Hyde Sails UK News

Stunning spring series starts the season

Wed, 02 May 2012 13:34:00 GMT

The Warsash Spring Series and Spring Championships saw some stand-out performances for Hyde Sails

The First 40 ‘Winston’ had a fabulous result in IRC2, while the J/80s ‘J2X’ and J’ai Deux Amours’ were battling it out for the top spot.

‘Winston’s win

The First 40 ‘Winston’, owned by Andy Uren and sailed by a charter crew skippered by Philippe Falle, finished the Series in second place overall, with a stunning final two weekends to take first place in the Spring Championships.

Philippe Falle said: “It was a great series, with a range of weather conditions enabling us to really learn a lot about the boat. We particularly enjoyed the addition of the Spring Championships, which added up to four races on each Saturday providing the team with a superb opportunity to really develop their boat handling skills early in the season with some exciting racing.”

The team was a group of people who had previously sailed with Falle. He says: “They got together to form their own team chartering Winston and asked me to skipper for them.” The event was their first outing, and will be followed by the IRC Nationals.

Hyde Sails provided a brand new main and J2 for the Series as a part of their ongoing development programme. Falle explains: “We worked with them to tune the boat in an attempt to improve upwind performance, which was lacking at the start of the campaign. There was a remarkable improvement in performance in terms of height and speed as we developed the setup of the boat during the series giving Winston great pace and performance.”

J/80 battles

In the J/80 class Rob Larke’s ‘J2X’ and Stuart Hawthorn’s ‘J’Ai Deux Amours’, both powered by Hyde Sails, had a battle all championship, with ‘J2X’ edging it to take the overall title. When it came to the Spring Championships, the positions were reversed with ‘J’Ai Deux Amours’ sneaking ahead of ‘J2X’.

Rob Larke said: “It was a great event and we are delighted with the win, the Hyde one-two shows the strength of our sail development. It’s a great start to the season.” For anyone wanting to order J/80 sails ahead of the class worlds, there’s not much time left as the latest orders can be taken is Thursday May 3.

If you would like to find out more about Hyde’s J/80 or First 40 sails

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Looking ahead to a strong Skiff season

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:15:00 GMT

With the tour in Europe just getting started, the Hyde Sails team is looking forward to a busy season

2012 has already been a busy year for the 18ft Skiffs down under with the 18ft skiff league in Sydney has been under way for six months through the Australian summer and culminating in the world championships at the end of February. With the season now drawing to a close in Australia, and boats being packed into containers to start their tour of Europe and America, it’s time to dust of the cobwebs for the European fleet, with the first UK event at Stone SC.

Just six boats took part in the first event and it was a tight affair with numerous teams having spent the cold winter training and developing gear. The Hyde Sails team finished second overall in the event, despite a spectacular swim that was caught on camera!

The Hyde Sails team has been training and gathering data over the winter and hope to have the lastest updates on the boat by the second UK event (Calshot) and first European event (Hungary) in early May. The Hyde Sails team of Jack Grogan, Mike Banks and Sam Caslin, who finished last year’s season in sixth place overall in the European rankings, hope to move forward into the top three and also improve on their UK ranking position of third.

You can follow the team on Twitter@hydesails18

Hyde Sails skiff team 2012 calendar

May 5-7 UK Grand Prix - Round 2, Calshot, Solent, Hampshire
May 10-13 Euro Grand Prix - Hungary, Balatonföldvár, Lake Balaton, Hungary
June 2-9 Euro Grand Prix - Italy (European Championship), Torbole, Lake Garda, Italy
June 29-July 5 Euro Grand Prix - Turkey, Mediteranean Sea, Istanbul, Turkey
July 21-24 Euro Grand Prix - Germany, Travemuende, Germany
Sept 1-2 UK Grand Prix - Round 3, Sandbanks, Poole Bay, Dorset
Sept 28-30 UK & Euro Grand Prix - UK (National Championship), Mount Batten Centre, Plymouth Sound, Devon

For more info on Skiff sails click on the link: www.hydesails.co.uk/skiff

Winning start for Hyde Sails powered J80

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:14:00 GMT

The Easter Weekend saw the Hyde-powered J/80, helmed by Rob Larke, taking the top spot. A great start for the team, which has its eyes on the class world title later in the year

Conditions finally came good for the last day of the RORC Easter Challenge with the wind backing into the south and building to double figures and three races were held for all classes.

Rob Larke, and his team of Martin Newman, Dave Fremantle and Nic Barnes, posted three bullets in the J/80 one design class, to complete a near-perfect scoreline - dropping the previous day’s one race to the Rachel Woods-steered Jumblesail, consistently second was William Goldsmith’s team on Exess.

“It was a great weekend and we were delighted to come away with such a great result from one of the key early season regattas,” commented Larke, “We are really happy with the new sails, which we have worked continually to develop over the last few seasons. We were working on a new jib and mainsail design over the winter and are very happy with what we have done. Our boathandling and teamwork is coming together, but we still have plenty to do before the worlds.”

The team is taking the campaign seriously: “We are sailing every weekend from now until the worlds and we will be going to Dartmouth after the Spring Series to train down there,” explains Larke. “We have done a lot of work to boat to make sure every box is ticked, we just want to make sure the boat is as fast as possible and all the changes and sail development are a good step in the right direction.” What is the team’s aim for the championship? “It would be good to be in the top five, but you never know who and what will turn up at the worlds.” There’s no doubt that the team is in with a good shout, and the one thing they won’t be lacking is boatspeed.

If you would like to find out more about Hyde’s J80 sails then contact:

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Yacht Race Training Weekend

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:21:00 GMT

The 2012 Scottish yacht training weekend in Androssan, gave crews an ideal chance to tune up ahead of the new season

Over the weekend of April 14-15 a fleet of 15 yachts gathered in Androssan for the annual preseason race training weekend.

With the yachts ranging in size from a Beneteau 47.7 to three SB3s, the crews participated in five races each day. Although it was a cold breeze of between five to 15 knots, the sun shone making it ideal training conditions. The days started with a briefing, followed by the racing and various boathandling exercises afloat and finished with a de-brief back ashore.

Led by Barry Dunning, the coaching team followed the fleet around the course, offering top tips, joining crews aboard the yachts and removing trimmers to see the sail set ups from off the boat.

The improvement by the crews over the weekend in both their sail trimming and boat handling was noted by the coaching team and will hopefully lead to those who participated starting the racing season taking podium positions.

Scottish Hyde Sails agents Kevin Aitken and Chic Medley were in attendance throughout the weekend in a coaching role, along with Wooderz, from the Hyde Sails office, who had journeyed up from the South Coast.

