Hayling Islands sailing and marine pedigree is tangible most will agree. Some residents will already be aware that Pete Chilvers was the inventor of windsurfing and used the waters around Fishery Creek to perfect his design. Head to the beach on any given windy day and his legacy is obvious.
But its not just windsurfing that has firm roots in place on Hayling; kitesurfing stand up paddle boarding (the new kid on the block) kayaking yachting and dinghy sailing are all represented. The island is a noted centre of excellence for this type of activity. To further bolster this claim Hayling Island Sailing Club will be hosting the International Moth World Championships in July.
For those not familiar with the discipline; Moths are technical skiff like sail boats that feature extremely narrow hulls and can be regularly seen powering along on hydrofoils in the lightest of airs. Helms use a wing like cradle protruding from both port and starboard sides of the boat to hike out heaving against the breeze filling powerful sails. Its a technical craft to sail and can be exciting to watch for spectators.
With prestige surrounding the event itll come as no surprise that this competition has attracted the worlds elite Moth racers some from as far away as Australia and USA. To date 91 entries from 17 different countries have been received and when race day finally arrives the on water action should be impressive.
Bora Gulari from the States is the reigning champion although its not clear if he will be able to make the trek and defend his title.
For those who love watching fast and frenetic dinghy racing Hayling Island Sailing Club is the place to be in July.
