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We now released the Notice of Race and Registration for this event. Click on the button below for more information.
Join us for what promises to be another fantastic Hobie Nationals at Poole Yacht Club with 4 days of racing inside out outside the harbour (weather permitting.) There will also be a Party on Friday night with a barbecue and a live band. We look forward to seeing you there!
Click on the buttons below to explore the Hobie Class Racing page.
The UK Hobie Cat Class Association Committee are made up of some of the most enthusiastic Hobie Sailors in the country with one mission – to expand the opportunities for Hobie Racing around the UK.
Andrew can be found driving from one end of the country to the other to get out on the water and is more than happy to talk to anyone on Hobie sailing or helping with advice on how to get more fun from your boat
Hazel races Hobie 16s from Poole Yacht Club with her husband Steve. she has been a Hobie dealer for the last 24 year, used to teach Hobie sailing but is fairly new to racing.
Simon has been sailing and racing cats since he was a boy. He helped to organise the last two Nationals in Poole and helps with training the Youth Sailors at Poole Yacht Club.
Aaron is the Class Captain for Hobie 16s at Poole Yacht Club. He has helped to organise the Hobie Nationals and trains the youth sailors at the club.
Steve is a Hobie Dealer and RYA Multihull Coach. He has been a Hobie dealer for the last 24 years.
Gavin is a former Australian Hobie Champion and can now be found passing on his knowledge in the boat park around all of our events.
By joining the BHCCA you become a part of the wider Hobie community, to find out more about what is happening on the Hobie scene Worldwide. Follow the links below.
If you would like to join in with Hobie Racing there are lots of well organised events to choose from at both the national and international levels. Thanks to the strength of the class internationally most years you will be able to choose from a Hobie Nationals, Hobie Europeans and and a Hobie Worlds as well as local racing around the UK both in class and in cat open events.
Stay in touch with all the latest news from Hobie Class in the UK and beyond.
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28th- 30th August 2021
The Hobie 16 class has been making a comeback in 2021. Back in 2019 they had their first Nationals in a while and the perfect weekend reminded everyone what a fun and challenging class the Hobie 16 is. Many of the regular Hobie 16 racers who loved the class years ago returned to the 2019 event and it was great to see them come back again in 2021, this time accompanied by a keen set of younger sailors many of them family members who have been introduced to their sport by their parents. It was great to see such a mixture of boats with some from as far back as the 1980s and went to prove that a well sailed Hobie 16 can be competitive no matter its age. Looking to 2022 the British Hobie Cat Class Association are looking to set up a series of events to be released soon on the class website with and another Nationals at Poole Yacht Club which has proved very popular with the Hobie sailors and already has a Hobie 16 fleet on site. For more see the website: https://hobiecatcentre.co.uk/hobie-class-racing/
The North Easterly wind blowing across a South coast venue meant there would be challenging, and unpredictable wind shifts with wind speeds varying from 8-20 knots over the three-day event.
Twenty-three Hobie 16s with their bright, multi-coloured sails gathered on the beach looking great in the sunny spells as they prepared to set out for the start line which was laid towards the South side of Poole harbour in an area known as the “top triangle”.
The PYC race officer got the fleet away on time with the first race setting the tone for the coming days – a close finish in 1st for Spain’s 2 x National champion Jacobo Miquel sailing for the first time with Johnny Farrow, 2nd Mark Farrow and Freya Farrow (Johnny’s dad and sister) followed by Lloyd Crisp and Claire Marion. By race 3 Simon Keen and Aaron Agnew had found their groove and with some local knowledge finished day one with a win.
The second day of racing was expected to be more about trying to keep the Hobies moving in the forecast light and shifty wind but after a “drift” out to the starting area, surprisingly the wind filled in from the NNE ten minutes before the scheduled start time and the cats accelerated off the line and split formation trying to work out which side of the course the oscillating wind would favour. PYC’s Simon Keen and Aaron Agnew progressed from 3rd to 2nd to 1st consecutively in the three races no doubt taking advantage of their local knowledge of the tidal movement and working out the shifts. Alex Reilly and Rosie Frost from Weston SC started to find some boat speed and finished 1st in the second race of the day but Mark and Freya Farrow had won the 1st race and Lloyd Crisp and Claire Marion and Jacobo Miquel and Johnny Farrow maintained consistent top 5 finishes to keep them in the mix for a top place.
The forecast for the final and deciding day was for the strongest wind so far but remaining generally from the NE. The wind arrived as predicted and the Hobie 16s revelled in the gusts of up to 20 knots, the fleet driving upwind with both helm and crew out on the twin trapeze working hard as the variable windspeed required constant adjustment of the cat’s settings.
The stronger winds created a different pattern to the results with Lloyd Crisp and Claire Marion finding some incredible upwind boat speed to post a 2nd and two 1st places over the 3 races, Mark and Freya Farrow consistently finishing in the top 3 and Simon Keen and Aaron Agnew having some frustrating bad luck with a snapped trapeze harness hook just before the 1st race of the day putting an end to their challenge for the top spot.
Lloyd and Claire finished the day with a 1st place, and this is how they stood overall after a consistent performance throughout with Mark and Freya close behind for 2nd.
The 3rd place went to Simon and Aaron but by a very fine margin with 4th placed Jacobo and Johnny on the same points only losing out on countback.
All the sailors taking part and the crew from PYC made this a great event with a welcoming family atmosphere. There was an amazing Hobie party with local band Quinns’s Quinney and singing from PYC club members Clara and Olivia on Saturday evening in Poole Yacht Club’s excellent clubhouse, bar, and restaurant to complete a very successful Hobie 16 Nationals.
1st Place – Lloyd Crisp and Claire Marion
2nd Place – Mark Farrow and Freya Farrow
3rd Place – Simon Keen and Aaron Agnew
4th Place – Jacobo Miquel and Johnny Farrow
5th Place – Andrew Boyd and Kim Troll
6th Place – Alex Reilly and Rosie Frost
Full Results
31st July – 1st August
Virtually perfect wind and sea conditions gave the record turnout of 35 teams excellent and competitive racing over the weekend in the Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships on the event’s 30th Anniversary year.
The Championships were sponsored for a fourth year running by Savills Estate Agents and hosted by the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club. Fair weather and a constant force four westerly wind provided a buzz of anticipation as the crews rigged their boats at the Gunsite beach before putting to the water for the first of three back to back races on the Saturday morning.
Hobie 16 start during the Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships – photo © Elaine Burgis
Hobie 16 start during the Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships – photo © Elaine Burgis Three Hobie classes were participating, H18’s Wildcats, Hobie 16’s and Hobie Dragoons Junior racing. Sunday’s conditions were equally as good even though the wind had dropped a notch, with crews enjoying the long Championship courses set by the RO and team. Overall, conditions couldn’t have been better for the 6 scheduled races to determine the winning teams in each racing category. With several top teams coming from the UK and a busy off water social programme each evening, everything was set for special weekend of Championship racing and activity.
HOBIE 16 ‘A’ FLEET CLASS
In this the largest open class with 20 teams participating, the racing was close and highly competitive, after the first day it was the reigning Hobie 16 British Champion Andrew Boyd and crew Kim Troll who were quickest around the course, winning the three races, laying second were local crews Gordon Burgis and crew Kenny Snell with sisters Elsa and Chloe Swetenham in third place, the latter teams were both on equal points. Grant Neale and Karen Larose were also in contention in fourth after the first days racing.
Sunday’s racing was just as full on, Aaron Le Cornu and Rachael Smith won the first race and then a good second, but a twelfth in race three and an unfortunate rigging failure the day before put them out of contention. Burgis and Snell led the charge posting a fourth and two firsts for the last two races which gave the veteran local team the overall win and their thirteenth class title.
Hobie 16 start during the Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships – photo © Elaine Burgis
Hobie 16 start during the Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships – photo © Elaine Burgis Elsa and Chloe Swetenham sailed consistently well throughout to place second, Boyd and Troll were third after their higher counting scores in Sunday’s races. Ollie Voak and Megan Roworth upped their game with low points and a second in the last race on Sunday which gave them a credible fourth place a couple of points ahead of Neale and Larose in fifth, UK sailor Gavin Luxton sailing with daughter AJ raced into sixth overall after a third place in the last race.
HOBIE 16 ‘B’ FLEET
The class was dominated by Youth team, sisters Phoebe and Georgia le Marquand, this was their first multihull racing, their vast experience in dinghy racing no doubt helped them on the race course and starts to win the title. Mark Mound and Russell Boschat raced consistently well to place second with Miguel Arraya and Chloe Mattock just one point behind in third. Pete Culnane and Clive Russell came fourth, Giselle Barrowcliffe crewed by husband Charlie were a commendable fifth in their first Hobie Cat racing.
HOBIE WILDCATS
Hobie Wild Cat during the Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships – photo © Elaine Burgis
Hobie Wild Cat during the Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships – photo © Elaine Burgis
At the end of Saturday’s first day racing, Andy Hart and Michael Kinross were leading Darren Stower and Graeme Monks by just one point, however, Stower and Monks’ three bullets on the second day after virtually match racing Hart and Kinross at times, gave them the Wildcat class title, Hart and Kinross’s three second places on Sunday meant they took the runners up prize. Simon Martin racing with Henry Horton continues to hone his racing skill on the powerful Wildcat and came a deserved third overall.
Adrian Jesson and Paul Martin performed well and were laying third after the first day but not being able to race on Sunday dropped them back to fourth position. Jimmy Fullerton and Perry Stone sailed into fifth place.
HOBIE DRAGOONS
Hobie Dragoon start during the Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships – photo © Elaine Burgis
Hobie Dragoon start during the Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships – photo © Elaine Burgis
The ten Junior teams racing Dragoons enjoyed fast and exhilarating sailing on these popular 3 sail 13ft catamarans over the both days of competition. Luke Paxton Garnier and Thomas Allo with two firsts and a second were fastest over the first days three races a point ahead of defending Champions Juliette and brother Russell Walton with a first and two seconds. Paxton Garnier and Allo posted another win in Sunday’s first race but a rig failure put them out of the next two races allowing the Waltons to take the Dragoon class title for the second year running.
Kyla McDonagh and Jamie le Marquand raced consistently well, their two firsts in races five and six helped them cement second place with Paxton Garnier and Allo coming third. Alf Barrowcliffe and Morgan Surcouf came just ahead of Kai Surcouf and Tamsin Ingram in fourth and fifth place respectively. Brothers Archie and Jamie Willetts with a mix of low and high points came sixth overall.
Hobie Dragoon downwind during the Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships – photo © Elaine Burgis
Hobie Dragoon downwind during the Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships – photo © Elaine Burgis
Prize Giving took place at the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club on Sunday evening where thanks and appreciation were extended to the race team, safety boat and mark laying crews, the beach team and to Savills for their valued sponsorship of a highly successful 30th Anniversary Championships.
Overall Results:
HOBIE 16 ‘A’ FLEET (top 6)
1st Gordon Burgis & Kenny Snell
2nd Elsa Swetenham & Chloe Swetenham
3rd Andrew Boyd & Kim Troll
4th Ollie Voak & Megan Roworth
5th Grant Neale & Karen Larose
6th Gavin Luxton & A J Luxton
HOBIE 16 ‘B’ FLEET (top 3)
1st Phoebe Le Marquand & Georgia Le Marquand
2nd Mark Mound & Russell Boschat
3rd Miguel Arraya & Chloe Mattock
HOBIE WILDCATS (top 3)
1st Darren Stower & Graeme Monks
2nd Andy Hart & Michael Kinross
3rd Simon Martin & Henry Horton
HOBIE DRAGOONS – JUNIORS (top 6)
1st Juliette Walton & Russell Walton
2nd Kyla McDonagh & Jamie Le Marquand
3rd Luke Paxton Garnier & Thomas Allo
4th Alf Barrowcliffe & Morgan Surcouf
5th Kai Surcouf & Tamsin Ingram
6th Archie Willetts & Jamie Willetts
HOBIE 16 YOUTH
Tom Hunt & Megan McDonagh
HOBIE 16 WOMENS
Elsa Swetenham & Chloe Swetenham
HOBIE 16 MASTERS
Grant Neale & Karen Larose
HOBIE 16 GRAND MASTERS
Gordon Burgis & Kenny Snell