For more information about the event or Hyde Sails in Scotland please contact;

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Hyde success in Sussex Regatta

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:18:00 GMT

A first and two seconds for the top Hyde-powered boats competing in the 2012 event

The Sussex Regatta is traditionally the first of the season, taking place over Easter weekend. This year the event was
hosted by Sovereign Harbour YC in Eastbourne, with the fleet split into three classes, two IRC fleets and one SCCH - a
local PY handicap system.

With one race on Friday and three on Saturday and Sunday, conditions ranged from drifting in sunshine to 18 knots
and drizzle, with a whole variety of weather conditions in between.

The top performers
Hyde Sails was well represented between the three classes racing, In IRC2, the star performer was ‘Catch 22’, a
Quarter Tonner, owned by Tim Cork, which finished first in class, using Hyde membrane sails.

In IRC 1 the J/105 ‘Neilson Redeye’,owned by Pip and Pete Tyler, was the top Hyde-powered performer in class and
finished second overall in class using a set of Hyde carbon laminate sails.

In SCCH (Sussex Combined Club Handicap) ‘Gelig Knight’, a GK29, owned by Nick Lawden, was the top finishing Hyde
boat, finishing second overall in class using woven polyester sails.

For more information on Hyde Sails and the classes and results mentioned, contact:

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Hyde-powered Squib wins Mike Flint Trophy

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:53:00 GMT

Malcolm Hutchings on ‘Lady P’ takes the title after a weekend of close racing
in Burnham

The Mike Flint Trophy, held in Burnham on Crouch, saw 11 boats starting the first race to the west. Places changed
so many times that everybody lost track of who was where, in the end Humphrey got away and won, Guy Fawkes after
being very lonely on the western bank, sailed around the floundering fleet in the Creeksea hole, to come second, Frodo
took a similar route to finish third.

On Saturday afternoon the fleet raced to the East. A fair tide beat to No1 saw Lady P first followed by Brutus, Spoof and
Surprise. Places changed throughout the fleet, but the front four managed to keep their distance. The last mark was
Horse Shoal, which gave the decision of which side of the river to go for the finish. The three on the north shore had a
close downwind tussle to the finish with numerous gybes in the shallow waters, with Brutus first, second going to Spoof,
very closely followed by Surprise and Lady P, only 23 seconds between second and fourth.

Sunday’s racing
Easter Sunday started with a race the East. Lady P got away on the start to leeward of the fleet and took the race win,
behind places changed a bit on the reaching course, Spoof finishing second and Chequemate being the biggest mover
in the race came back from being last to third.

Sunday afternoon saw the fleet racing to the East. Spoof and Surprise got away on the spinnaker reach to Greenwood,
but by the time the fleet had got to Jubilee the positions had changed, Lady P rounded first followed by Surprise, Spoof
had taken the east side of the Roach and came in with Brutus, Guy Fawkes and Chequemate, Spoof went low leaving
Brutus and Guy Fawkes to their own battle which let them slip through to third. The race continued in the strong ebbing
time to the last mark, Holiwell, which left a very long creep along the north shore as the wind dropped off, Lady P still
leading now closely followed by Spoof, then Surprise, Frodo, Chequemate, Brutus, Guy Fawkes, What’s the Story and
Crackers, Guy Fawkes found their sweet spot and sailed through the chasing fleet in the decreasing breeze catching
Surprise towards the finish, but the breeze picked up and Surprise was able to keep third behind Lady P and Spoof.

Close finale
By the last day, the points at the top were close, Lady P and Spoof were both on six followed by Brutus on nine. Eight
squibs headed out in the overcast and breezy weather starting to the east. Surprise got a great start and pulled away
from the fleet in some great surfing conditions, Guy Fawkes lead the rest of the fleet with Spoof and Lady P vying for
position to try and win the regatta. Lady P broke loose getting into second and kept nibbling away at Surprise’s lead until
eventually she crept inside at Roach buoy, keeping the lead back to the finish first by four seconds and win the regatta.

www.hydesails.co.uk/squib

Hyde Sails out and about over Easter

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:14:00 GMT

Many of the Hyde Sails team will be taking to the water aboard a wide variety of boats, attending events or working over the Easter weekend at locations around the coast. It’s your perfect opportunity to say hello or have a chat as we are always happy to offer advice and assistance. Where will you find us? The breadth of locations and types of boats reflects the diversity of our products and the team’s commitment and passion to what we do.

Squib sailing

A number of the Hyde Sails’ team will be sailing Squibs over the weekend, including Hyde’s Managing Director Nigel Grogan and Jack Grogan, Accessories Manager, who will be racing from Burnham on the East Coast, together with Andy Ramsey (Hyde’s Agent in Burnham on Crouch).

Yacht and keelboat racing

RORC’s iconic season-opener, the Red Funnel Easter Regatta is traditionally a competitive event and three of the team will be there including Sales Manager Paul Austin, Production Manager Martin Newman and Hamble Distributor Rob Larke (racing a J/80 as part of their build up to the worlds later in the year). Sail Designer Richard Lovering will be Laser SB3 training in the Solent, while Cornish Distributor Alan Harris will be SB3 racing at Rutland Water. Our Salesman Wooderz will be racing a J/105 at the Sussex Regatta in Eastbourne

Club dinghy sailing – Moths, Blazes, F18s, Optimists and more

If you see an International Moth flying past Hayling Island, it may well be Hyde’s Design Director Mike Lennon, while on the East Coast Hyde’s Maldon Agent Andy McIvor will be Blaze sailing from Blackwater SC and Simon Northrop (Hyde Distributor for the South- East) will be yacht sailing on Friday at Ramsgate and then F18 sailing at Minnis Bay SC. Hyde’s new North Wales Agent Jeremy Entwhistle will be attending various events over the weekend, including the Youth Nationals at Pwllheli (Thursday/Friday), Optimist training at Port Dinorwic SC (Saturday) and Phantom sailing at Red Wharf Bay SC (Sunday/Monday). Our Agent for South-West Scotland, Kevin Aitkin, will also be at the Youth Nationals.

Boat preparation and cruising

Mike Ennis (Hyde’s Agent in Northern Ireland) is preparing his Half Tonner for the regional IRC championships, while Chris Holman (Hyde’s Agent in Chichester) is finishing re-building a dinghy in readiness for the forthcoming season. For many sailors based in the Channel Islands, cruising holds a massive draw. Sam Masterman (Hyde’s Agent in Jersey) is no exception and will be spending his Easter weekend cruising the Cherbourg peninsula.

