Four hundred and fifty-two sailors from 287 RS boats descended on Hayling Island Sailing Club on the 17-19th May for the RS 30th Anniversary Regatta.
The RS 30th Anniversary Regatta celebrated 14 of RS Sailing’s legendary racing classes and the sailors who make them so special. These included the RS Aero, RS Feva, RS Tera, RS21, RS Elite, RS Vareo, RS100, RS200, RS300, RS400, RS500, RS600, RS700, and RS800. Hosting the event at Hayling Island Sailing Club was a blast from the past, with some of the earliest RS regattas being showcased from this iconic south coast club!
The atmosphere onshore echoed back to the early days of RS, when RS used to group together classes at events to bolster numbers. There was a vibrant mix of young, excitable RS Tera and RS Feva sailors balanced with the jovial maturity of true RS legends who have been a part of the RS community for the last thirty years. You would hear sporadic cries of jubilation across the boat park as old friends reunited after decades with a crushing hug. Sailors were here to race hard, but also to enjoy the festivities on shore, the perfectly executed balance RS is so famed for.
Friday saw the RS21s, RS500 and RS Masters Series get underway; light winds and pumping tide kept these experienced helms and crews on their toes; it was definitely a day for being on the right side of the shift and really tidy boat handling. Friday evening was always set to be a quiet affair, but in true RS style and with decades of stories to catch up on, the RS sailors kept the bar team at HISC somewhat busier than planned, with a few dusty sailors appearing for briefing the next day.
Saturday brought the start of racing for all the remaining classes across four race courses, the breeze sadly didn’t get the memo with classes held on shore until the race committee were happy for classes to launch with enough breeze that they weren’t at the mercy of the current. It was another day of tricky racing, with a light, fickle breeze, clear air and immaculate boat handling kept sailors out in front.
Saturday evening, Hayling Island Sailing Club was buzzing. After the daily prizegiving, apres drinks were quenching the thirst from an intense day on the water, with the stunning views from the balcony and the smell of the BBQ’s firing up complimenting the perfect sundowner that had started to unfold. The band fired up, you couldn’t move at the bar, the dance floor became overwhelmed with sailors, family and friends, which in hand brought an eclectic mix of dance moves, and that’s the way it stayed into the small hours of Sunday.
Sunday was a quiet start, with tales from the night before making their way around the boat park. The sailors had another mentally taxing day on the water ahead, a fickle breeze and punchy tide being the two biggest factors for the day ahead. Points were tight and the top of the fleets and it was all to play for heading into the last day of racing.
This event could not have happened without over 130+ volunteers and the fantastic racing led by Tim Hancock and his team. A huge thank you to Hayling Island Sailing Club for pulling out all the stops to make this an unforgettable event.
We need to say a huge thank you to our event partners: Rooster, our Official Kit Supplier; MDL Marinas, our official marina partner; Yachts&YachtingOnline.com, our official media partner; Allen, Harken; Kingfisher Yacht Ropes; RS Sailing Store and Selden. This event would not have been possible without their unwavering support, from MDL Marinas for hosting the entire RS21 fleet at Sparkes Marina to Rooster ensuring the prizegiving went off in style; RS Sailing are humbled by all our partner’s continued support and passion for the marine industry.
Surrounded by magenta feather flags, Jon Partridge, RS Sailing Co-CEO, shared some heartfelt words with everyone at the prizegiving, thanking them for their passion for our sport and their support of RS over the last 30 years; relive the moment here. The event was a fitting tribute to three decades of RS Sailing’s dedication to inspiring the dinghy sailing community.
Day 1 Video – Click here
Day 2 Video – Click here
Day 3 Video – Click here
Results – Click here
