Noble Marine RS700 National Championships

The fleet were welcomed to Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club. Thursday dawned, and it was windy. Despite the high winds, the race team were keen for us to get racing. Richard Wadsworth in The Punisher was the first to venture out. I don’t know if the boat's name and reputation egged him on, or it’s his love of big breeze, but he popped his kite and stormed down to the sailing area. This would encourage more people to venture out. However, the wind built, and the race team made a wise decision to cancel racing.

Friday and Saturday were quickly cancelled despite everyone’s best efforts. This allowed the fleet to bring out all the other toys. Kites, wings and boards were quickly unpacked along with social events into Eastbourne and at the sailing club.

Sunday had gone from being an early right off on the forecast to being our last chance with a forecasted weather window in the morning. The Championships would come down to a one-day shootout. 

With another early start and a few sore heads, the fleet drifted out into Eastbourne Bay to await the breeze. Normally, the bigger folk among us would be pacing up and down informing the fleet how much they disliked hugging their mast, but I think even they were glad just to be heading out. After some snoozing, tunes and time to recover from the early start, the breeze switched on and built quickly to 10-15 knots.

Race 1: Rob Higgins won the pin and headed over to the left-hand side with Robbie Bell, James Clark and Tom Playford all closely inside. Rob rounded first with Robbie a boat length back. James and Tom closely followed. Rob forgot he was on the sea and didn’t take into account the tide to overstand. Robbie understood, and Tom flew down the middle to close in. Rob needed to gybe to make the favoured right-hand gate and head left, sending himself and Robbie wide, leaving the door open for Tom. He took this present of a clean lane and, paired with speed and good VMG, quickly took the lead. Tom would take race one, followed by Rob and Robbie.

Race 2: A similar theme but with bigger waves and more wind. This time, it was Robbie Bell who won the pin end and headed off to the left. Tom Playford had worked so hard in race one that he decided that a start-line cool-down was in order and gave us all a head start. Robbie led around the top mark closely followed by Rob, Matt Carter and Richard Wadsworth. The bottom gate again caused Rob and Robbie issues. Rob recovered quicker to take the lead and head out to the left. Matt Carter & Richard split and headed off right. A costly misjudgment of the free-flowing tide on the top lay line meant a double tack by Rob and handing over the lead to Matt, who by now was feeling right at home with Lancing-like conditions. Rob again forgot he was on the sea, trawled his kite and went for a swim. Matt took the win, followed by Richard, who had quietly gone about his business and ‘Punished’ the mistakes that were being made. Robbie took third with Elliot Booley stringing together a good race to take fourth. 

Race 3: Robbie again mastered the start and headed off left with Matt Carter in tow. These two would have their own personal battle with Robbie finally getting the win he had threatened in the two previous races. This was the third race winner in three races and left things very tight at the top. Nathan Steffenoni, having a great race, was pipped on the line by Rob Higgins in third. Tom Playford forgot that he was no longer on a Cape 31 with tactical support and missed the gate to record a DNF. Despite pleading his innocence after racing, the 10+ Eastbourne crew that witnessed the act quickly informed him that he was severely outnumbered.

Race 4: Racing had been so close that multiple people still had a chance to take home the title. Robbie, now a master of the Pistol Pete Purkiss start, won the pin and headed left. Tom Playford, towards the middle, was working his way up the beat nicely. Robbie told me after that it went ‘Dark and Stormy’- I don’t know if this was in reference to one too many rums the night before or the worsening conditions. Anyway, he started heading towards a mark in France and allowed Tom and Rob to battle it out to the top mark. Tom sailed off into the distance to take his second race win, Rob took second, Matt Carter third and Robbie Bell fourth.

This meant that with all the incredible close racing, Matt Carter won by a point to take home his first National Championships. Robbie Bell took second and Rob Higgins third. 

See the full results here.

Special thanks to the race officers, safety crews, and the entire team of volunteers at Eastbourne Sovereign SC for making the event possible.

The next stop for the fleet is Lancing. We then end our season at Chew Valley Lake for the Inlands. If you’re interested in joining the fleet or finding out about the 700, please get in contact. 

Report by Rob Higgins.