Open days, visits and manning the sail loft

For some of our team, there’s not much chance to get out on the water themselves. John McMurtie (Hyde’s Agent in Aldeburgh) is hosting an open weekend at his new shop. Steve Douthwaite (Distributor for the North-East of England) is visiting the Royal Northumberland YC and Derwent Reservoir SC delivering sails and tuning rigs. Meanwhile in Scotland, Peter Watt (Agent for North-West Scotland) will be visiting customers’ yachts in the Oban area, while Chic Medley (Agent for East Scotland) will be busy working away in his sail loft.

Hyde Sails celebrates a strong start to 2012

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:29:00 GMT

Hyde Sails enjoyed a great start to the year with a highly successful London Boat Show

The Hyde Sails team was out in force, enjoying an excellent 10 days at the recent Tullet Prebon London Boat Show, both on Hyde’s own stand, and throughout the show, on boats and as part of a variety of exhibits and demonstrations.

A stand worth visiting

Two Illusion keelboats were on display on the Hyde stand, illustrating Hyde’s high quality sails and perfectly located next to the Guinness Bar. With the Hyde team on hand to offer advice to customers and discuss their sail requirements, it proved an ideal stop-off for many visitors. As well as the Hyde designers and management, many of our UK distributors were on hand offering additional local expertise and support and it was a real pleasure to meet so many of our customers.

Around the show

If you missed the Illusions on the stand, that’s because they were often busy elsewhere around the Show, including spending two days match racing on the pool for the Royal Thames match racing event.

Hyde’s sails were also involved in the popular cruising chute and spinnaker demonstrations, which took place regularly through the show, providing tips on setting and utilising the sails for the best performance possible. We enjoy being involved in this project as we take great delight in helping our customers to use their boats and their sails more effectively.

Wherever you walked Hyde’s sails were on display on a huge variety of craft from dinghies to cruising yachts. It was useful for us to meet many of our trade customers, whether they were exhibiting or visiting the show for meetings - an ideal opportunity to discuss any new projects, existing delivery, supply and R&D that we could help with.

Backed up by the Hyde network

Hyde’s sails are now backed up even more comprehensively than ever thanks to the company’s national network that offers support around the country. The show stand was manned during the week by agents and distributors from Essex, Kent, North, Cornwall, Portsmouth, Scotland, Cowes and North Wales. This gave them a chance to meet one another and get more involved in the Hyde brand, while customers could meet the new distributors in their local area.

Hyde’s network is perfectly placed to look after every area of the UK offering a truly local service, with the backing of an international brand and we look forward to continuing to help yacht and dinghy owners and manufacturers get the most out of their craft.

Hyde Sails at Dusseldorf

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:31:00 GMT

The Dusseldorf Boat Show opens this weekend, and Hyde Sails will exhibiting, with its German distributor and a range of their European agents on hand to help visitors.

After a great success at the Hamburg boat show, which saw the launch of the Hyde marquee into the German market, Arne Wolpers and the Hyde Sails team will be exhibiting at Boot Dusseldorf, which runs from January 21-29.

Arne Wolpers is Hyde’s distributor in Germany. A highly experienced sailmaker who has been working in the industry for over 30 years, his knowledge is invaluable and he will be on hand for the whole show to advise visitors on their sail requirements.

The show is a perfect opportunity to meet Arne and other members of the Hyde Sails team in time to plan your sail wardrobe for the new season ahead – simply drop in to Hall 11 Stand B57 and the team will be delighted to see you.

For more details on Hyde’s rapidly expanding global network,
see www.hyde-sail.de

Hyde Sails expands into Eastern Europe

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:34:00 GMT

Hyde Sails has a new distributor in Eastern Europe, the Westport Company, which will introduce the brand to Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia.

Hyde Sails’ international network is continuing to flourish and the most recent addition to the worldwide team is the Westport Company Kft.

The Westport Company is well established in its business selling boats, equipment and sails in Central Europe since 2003. With affiliated firms in Germany and Croatia since 2006 it has been actively trading throughout the EU, building up a strong reputation. It is ideally placed to introduce the brand to Eastern Europe, distributing Hyde’s sails in Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia.

Heading up the business is Tibor Bednár, who has been working in the ndustry since 1991 and sailing since 1996. Over the course of his career Tibor helped to establish the X-35 OD class on Lake Balaton. As well as being chief of the class, he is an active racer and two-times Hungarian Champion.

For more details see www.hydesails.hu

Hyde Sails announces Portsmouth agent

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:12:00 GMT

Flew Sails in Portsmouth is the latest loft to join the Hyde Sails network in the UK…

Hyde has announced the latest addition to its local dealership network, Mark Flew’s Flew Sails, based in Portsmouth Harbour.

Mark Flew set up Flew Sails in 1988 and the company has built up a reputation for excellent service. Mark’s interest in sailmaking came from his love of dinghy sailing. On leaving school he joined a world class sailmaker and rapidly learnt his trade, fortunate as he was to join at a time when there were rapid developments in new techniques and materials. Building his experience in a wide range of sailmaking, from yachts to dinghies and repairs, he rose to the position of service manager before deciding to branch out on his own.

Offering new sails, repairs and cover-making, as well as offering a rigging service, Flew Sails has done a lot of repair work for Sunsail over the years and as Hyde was supplying Sunsail’s sails, this was where the association began. ‘Because of our involvement, we have seen the sails close-up over a number of years and we have been impressed with the standard of the Hyde finishing and the Hyde brand in general,’ explains Mark.

On taking on the dealership Mark outlined what an excellent match Hyde was. ‘I thought it would mesh together very nicely, an international brand mixed with a local sailmaker.’ He added: ‘Some customers still like their sails made on the loft floor here, others would prefer a sail made abroad. We can offer them both options as well as offering them the best local service. The important thing is, whether their sail is made here or abroad, by doing it through a local sailmaker all the details are checked for the customer. The boat is measured professionally and we are on hand to offer advice and service throughout the sail’s life.’

The appointment is all part of the growth of Hyde’s local network in the UK. For more details on Hyde’s network see www.hydesails.com or to find out more about Hyde Sails in Portsmouth Harbour contact:

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Hyde Sails appoints north-west agent

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:43:00 GMT

Hyde is delighted to announce the appointment of a new agent in the north-west. Ben Duke joins the Hyde Sails team as the company’s agent after his relocation to the area.

Ben has over 20 years experience in the marine industry working for a variety of companies including five years at Hyde Sails. He has also worked for a variety of dinghy and yacht manufacturers, in sales and on the yard management and yacht commissioning side.

Ben will be offering the full services of a Hyde agent, including advice for all types of sailors on their existing sail wardrobe and offering expert assistance with upgrades and replacements. His wealth of experience both within the brand, and from the other side as a customer, mean he is ideally placed to offer a great service.

