RS Aero World Championship at Hayling Island Sailing Club - Day 1
by RS Aero International Class Association 27 Aug 21:52 NZST
26-30 August 2024
2024 RS Aero World Championship, day 1 © Oli King Photography
Sunday evening saw the Championship celebrate all the competing nations with a flag parade through Haying Island Sailing Club's fine waterfront followed by the Welcome and Opening Ceremony.
Throughout 2024 the RS Aero Class celebrates its 10th anniversary with ten years of impressive growth and enjoyment to sailors worldwide. A mammoth 10th anniversary cake was enjoyed by the 175 entries to celebrate the occasion, the sixth celebration cake at RS Aero championships this year!
On Monday morning 175 entries representing 18 countries set sail to open Day 1 of the 6th RS Aero World Championships at Hayling Island Sailing Club. Conditions were absolutely glorious - Hayling at its best! A 'fresh but not frightening' breeze of 14-18kn with gusts touching 20kn kicked up some peachy waves for surfing the featherweight RS Aeros down the off wind legs. Two separate race areas were used Hayling Bay and Bracklesham Bay, with two RS Aero Classes on each to split the 175 RS Aeros. Each Class sailed its own inner or outer loop course, avoiding any coming together of the four Classes. 3 races were held of the 14 races that are scheduled over 5 days, as always, promises a good variety of wind, wave and tidal conditions.
With the wind set to ease during the week tired legs will have a welcome rest. The variety of conditions that Hayling offers means competitors ranging from 45-115kg weight and aged from 14-70 years old can compete in their preferred sail size and over the week there will be opportunity for everyone the make there mark.
Who is showing early form? In the RS Aero 5s the Estonian team won all 3 races between them with Andrias Sillaste (EST) toping the sheet with a 1,2,7. The RS Aero 5 is the second largest Class with 53 entries and achieves gender parity with an approximate 50% male/female split!
In the RS Aero 6s GBR, IRL and UKR won a race each. Tom Ahlheid (GBR) tops the score with a 1,4,4, whilst RS Aero European Champion Sofiia Naumenko (UKR) suffered a UFD with a 2, UFD, 1.
The Laser Lads are schooling the RS Aero 7 Class on downwind technique weaving away from the fleet down-wind after the top mark. Finley Dickenson (GBR) leads with a 1,1,2. The RS Aero 7s are the largest Class is the RS Aero 7 with 65 entries
The RS Aero 9s had an exciting time surfing their big rigs downwind and in the lead with the only clean sweep on the day is Ben Flower (CAN) with a 1,1,1 from Peter Barton (GBR) with a 2,2,2.
In each Class the World titles will be hotly contested between a mix of previous Worlds medallists, up and coming new talent and a few new hotshots tempted into the RS Aero Class from other Classes. Day 2 looks set to be another glamour day with sunshine and a leg stretching 15kn on The Bay. Stay tuned to watch the action unfold!
Thank you to all the supporters of the RS Aero World Championships! Rooster are supporting the prizes and have their tent onsite for any kit needs. They are supplying the RS Aero Worlds event shirts. RS Sailing are supplying a large fleet of charter RS Aeros and are providing their event support including apres sailing drinks at the tally board! Selden are supporting our daily awards and Tuesday's apres sailing drinks at the tally board! Harken are supporting daily awards and Noble Marine are long-term supporters.
The RS Aero World Championship will support the charity Macmillan Cancer Support via the RS Bike Challenge fundraiser, with a raffle for a brand new RS Aero sail kindly provided by RS Sailing. Details of the bike challenge are here.