British Hobie Cat Nationals
From Port of Jersey,
05 December 2011
Jersey has secured the right to hold the British Hobie Cat National Championships for next year. The event will be held in St Aubin’s Bay with 3 days of Open Championship racing on offer for the 60–70 boats expected to participate from the UK and Europe, including a strong representation from Jersey and Guernsey hobie fleets. Island junior and youth crews will also be participating in their respective classes.
The event is being staged here for the first time and organised by the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club and its Hobie Fleet. 2012 is the clubs 150th anniversary, an appropriate time for the club to host such prestigious sailing championships in a year where other celebration events are being organised to mark the occasion.
Hobie sailing is fast, spectacular and visually exciting; the sails will provide a vibrant blaze of colour across St Aubin’s Bay as the boats compete for places on the race course, offering excellent media coverage, PR and photo opportunities. A coastal distance race is also planned as an added attraction for both competitors and spectators.
Jersey hosted the H16 European Championships in 1993 and 2000, both highly successful international sailing events. The Channel Islands Championships are run each year and gather good exposure for the Island in the yachting press. Although the championships may be considered a major, but one-off sporting event, this is not the case. The championships are very much part of an on-going and continuing process with a strong history in the Island. There may well be an opportunity for Jersey to stage a top World Hobie Cat Championships in the future, due to the excellence of the sailing location and the club's past success in organising major championships.
Hobie cats are the largest catamaran of their type worldwide with fleets continuing to grow all around the globe, as can be seen on the Hobie Class website.
Brewin Dolphin are the sponsors, having given excellent support to the Hobie Channel Islands Championships over the last 4 years. Funding is required to support the event and enable the dedicated RCIYC Hobie Fleet team who are volunteering their time and effort over the following months to deliver a first class and successful championships for both the Island and the club in its special 150th year.
Rodney Waller, the Commodore of the Royal Channel Islands Club said: "I and all the members of the club are delighted to be hosting the British Hobie Cat National Championships in August 2012, the year in which we are celebrating our 150th anniversary. I hope that lots of competitors will come from the mainland and Europe to enjoy excellent racing, in the wonderful sailing arena of St Aubin’s Bay."
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