‘As well as a strong name, the Hyde team has got immense experience and expertise,’ says Ben, who is looking forward to being involved with the brand again. ‘With their high quality manufacturing processes I have every confidence in Hyde’s design and manufacture. Hyde delivers a fantastic product and has an impressive fulfillment record, so I know I can rely them on in terms of getting sails to new customers, and their performance on the race course, whether it be in the dinghy or the yacht market.’

Ben has been sailing on Hyde-powered boats for many years, including in the J/80 class, Laser SB3 and Melges 32. He’s also competed in the Round Britain and Ireland Race and enjoys cruising on the family’s Beneteau 40cc. Having moved north to be near his family, Ben will be sailing from the Blackpool and Fleetwood YC.

The appointment is all part of the growth of Hyde’s local network in the UK. For more details on Hyde’s network see www.hydesails.com or to find out more about Hyde Sails in the north-west, contact:

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Hyde Sails appoints Kent agent

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:01:00 GMT

Hyde is delighted to announce the appointment of a new agent in Kent, Northrop Sails run by Simon and Sandy Northrop.

Northrop Sails is based in Ramsgate Royal Harbour, Kent, alongside the Marina which holds pleasure and commercial craft. The company offers a full range of sailmaking services, cover making and repair.

Northrop Sails was set up 18 years ago by Simon Northrop. Simon’s sailmaking experience is immense as over the years he has made sails for anything from traditional old gaffers to high performance yachts. Having originally trained at Chichester College, Simon joined a sailmakers in Kent to continue his apprenticeship until starting Northrop Sails in 1993. Sandy was a Sales Executive for Topper International and White Formula before joining Northrop Sails in 1998.

Explaining their decision to join Hyde Sails, Sandy said: ‘Hyde has a proven track record of quality sails combined with its experience and expertise we felt we could further enhance our services to our existing and future customers.’

Both Simon and Sandy are keen sailors. Currently campaigning an F18 on the international circuit Simon has a vast array of experience in many different classes over the years including Lasers, Skiffs, Tornados and also helms a Beneteau First 45 for a local owner. Sandy has competed in both national and international sailing events. Simon and Sandy sailed together competitively for 10 years, before Sandy went on to helm her own boats as well as being a key crew member on a Beneteau First 45.

The appointment is all part of the growth of Hyde’s local network in the UK. For more details on Hyde’s network see www.hydesails.com or to find out more about Hyde Sails in Kent, contact:

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Hyde on show as Champion of Champions is crowned

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:06:00 GMT

The Endeavour Trophy, the race to decide the dinghy classes’ ‘champion of champions’ - featuring a fleet of Topper Xenons sporting smart Hyde sails - saw a real battle to decide the 2011 title.

Since its early beginnings, Hyde Sails has had a close association with the dinghy classes and the annual race to determine the ‘champion of champions.’ For the last six years the event has been run with the support of Topper who provide Xenons for the racing to ensure a level playing field, and Hyde supplying the sails. This partnership, together with the host club the Royal Corinthian YC, has seen the event continue to showcase the country’s top dinghy racing talent and go from strength to strength.

The big story this year was the tight battle at the front between youth and more experienced crews. OK class representative Nick Craig, crewed by Toby Lewis, eventually won the event, making it Craig’s fifth Endeavour title.

However, Craig and Lewis didn’t have it all their own way, and racing went down to the wire in the last of the eight-race series. Their biggest threat was the young, talented RS200 national champions – James Peters and Alan Roberts – who were leading the championship after the first day. Third place went to Scorpion class representatives Tom Jeffcoate and Mark Hogan.

With two impressive race wins for Craig, two second places for Peters in today’s first two races, and just two points between them, the scene was set for a spectacular showdown, and what a showdown it was. Craig and Lewis did what came naturally in their vulnerable position by switching into match racing mode. They did a particularly good job initially, which put them both at the tail end of the fleet but the canny youngsters were fully focussed which meant they were ready to pounce when Team Craig slipped up during a tack during the closing stages of the second beat. A coming together resulted in Craig and Lewis having to carry out penalty turns, which meant Peters and Roberts were able to slip ahead and maintain their controlling position to the finish. Unfortunately, it was too late to change the result, which meant Craig and Lewis had done enough to secure the championship.

Hyde is proud to be involved with the event, which epitomises its strong involvement on the UK’s dinghy classes.

Pete Goss MBE supports new Hyde distributor

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:38:00 GMT

Legendary sailor, Pete Goss MBE, has helped re-launch a sailmaking business in Fowey, which has been taken over by the student of the original owner. A new Hyde Sails distributor for Cornwall, Sail Shape will provide a full range of services…

Alan Harris-Guerrero (24) served an apprenticeship with Andy Mitchell of Mitchell’s Sails, before travelling to Australia and New Zealand to further his career. Now back in the town where he went to school, Alan has just bought the business and is now employing his former boss! At an official launch ceremony Pete Goss spoke of his enthusiasm supporting new ventures involving young people.

Alan, who last year sailed across the Atlantic twice in a Sadler 25, has renamed the business Sail Shape Limited offering the designing, making and repairing of sails, covers and awnings. He is also a supplier of running and standing rigging for yachts and a distributor for Hyde Sails. He now employs two people, his former boss Andy Mitchell and apprentice Hans Viemeyer who also went to Fowey Community College.

Alan says that although his dream of having his own company has come true, he’s aware of the challenges ahead: ‘I appreciate that this will be hard work but with Andy’s support and that of my suppliers and customers, who I thank wholeheartedly, I’m sure we can broaden our scope and make a go of the business. My working relationship with Andy is superb and I know that together we can now develop the one-design and cruiser sail business particularly. I’m only sorry I couldn’t invite all my customers to the launch, but with that many people I was worried that the loft floor might give way!’

Andy Mitchell, who founded Mitchell Sails in 1983, marked the handover of the business to Alan by presenting him with a sailmaking palm, saying: ‘Alan was a very willing apprentice before heading off to work in Australia and New Zealand, but like a boomerang, he came back and now I wish him all the best as he takes over the business.’

Pete Goss MBE officially launched the new business, saying: ‘I love new beginnings. I first came across Alan when I read about his extraordinary trip across the Atlantic and always hoped I would meet him one day. When he called me and all this enthusiasm came down the phone, I just knew I had to support this little loft with big ideas. Alan’s challenges when crossing the Atlantic will actually help him face the tasks ahead as he ventures into the world of business and I wish him well.’ Pete then invited the guests to raise their glasses to ‘fair winds for the future and to lofty ideas’.

