall by just 19 seconds!

The Hobie 16 Fleet was a fair way behind, it was Ollie Voak crewed by Megan Roworth who set the pace upwind on the return leg establishing a commanding lead along with good tactics sailed into first position overall. The Swetenham team, Elsa and Chloe sailed a great race to place second with 8 minutes difference separating them from the winners. Another female Youth team, sisters Phoebe and Georgia le Marquand sailed well considering its their first season racing Hobie Cats and their first distance race, they placed a credible third.

At the late afternoon beach Prize Giving, thanks and appreciation were extended to the safety boat crews, Race team and Estimating Services for sponsoring this special event for the second year running.

Results:
Hobie 16’s
1st Ollie Voak & Megan Roworth
2nd Elsa Swetenham & Chloe Swetenham
3rd Phoebe Le Marquand & Georgia Le Marquand
4th Tom Hunt & Megan McDonagh
5th Rachael Smith & Mike Dudek
Ret. Miguel Arraya & Chloe Mattock

Hobie Wildcats
1st Adrian Jesson & Paul Martin
2nd Andy Hart & Rob McAllister
3rd Steve Longstaffe & Leo Marshall

Gordon Burgis
RCIYC Sailing

 

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