Last weekend twenty-one Hunter 707’s made the trip to Hayling Island for the Southern area championship.

The first day was sailed in a brisk but very shifty north westerly and two boats dominated the top three slots, Pocket Battleship and The Sweeney. Regular 20 degree shifts meant those in tune with the shifts could work out a big lead by using the middle of the course. To the same degree taking only one wrong shift was enough to make podium contenders carry a result in the teens, not good in this no discard series. Top three placings on day one, were also achieved by Beaver Hunter and Double Trouble.

The second day looked to be light but a steady 12 knot sea breeze filled in early. Feeling Touchy, helmed by 49er sailor Mark Asquith led off the line in both races with Black Sheep on their heals. In both races a match racing battle emerged, but in neither race could Black Sheep find the tactic to break through to the lead. The rest of the fleet enjoyed very close racing with some very mixed results, with Miss Moneypenny, Sword, Mr Benn and Trojan making it into the top five.

With no discards and Saturdays’ leaders having to fight their way through the fleet on both races on the second day, it became a damage limitations process for them. The calculating tactics on Pocket Battleships saw them work the maths just right to keep a small point lead over the Sweeney whilst also keeping infront of Feeling Touchy and Black Sheep.

The final results was that Pocket Battleship added yet another winning trophy to this years’ cabinet with the Sweeney in second and Black Sheep’s good results kept them in third. Although counting two firsts, their poor results on Saturday meant Feeling Touchy only moved up to fourth but this new team looks like a force to be reckoned with as the season progresses. Miss Moneypenny finished fifth.

The same weekend also saw ten 707s competing in the Royal Southern regatta with Charlie Fish winning all but one race. Giraffe finished second with 3 Little Pigs in third.

The next event for the 707’s is the Round the Island race where Black Sheep will defend their title again from the 22 boats entered.’