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Burnham Week success for Hutchings

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:57:00 GMT

Malcolm Hutchings is continuing to impress in the Squib fleet with his latest triumphs at Burnham Week and the Southerns held on the Isle of Wight…

2011 has been a great season for Malcolm Hutchings in his Hyde Sails-powered Squib ‘Lady Penelope’, showing the high calibre of development work which the Hyde design and production teams have put into the latest generation of Hyde Squib sails.

The Squib class was once again the largest at Burnham Week, with a 20-boat fleet. The week started in typical Burnham style – with a running start and variable conditions from drifting to fully hiking; sun and rain. Early leaders ‘Surprise’ (760) and ‘Lady Penelope’ (819) at the first mark headed towards the north shore to escape the tide but ‘Trophoblast’ (761) and ‘Humphrey’ (823) tacked into the middle of river and into a favourable breeze to lead at the next mark with ‘Chequemate’ (157) in hot pursuit. In very changeable conditions over the next loop of the course ‘Humphrey’ overhauled both ‘Trophoblast’ and ‘Chequemate’ to win.

On day two, most of the fleet went out on a starboard gybe to the south shore to beat the tide only to see ‘Festina Lente’ (678) and ‘Electra’ (709) hug the north shore to arrive at the first mark a country mile ahead. ‘Lady Penelope’ caught the leaders coming out of the Roach with a quick kite hoist and a dive off to the east shore out of the tide and finally managed to overtake ‘Festina Lente’ a few hundred metres before the line. Race two of the day saw ‘Lady Penelope’ slip past ‘Trophoblast’ on last beat to win.

Another foul tide running start greeted the fleet on Monday. ‘Surprise’ led to the finish with ‘Brutus’ second. ‘Lady Penelope’ recovered from an OCS to fifth to win the David Eagling Trophy for the Bank Holiday weekend point’s series. On Tuesday, ‘Humphrey’, ‘Guy Fawkes’ (72) and ‘What’s the Story’ (779) disappeared into distance on the north shore. ‘Lady Penelope’ was the leading lemming and went off in hot pursuit of the leaders to finish third. No wind meant no racing on Wednesday, but Thursday saw a medium breeze coming from the East. ‘Lady Penelope’ was leading on the first loop but tacked too early for a mark and let ‘Spoof’ overtake, and so they finished.

Friday was Duerr Trophy day and a westerly breeze, but not much of it, and another running start. ‘Humphrey’ lead from ‘Guy Fawkes’, but coming out of the Roach, ‘Trophoblast’ flew downwind against the tide to take the lead. However on arriving just before the mark the wind switched off and the fleet compressed to almost line abreast and we were joined at the same time by the RBOD fleet. ‘Trophoblast’ rounded first , ‘Lady Penelope’ second and after much exchanging of pleasantries and a bit of bumper boats between the two fleets, ‘Spoof’ rounded third and ‘Humphrey’ fourth. These positions remained unchanged giving ‘Lady Penelope’ the midweek points.

Inter Island Race Win

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:53:00 GMT

David Jones talks about his Carey Olsen Inter Island Yacht Race win in his Jersey-based Beneteau 34.7 'Jackana'…

Running for nearly half a century and currently sponsored by Law firm Carey Olsen, the Jersey to Guernsey race is the biggest event in the Channel Island racing calendar and is definitely the one to win.

‘A general recall at the start helped us to identify just how packed the committee boat end would be so we chose to start half way down the line in clear breeze, hoisted our Hyde AP asymmetric spinnaker and powered away in clear air,’ recalls David. ‘Arriving at the turning mark just behind the lead group of Melges 24’s and first keelboat, proved to be one of the deciding factors in the race,’ he adds.

‘The long beat to Guernsey, in sloppy seas proved difficult for many boats,’ David says. ‘It was vital to keep the boat moving fast over a confused wave pattern and as with all our sails from Hyde’s, we were able to change gear easily throughout the day to maintain ‘Jackana’s’ momentum.’

David explains: ‘A key navigation factor when sailing between the Islands is to reach St Martin’s point off Guernsey before the tide turns south against you. If this is not looking possible it is sometimes best to head east up to Sark and crab your way across to the finish line off St Peter Port. Early indicators looked like the latter would be the best strategy, however progress on the day quickly led to a decision to keep west and play the shifts as we were making gains on every tack.

‘It was definitely a day for putting the kitchen table navigation to one side and to go with the conditions in front of us on the day. Internet research prior to the race by our tactician also helped our decision to bank west as a predicted shift arrived on time and gave us a fine reach to line, leaving many with an upwind slog to the finish.’

Remarkably, after four hours 20 minutes, ‘Jackana’ had stretched out a lead from the entire fleet bar one, a J/122 that took line honors just seven minutes ahead of them.

The final corrected times between each yacht were very close, but the win was ‘Jackana’s. David says: ‘Thanks to the care, knowledge and research that went into our latest set of sails, the Team from Hyde’s were able not only to reduce our rating, but through efficient sail shapes also helped us to increase our speed on the water. Both factors helped to give us the jump on the day. A great job guys!’

All the more poignant for David was the fact that his late father won this race in 2004 aboard the Alan Buchanan Clyde Cruising Club One Design he built himself in 1964. ‘All in all, it was a very special day for the family,’ David concludes.

Southampton Boat Show

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:50:00 GMT

Your chance to get a fantastic deal on your new Hyde sails

Wandering around the forthcoming Southampton Boat Show (September 16-25 2011), you’ll spot the distinctive Hyde logo on a wide range of boats, from dinghies to cruiser-racers. While you might not be ready to buy a new boat right now, investing in a suit of sails can give your current craft a new lease of life.

If you would like to talk to meet with a Hyde sails representative during the Southampton Boat Show to discuss a new or outstanding quote then we have people on hand during week. Rather than operating from a dedicated stand, with all its associated distractions, we have always chosen to use the time to sit down individually with our customers. Over the last year our UK network of lofts has grown considerably, offering you technical support at local level and a number of the Hyde team members will be in attendance over the course of the show.

Not only is a great opportunity to get some expert advice about your existing sail wardrobe and your plans for the future, but it’s also your chance to benefit from Hyde’s amazing winter deals.

So why not book an appointment for a chat? Appointments are available Monday-Friday, and all you need to do is call +44 (0)7801 907458 and speak to Paul Austin to arrange a time.

Clipper Race News - Sewing in the sunshine

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:45:00 GMT

Together with taking in the sights that Rio de Janeiro has to offer, including Sugarloaf Mountain and Corcovado, the crew members of the Clipper Race have been busy preparing their racing yachts for the next leg of the 40,000-mile adventure.

High on the list of priorities this week has been sail repair, with work needed on a number of the teams’ sail wardrobe after their first Atlantic Ocean crossing, from Madeira to Rio.

Martin Newman, Yacht Sail Production Manager at Hyde Sails, has been on hand to offer advice to the crew as maintenance began on spinnakers, mainsails and Yankees.

“It’s been great to see a number of the crew with their sewing machines and hand sewing thread out, getting on with their repairs in the Rio sunshine,” says Martin.

“The end results of their days of labour, sweating over sails, are something they should all be proud of and something they will definitely benefit from in the long run as the race progresses.”

Hyde is one of the world’s largest volume sail producers and will be providing support to all the teams of the Clipper Race throughout the event.

Race 3 sees the fleet set sail for Cape Town, South Africa, on Saturday 10 September.

Clipper Race News

Will Sayer wins doublehanded Fastnet

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:43:00 GMT

Former Ostar class winner Will Sayer almost missed this year’s Fastnet Race completely... instead he walked away with a decisive doublehanded win on his Sigma 33c ‘Elmareen’… he tells the story through all its ups and downs…

The reason for entering the Fastnet for me was to back my the OSTAR win two years earlier. I had been out of the racing scene ever since and I desperately wanted to prove ‘Elmarleen ‘and I weren’t a one trick pony and we had been preparing for the race all year.

However, the decision to go on the morning of the race was an agonising one. Tamsin my partner had given birth to our first child Harrison [16 days late] only 14 days earlier via a c-section. How could I be a good father leaving my 14-day-old baby on his own? Did I really want to miss a week of my son’s life so early on? And to top it all off, looking at the weather forecast it didn’t look like it was going to be a small boat race! Tam told me to go but on one condition; I brought back Harrison a trophy!

Start
‘The squadron start line was particularly familiar this year having sailed the qualifiers, RTIR and now the Fastnet. The winds were ideal for ‘Elmarleen’ and she was sailing to her handicap. We had a reasonable start, starting at the Squadron end of the line. Being the slowest boat in the race, it is always easy to know how well you’re doing – everyone should be in front! We raced down the western Solent in the middle of the pack trying to hold onto the faster boats for as long as possible. The wind picked up as we reached Hurst and we put our first reef of the race in the main and carried on sailing towards the Needles. In an effort to get further to windward and use our shallow draft we went very close to the Shingles Bank, which was particularly choppy and rough.

We took the advantage of the fair tide for as long as possible and beat our way towards the St Albans head. As we got nearer the turn of the tide we tacked and started to lay a line to clear Portland Bill and get us further offshore. At this moment we got our first position report and ‘Elmarleen’ was leading the two-handed class.

Early part of the race
Our tack to clear Portland turned into a long offshore leg which we followed though the night. In the morning of day two, the forecast south-westerly came in and we tacked in a Falmouth direction. Throughout the day we were lifted and lifted towards the Lizzard. Later that day we picked up phone reception and got our second position report. Our ‘theoretical’ lead generated by the tracker’s position had eroded and we were now very much mid-fleet. We had dropped to 16th Two-handed, 26th in Class 4 and 171st overall. There had been little to get or do wrong so far in this race and we seemed to have thrown our advantage away already.

As we approached the Lizzard we ran the engine to charge our batteries and to add insult to injury the alternator mounting bracket sheered leaving us with no means to charge batteries. Some quick thinking and a dismantled saloon table soon had a temporary fix in place but we didn’t know how long would that hold.

The wind built to 25 knots as we sailed towards Land’s End and then on past the seven stones. The reefs went back in and we settled in for a rough night. The wind eased by early morning and by mid afternoon we found ourselves becalmed mid Celtic sea. Eventually the wind filled in and we started a light air beat toward the rock. Eventually the wind filled in and we started a light air beat toward the rock.

Rounding the rock
Having been out of any communications since clearing Land’s End we were desperate to pick up phone reception and confirm our position. After our last report at the Lizzard and being becalmed for a few hours on the way to the rock our hopes weren’t that high. To our amazement we were leading the Two-handed Class and had moved into third in Class 4. Also came the shocking news of ‘Rambler’s’ capsize. The wind freed us and we flew the Hyde asymmetric with the apparent wind at 60 degrees right into the lee of the Fastnet Rock where we gybed and peeled to the brand-new Hyde Code 2 Spinnaker. Unfortunately the forecast looked like this seven-mile leg to Pantaneus buoy was going to be the only opportunity to use our newest sail.

Finish
We reached the rhumb line course to the Bishop Rock lighthouse off the Scilles keeping track of all the boats around us. Being one of the smallest and slowest boats in the race you don’t expect to have many around you at this stage, but to our surprise we were well amongst the fleet. We rounded Bishop Rock late morning on day four of the race and sailed close-hauled back to the Lizzard. Now in constant phone reception we were able to monitor our live position as the boats ahead of us finished in Plymouth. We had increased our lead on the last leg and now were leading the Two-handed Class and Class 4, and were in the top 10 overall. We calculated that we needed to finish the race by 0800hrs on Friday to maintain these positions.

With the conditions we had, our ETA was more like 0300, but we didn’t want to get too excited. The reports coming back were of the fleet parking up in the approach to Plymouth and the forecast suggested this was only going to get worse. We did everything we could to maximise our speed as we approached the Lizzard and entered the last 40 miles of the race, but as we got closer to Plymouth the wind dropped until we were totally becalmed.

By sunrise we were 11 miles from the finish, but the sea was like a mirror. There was no way we were going to make it in by 0800. We recalculated the finish time required to win the Two-handed Class which was 1300hrs and all our efforts became focused on achieving that. We ghosted across the finish line having seen our eight-hour lead in the Two-handed Class diminished to just one, we lost our Class 4 win and our overall position dropped to 41st.

Sails
As the race was offshore with some potential for heavier winds we made the decision to run with the bullet-proof Hyde’s sails I used for my 2009 OSTAR - it’s always nice to know you have a third reef that works. This suit of sails has done four Atlantic crossings and in the region of 20,000 miles and still seem to be able to deliver results.

We also made the decision earlier in the year to improve ‘Elmarleen’s’ downwind performance and added a large Hyde Code 2 Spinnaker. It proved to be invaluable in the later stages of the race when we ghosting for the finish line.

If you had told me before the start I would have walked away with the Two-handed Class win, a fourth in Class 4 and an overall IRC position of 41st, I would have chewed you hand off. But having been first in Class 4 and sixth overall 11 miles from the finish I feel a little cheated by the weather and in mixed minds about the result, but hey that’s yachts racing!

For more information, contact Paul Austin (T: +44 (0) 7801 907458).

West Highland success

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:46:00 GMT

David Cooper’s ‘Redwing’ won the recent West Highland Week… we asked him to tell his tale of the event.

Day 1: Craobh to Oban. Cold, wet and blustery, winds gusting well over 20 knots. We had a good start tacked back and forth down to a race mark south of Ardliung Buoy, with ‘Marisca’ slightly ahead of us. Turned north at Ardluing, hoisted the spinnaker and started the long run back to Oban. On the edge of what we could cope with at times, struggling to prevent the boat broaching in the stronger gusts. Eventually decided to drop the spinnaker. Sailed through the worsening conditions for half an hour before re-hoisting spinnaker as the wind decreased. All this time we were the just behind ‘Marisca’ but easily the leading boat in our class on corrected time. Coming into more sheltered waters the wind veered and we swapped the spinnaker for the cruising chute which we held till we crossed the line in the sound of Kerrera.

Day 2: Round the cans in the Sound of Lismore. We had a mediocre start in the first race as the wind both dropped and veered on the line. Made up ground on the first leg under main and furling genoa, raised the spinnaker at the windward mark and made up more ground. Finished third over the line, first on corrected. In the afternoon’s race, we tacked after crossing the line to look for clean air, but other boats in our class got away from us and we finished fourth.

Day 3: Due to adverse tidal conditions, the round Lismore race was been replaced by a course south of Kerrera but the light winds delayed the start. Eventually a short course was set in almost non-existent winds. We drifted for what seemed like an eternity watching with despair as other boats in our class seemed to find zephyrs of wind which we could not. Eventually we worked our way round the small island at the south end of Kerrera which we had to leave to starboard, and there we found that all the boats which were ahead of us had been caught and swept back through he gap by the tide. We crept up the side, got through, wind picked up and we had a lovely beat to the windward mark and run back to the finish line, coming third. Used all sails at different stages of the race, including the cruising chute.

Day 4: The race to Tobermory was cancelled due to lack of wind.

Day 5: We raced for three hours again in light conditions. Round the cans racing in the sound of Mull. The race was abandoned (timed out) when we were about 200 yards short of the finishing line and a country mile ahead of all other boats in our class. Despite not finishing, we were so far ahead of our competitors it demonstrated the effectiveness of the sails in light conditions. We even were overtaking boats twice our size at one stage.

Day 6: The passage race to Oban. Plenty of wind at last, leading the points series at this stage with only one boat (‘Marisca’) which realistically could still beat us overall. Spinnaker up at the top of Calve Island and onto the stern of ‘Marisca’, a much faster boat than ‘Redwing’. However she could not shake us off, and apart from a brief period when we overtook her, we stuck to her like a shadow all the way down past Lismore Light to the finish about a mile out of Oban. Another first, which clinched the series. We found out later we had the fastest corrected time out of the whole 100-boat fleet, and the fastest accumulated time for the week’s passage races.

In summary
The passage races, from Craobh to Oban and Oban to Tobermory were our best races, partly because the wind was strongest on these days and Redwing moves best in windy conditions, especially downwind with the beautifully shaped new Hyde spinnaker. With only three on board (Christine Macfarlane-Slack , Twig Olsen, and myself) we were at our limits at times especially on the first race to Oban from Craobh, but going through the tidal gate at Fladda touching 12 knots on a 28ft boat was very exhilarating if not a little scary!

Although the Spinnaker is new, the main and genoa are older (at least three or four seasons of very hard use), but despite their age they have held their shape well and done us proud. We have discussed renewing one or both of these sails for next season, and given the success we have had with Hyde sails and ‘Redwing’ we certainly would not look to anyone else other than Hyde to supply us.

Hyde’s Scottish Agents:
Clyde - Kevin Aitken - kevin@aitkensports.co.uk - 07778788855
North west – Peter Watt - wttpet@aol.com - 07763 552422
East Coast – Chic Medley – chic@onetel.com - 07974074493

Hyde Sails makes its presence felt in Cornwall

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:40:00 GMT

Hyde’s sails are making their mark in the south-west with a new distributor, Alan Harris, who has been having a busy summer

IRC south-west championship
The Plymouth IRC south-west championship in July saw some great sailing in all classes. Conditions varied right across the board from near gales to sitting on leeward rails. ‘Ayala’, with Alan on board as trimmer/tactician put in a strong performance to finish second in IRC 1.

Fowey-Flushing Race
The race from Fowey to Flushing and back again a few weeks later saw a great fleet of nearly 30 boats in Class 1, including ‘Balladier’, Alan Harris’s own boat, an Albin Ballad, came in second overall, just 10 seconds off first place.

Fowey Royal Regatta 2011
The light wind Regatta gave some very tactical sailing in St. Austell bay. Again the A35, ‘Ayala’ with Alan on board, was in impressive form and won the Mark Goble trophy home for winning the series in IRC Q class. Her win was particularly fitting as Mark Goble, the former owner of ‘Ayala’ sadly passed away in the spring of 2011 and the cup was made in his memory. The Hyde-powered J/105 ‘Neilson Redeye’, on the first stage of her west country tour, was also racing in IRC Q fleet scoring a creditable third overall with the crew enjoying all aspects of this superb regatta.

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Hyde sailors enjoy Mersea Week

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:24:00 GMT

Hyde’s East Coast presence grows with the brand’s continued success both on and off the water.

Hyde’s sails are thriving on the East Coast, as was evident at this year’s Mersea Week in Essex.

Among the top performers were the Dehler 39sq ‘Phantom’ which was enjoying the use of her brand-new Hyde mainsail and genoa, making good use of them as well to finish second in IRC class. Meanwhile, the Sonata ‘Aubie too’ finished first overall with an impressive scoreline of four firsts and one second over the week.

In the dinghy classes the medium fast handicap fleet was won by the Merlin Rocket 'Chip off the Old Block' with new design Hyde mainsail, while in the competitive 25-boat Winkle Brig fleet, ‘Ripple’ and ‘Wanderer’ both put in regular podium finishes.

Backing up the success on the water, Hyde’s Essex agent, Andy McIvor has had a busy summer with new orders and repairs, providing expert local support for all Hyde’s customers.

{module_webapps,6524,i,1206535} Hyde Sails - Winkle Brig specialist
Swift Boats St Ives Hill, Peldon, Essex CO5 7QD
www.swiftboats.co.uk

Hyde Sails take overall titles at Cowes

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:49:00 GMT

With a host of Hyde-powered boats competing across a range of classes a number of performances stood out, including overall Black Group winner…

Hyde’s sails were dotted across a huge range of classes during this year’s Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, including the overall winner of Black Group. James Stableford’s Mumm 36 ‘Panther’.