List of Prize Winners:

Master's trophy - Matt Carter

Apprentice trophy - Jaye Rickards

Fidelis trophy - Richards Wadsworth

Endeavour - Colin Dacey

1st Silver - Elliot Booley

Noble Marine RS800 National Championships 2025, Eastbourne SC

Despite a slightly less than terrific forecast, an eager fleet arrived at Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club looking forward to some full send sailing, waves galore and the always brilliant and welcoming members of Eastbourne. As expected, Thursday dawned wet and wild. Keen to get racing, the fleet began to launch one by one - literally delivered into the sea by the awesome shore team carrying boats into the water. Ben Palmer & Dicken Maclean led the charge to the racecourse, sending it downwind with their kite up, making it look manageable. Moments after their first gybe, things looked slightly less awesome. A few more boats launched, with some of them sticking the bear away and others sailing upwind towards France - anything to avoid pulling the stick to go downhill. Main hoists on the shore slowed with every pitchpole at sea. Before the rest of the fleet could launch, the race officer sensibly abandoned the racing. The fleet then enjoyed a talk from Stick Daring about his trip around the UK in a £50 laser and dinner at the club - which frankly made us all feel bad for ducking out of the 30 knot gusts.

Friday’s forecast was equally savage, and so racing was brought forward to try and get a jump on the wind. Sadly, the wind beat us to the racecourse, and by the new 10.25 am start time, the gusts were howling and the sea state was fruity. As teams waited on the beach, we took the opportunity to play pebble dixit (you’ll have to come along to a pebble-based beach nationals to learn about that one), and one lonely crew was even spotted frolicking forlornly in the surf on their own. Once sailing was officially canned for the day, many in the fleet headed off to the nearby pirate mini golf, where victory was assuredly and, I guess, inevitably wrapped up by a Scot firing a staggering one over par, whilst others were still trying to ping themselves out of the dense shrubbery nearby. The evening quiz was obviously won by the 700s (as it is every year).

The plan for Saturday was to kick off even earlier. Once again, the weather gods intervened with thunderstorms rumbling overhead. Today’s alternate activities seemed to mainly consist of historical outings. One group explored a nearby castle, whilst the other headed over to the venue for the 1066 thing with the arrow in the eye bit.

Sunday dawned, and there was a weather window, hope and a lot of people excited to finally get some action in.  Sailors arrived at the beach bright and early for a 0900 start to be greeted with sunshine aaaaaand no wind…lol. However, the sailors persevered and drifted around for an hour and a half. Spirits were kept high with inspirational tunes blasting from the committee boat. ’Don’t Stop Believing’ was particularly apt and ever so true when the wind eventually switched to a Southerly and built quickly with the first race in 10-15 knots, followed by three races in 15-20 knots and a bigger sea state—plenty of big waves to punish the slightest mistake.

Race one was taken by Tim Gratton & Arthur Henderson who came off the pin and led start to finish, holding off a charging Tom Morris & Guy Fillmore followed by a close pack of Monique Vennis-Ozanne & Hugh Shone, Ben Palmer & Dicken Maclean and father son team Ben Willows & Taylor Willows all on the last gybe into the finish with Monique & Hugh just pipping the Willows just ahead of Ben & Dicken.

Race two kicked off in slightly bigger breeze and three laps. Monique & Hugh won the pin and took the win with Tom & Guy close on their heels, followed by brother team Blake & Brett Tudor ahead of the other family team of Ben & Taylor.

Race three saw Tom & Guy storm to the front and lead start to finish with the Tudor brothers battling again with the Willows to take 2nd and 3rd respectively.

I’m not sure of all the permutations, but I had the inkling that there was a lot to play for in the final race. Tom and Guy rounded just in front of Monique and Hugh, who promptly pitchpoled out of the first gybe. With Tim and Arthur also struggling, this put Tom and Guy in a very strong position and pushed Blake and Brett, Ben, and Taylor towards the podium. However, spending plenty of time swimming around the boat gave Monique and Hugh plenty of time to see that the final race was a 2-lap affair. Tragically, for some, the fleet pushed on for a 3rd lap, and so Tim and Arthur, Monique, and Hugh apologetically limped home in 2nd and 3rd behind Tom and Guy, to take 2nd and 3rd overall on joint points.

Congratulations to Tom & Guy for winning the Nationals! Followed by Tim & Arthur, and in third, Monique & Hugh.

Watch Race 1 from the perspective of Tom & Guy’s winning boat: Watch here

Trophy winners:

1st Master Helm- Paul Jenkins

1st Master Crew- Dan Goodman

1st Youth Helm- Monique Vennis-Ozanne

1st Youth Crew- Brett Tudor

1st Lady Helm- Monique Vennis-Ozanne

1st Lady Crew- Anna Ormond

Endeaveour prize- Ben Palmer & Dicken Maclean

Spinlock prize- Blake & Brett Tudor

Silver division trophy- Blake & Brett Tudor

National Champions - Tom Morris and Guy Fillmore

Big shoutout to Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club for looking after us with the bar, galley, race team and beach volunteers and for getting as much racing in as possible in some very tricky conditions.

Inlands next in early October, followed by the exciting format of the Tide Ride in November.

Report by Hugh Shone.