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Hyde Streaker wins at Alton
Sunday, 11 October 2009
A very shifty Force 4-5 greeted competitors at the Streaker Open at Aton Water last weekend, with Jonny Shuster's Hyde Sails powered Streaker taking the top spot ahead of Chris Woodard. Mike Haynes, also sailing with a suit of Hyde's, finished third.
It was a convincing win for Jonny, who recalls; "I felt good going into the first race, it was my kind of conditions so I felt comfortable in my ability to perform well. Halfway up the first beat I realised it was going to be a real battle against my body as my legs were on fire, despite the increase in my fitness recently. I went round the windward mark second. Went onto the long shifty reach, which is my forte, and pulled through into first. Stayed like that for the remaining two laps with no challenge, pulling out a bit towards the end."
However, the second race didn’t go to plan for Jonny as he was a bit keen at the start and had to work his way up from the back of the fleet. By the end of the first beat he was up into fifth, then the reach and by the gybe mark he was up into third. "Chris Woodard, who had a great start and had established a big lead looked un-catchable with well over a minute's lead, I grabbed distance wherever I could and by the finish was just over 10 seconds behind."
So it was all down to the third race. A good start for Jonny, but Chris got the better of the beat and rounded in the lead, however Jonny had the pace on the reach and held his lead to the finish. "An exhausting open," concludes Jonny, "I'm very satisfied with my win, it was a great first open meeting with the Hyde sail."
The new sail
We asked Jonny what he thought of his new sail. "It has a lovely shape to it and maintains its shape in the lighter airs which is something I really appreciate as it is my weakest in terms of conditions to race in. It performed brilliantly at the open, and I was able to depower it very effectively, whilst harnessing all the power I could manage downwind. I am still new to sailing with it but it has been great so far, and I look forward to continuing to race with it."
Jonny will be competing in as many of the Streaker events as he can this year, including the upcoming Northern Area Championships, the Nationals and the Inlands.
Hyde prides itself in its continual sail development, Streaker Sails are available direct from Hyde's online shop, www.hydeshop.com
It was a convincing win for Jonny, who recalls; "I felt good going into the first race, it was my kind of conditions so I felt comfortable in my ability to perform well. Halfway up the first beat I realised it was going to be a real battle against my body as my legs were on fire, despite the increase in my fitness recently. I went round the windward mark second. Went onto the long shifty reach, which is my forte, and pulled through into first. Stayed like that for the remaining two laps with no challenge, pulling out a bit towards the end."However, the second race didn’t go to plan for Jonny as he was a bit keen at the start and had to work his way up from the back of the fleet. By the end of the first beat he was up into fifth, then the reach and by the gybe mark he was up into third. "Chris Woodard, who had a great start and had established a big lead looked un-catchable with well over a minute's lead, I grabbed distance wherever I could and by the finish was just over 10 seconds behind."
So it was all down to the third race. A good start for Jonny, but Chris got the better of the beat and rounded in the lead, however Jonny had the pace on the reach and held his lead to the finish. "An exhausting open," concludes Jonny, "I'm very satisfied with my win, it was a great first open meeting with the Hyde sail."
The new sail
We asked Jonny what he thought of his new sail. "It has a lovely shape to it and maintains its shape in the lighter airs which is something I really appreciate as it is my weakest in terms of conditions to race in. It performed brilliantly at the open, and I was able to depower it very effectively, whilst harnessing all the power I could manage downwind. I am still new to sailing with it but it has been great so far, and I look forward to continuing to race with it."
Jonny will be competing in as many of the Streaker events as he can this year, including the upcoming Northern Area Championships, the Nationals and the Inlands.
Hyde prides itself in its continual sail development, Streaker Sails are available direct from Hyde's online shop, www.hydeshop.com
posted by Hyde Sails at
21:12
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