Noble Marine ILCA 6 Masters UK National Championships 2024 at Hayling Island Sailing Club

Of the 101 entries 46 ILCA 6 sailors showed up at Hayling Island Sailing Club over the weekend of September 27-29 to contest the 2024 Masters National Championships.

The ILCA Masters fleet split was eight Apprentice Masters (30-44), eight Masters (44-54), fourteen Grand Masters (55-65), twelve Great Grand Master (65-74) and four Legends (75+).

The forecast was for wind and Friday didn't disappoint, as competitors eventually were released by PRO Tim Hancock to race in a strong northerly. Winds pre-start were gusting 30 knots but Tim held his nerve and set the fleet off. The wind abated to the low twenties for most of the first race, but piped up to 30 knots on the last run where the thwack of masts hitting the water could be heard aplenty.

Jon Emmett showed he meant business with a win, followed by Ross Harvey and Steve Cockerill. Only 29 competitors finished this race, and with the winds getting ever stronger, the PRO let us all scuttle back to harbour.

Noble Marine ILCA Masters UK Nationals at Hayling Island - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

Saturday morning was a completely different picture, blue skies and light winds. Unfortunately a bit too light - several races had to be abandoned on the first leg due to major wind shifts and wind holes.

In the end two races were completed. In the first race, Jon Emmett showed his mastery in light winds as well as heavy and scored a second win, followed by Dutch sailor Roel Ballieux with Steve Cockerill again coming third.

In the second race, Adrian Lynham took an early lead on the first beat coming from the left side, and held on magnificently to win from Steve Cockerill, hotly pursued down the last run by wife Sarah. For once Jon Emmett had found himself on the wrong side of the first beat, but still managed to pull through to sixth.

The fleet had a well-earned curry evening on Saturday night at HISC, and shared stories of windy runs and monster wind holes, before the prize draw for Tideway multitools, Rooster clothing and the big one - a Wildwind holiday in Vassiliki.

Noble Marine ILCA Masters UK Nationals at Hayling Island - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

Sunday's forecast was for a return to strong winds, this time from the south, and it proved to be fully accurate. The fleet waited ashore whilst the race team checked conditions in the bay, which, with a 20-25 knot from 180 degrees, were just too full-on to take the fleet out over the Chichester bar. However, with high water approaching, the PRO spotted that the wind direction lay perfectly in the axis of Emsworth Channel and managed to set an excellent full-sized W/L course inside the harbour.

Two races in 25-28 knots followed, with the W mark right opposite the sailing club, no doubt to the amusement of onlookers from the balcony who were treated to a fine display of artistic capsizing on the tricky bear away.

Ross Harvey showing himself the master in these conditions with two bullets, with Jon Emmett two seconds. Steve Cockerill was third in the first race and Marshall King was third in the second race.

So though only five races were completed, three were windy, two light, three in the bay and two in the tidal harbour - a full test of sailing skills.

Noble Marine ILCA Masters UK Nationals at Hayling Island - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

The prize-giving was delayed as we watched INEOS Britannia on the big screen and wondered if Ben still remembered his ILCA days.

Jon Emmett won and was also top Master, with Ross Harvey second and top Apprentice Master, Steve Cockerill third and top Grand Master, Marshall King fourth and Terry Scutcher fifth and top Great Grand Master. Sarah Cockerill was the top Female in 9th position overall.

Many thanks to Tim Hancock and all off and on shore race teams at HISC and our own ILCAUK team for all that they did to get the event away against some serious headwinds.

Noble Marine ILCA Masters UK Nationals at Hayling Island - photo © Lotte Johnson / www.lottejohnson.com

Once again our sponsors provided a fantastic range of great prizes for the sailing and super prizes for the Saturday evening prize draw. The star prize was a fabulous Wildwind sailing holiday - The lucky winner being Tim Crook.

Colston Nichols and David Binding won ILCA sails from Ovington. Mike Kinnear and David Hartgill won the engraved Tideway Multitools.

Sponsors were: Ovington Boats, Sailingfast, Rooster, Southeast Sailboats, Wildwind Holidays, Tideway Wealth.

More of Jon Emmett's interviews with various fleet members can be found on www.facebook.com/ILCAUK

Overall Results: