Solent Forts Race 2023 at Hayling Ferry Sailing Club

 

The Solent Forts Race is an annual long-distance event for catamarans and other high performance boats, run by Hayling Ferry Sailing Club from their base at the entrance to Langstone Harbour. It is set in the Eastern Solent and comprises a series of legs to various marks (such as the Napoleonic channel forts that give the race its name), with boats returning to Langstone Harbour entrance to complete each leg by rounding a turning mark.

Part of the Allen Endurance Series since this began in 2018, the Solent Forts Race was the opening round of that series for 2023. This year's race was held on 4th June and was the eleventh edition of the event.

The first Orange Fleet boat to cross the finish line at Langstone Harbour entrance was (not surprisingly) the Nacra Carbon 20 of Grant Piggott & Adam Piggott with an elapsed time of 4hrs 46mins, also winning the Orange Fleet trophy on corrected time. Their total distance sailed was 52 miles with maximum speed 18.2 knots.

The last boat to complete the full course finished at 16:38, with an elapsed time of 6hrs 8mins.

Orange Fleet Results:

Pos Class Sail No Helm Crew Club Legs sailed

1 Nacra carbon 20 GBR 99 Grant Piggott Adam Piggott Weston 4

2 F18 GBR514 Nicholas Barnes James Stacey GWSC 4

3 F18 GBR 518 Tim Neal Simon Farren Parkstone 4

4 F18 521 David White Megan Smith Thorpe Bay 4

5 Nacra F20 Carbon GBR35 Kevin Dutch David Banner Seasalter 4

6 Nacra 17 foiling 4 Caleb Cooper Simon Northrop Worthing 4

7 F18 2320 Max Goldsmith Sam van de Velde Datchet 4

8 F16 GBR 207 Paul Warren Oxford 4

9 Tornado Sport 402 Robert Govier David Figgis Whitstable 4

10 F18 67 William Smith Thomas Hales Grafham Water 3

11 Tornado Sport 422 Adrian Howe Fen Williams Hayling Ferry 3

12 F18 GBR519 Andy Chapman Mark Taylor Hayling Ferry 3

13 Tornado Sport 368 Zac Orehawa Rebecca Marshall Hayling Ferry 1

DNF Nacra carbon 20 98 Chris King Max Maccarrol Weston ‑

Blue Fleet Results:

Pos Class Sail No Helm Crew Club Legs sailed

1 Unicorn 1088 Dan Jarman Locks 3

2 SL16 784 Grant Blake David Foster Oxford 3

3 Unicorn 1094 Gary Piper Stokes Bay 2

4 SL16 788 Russell Howarth Tom Dowd Hayling Ferry 1