James says: ‘We were delighted and somewhat surprised to win black group overall this year. A great crew, including Alistair Moore and his new wife Sarah (who were just back from honeymoon), along with a smattering of other professional sailors taking the week off to bring back a bit of fun into their racing allowed us to nurse the old girl around the generally breezy track. Being a Cowes-based boat with the core team living there certainly helps with the local knowledge.’ Their sails weren’t new, but showed the brand’s longevity. ‘We raced all week with the main that Hyde built us three years ago, which has been used economically over that time and still looks good. We also used a Hyde #3 that is somewhat older but still held together fine with the help of some mylar patches.’

In the Squib class, it was familiar face at the front as Malcolm Hutchings and Andy Ramsey in ‘Lady Penelope’ took both the class and were second overall in White Group. Another Hyde sails powered boat, Duncan and John Grindley’s ‘Surprise’ in third. Meanwhile in the Sigma 38 Class where Hyde was dominant taking the top two places. Both boats were sporting Hyde D4 membrane sails; ‘Mefisto’ owned by Kevin Sussmilch finished the week in first overall, while second overall was Max Walker’s ‘Pavlova III’.

Great performances were put in by a variety of other Hyde-powered boats, including seventh overall in the highly competitve 145-boat XOD Class for Simon Rusell. Darren Maple and Richard Lovering in ‘Swallow’, while the The Beken Trophy – was won by Stuart and Mark Jardine and Christian Brewer on the Friday. In the Beneteau 40.7 class Peter Robson’s ‘Trustmarque Playing Around’ was third overall and in Class 7 the Folkboat ‘Mandarin’ took Peter Moore Trophy.

Ashore, the team at the Hyde Cowes loft in Cowes Yacht Haven was working hard to repair sails all week, rising to the challenge of a windy week and putting in long hours to keep competitors sailing.

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Strangford Lough and Narrows success

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:41:00 GMT

'Katerina' tells the story of her class win in a variety of conditions...

The 2011 Strangford Lough ‘Bar Buoy Race’ and ‘Narrows Regatta’ was once again sailed in a variety of wind conditions. Coupled with the (very) strong tidal currents (home of the world’s first commercial tidal electric generator), racing was at times not for the faint-hearted.

Thursday’s ‘Bar Buoy Race’ kicked off proceedings, with a late afternoon start. The start line extends across the full width of the Lough, with each fleet starting at five minute intervals. The fleet beat their way out of the Lough in sunshine and 10-12 knots of breeze and aboard ‘Katerina’ in PY1 the focus was on staying in the faster tidal flow and keeping clear air on the way to the turning mark. With only two significantly faster rated yachts ahead of them at this point spirits were high. The reach then run back into the Lough with an outgoing tide meant that those pushing furthest into the rock-strewn shallows made the best gains. The wind backed 180 degrees in the closing stages which meant kites were quickly replaced by genoas for the final sprint to the line. Once the calculations had been completed ‘Katerina’ had taken the class win.

The Narrows Regatta is a three-race, no-discard series. Due to the strong tide there’s only one race a day, with the fleets racing around the Lough on the last of the flood before catching the ebb to the finish. With a start close to shore and a tide of up to six knots, judging the final approach was often nerve racking. Friday’s race was sailed in 10-12 knots with a running start. ‘Katerina’ excelled in the conditions to take the class win with ‘Magdylene’ second and ‘Lizete’ third.

With the wind having shifted 180 degrees overnight, Saturday’s race started with a beat into the Lough. With the pin end distinctly favoured the starts were fraught with the tidal current trying to sweep boats across early. An often-heard comment in Ireland is that you often get four seasons of weather in one day, and this was one of those days. The fleet started in overcast 10-12 knot conditions, which deteriorated to a 26 knots and a heavy downpour. However as the race progressed the rain gave way to sunshine and the breeze slowly died. As the boats progressed towards the finishing line, a drifting match developed, with tactics being vital. Did you stay out in the maximum tide and risk missing the line, or head for a safe finish? With no discards allowed, ‘Katerina’ headed for a safe finish and recorded a second on corrected time to ‘Lizete’, while a number of yachts were swept past the finish line and forced to retire.

Sunday dawned wet, windy and with a forecast that it would deteriorate further, a complete contrast to the start of the regatta. Due to the enthusiasm of the previous day’s post-race partying, most competitors were not unduly upset when the race committee decided to cancel the day’s racing. This allowed those needing to nurse bodies the opportunity to do so and also boats to be returned to their home ports. The crew of ‘Katerina’ (Alison and Pete Tyler plus crew) were relieved and also pleased that they had therefore taken the class series win.

‘Katerina’ is a Moody 336, with a main and furling genoa in woven polyester and spinnaker in 0.9oz nylon, all supplied by Hyde Sails. Other ships that featured on the various podiums during the regatta using Hyde Sails were ‘Tiger Lilly’ (IRC1), ‘Whisperer’ (PY restricted) and various Squibs, including the class winner.

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Hyde Welsh Squib success

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:17:00 GMT

Mike Budd, using a suit of Hyde’s Squib sails, has just won Welsh Squib Week.

Once again, South Canaervon YC hosted the Welsh open Squib Week, which ran from August 7-12 with 25 boats enjoying an almost unique combination of competitive racing and off water socials (golf, eating, dancing and much drinking!).

Sunday was one of the two one-race days, and was combined with the club’s ‘Lighthouse Island pursuit race’, which traditionally marks the start of Squib week. This was won by Mike and James Budd in ‘Harry 2’, who snatched victory from Dave Best/Matt Johnson in ‘Crossfire’ and Alan Johnson/Dave Garlick in ‘Nimbus’, literally in the last 50 metres!

Monday dawned with a bit more breeze, 20-25 knots. Principal Race Officer Tom Milne efficiently banged off two excellent races. ‘Harry 2’ scored 1,3, ‘Crossfire’ 4,1 and ‘Nimbus’ 6,2 . Malcolm Blackburn/Dave Shiel in ‘Moonstone’ started to make their presence felt with a second in race two, but current national champion Chris Hogan and Mark Thompson in ‘RicOshea’ were a little off their usual pace their best being a fifth.

Tuesday saw lighter airs and it was definitely ‘Moonstone’s’ day scoring 4,2, ‘Harry 2’ had their worst day with 5,3 and ‘RicOshea’ and ‘Crossfire’ had a victory each.

Wednesday was scheduled to be the other single-race day with an evening race, but rain and gusts of 32kts forced a rare SCYC cancellation. This was all made up for on Thursday when three races were sailed in ideal conditions 22 knots and sunshine. ‘Harry 2’ scored 3 bullets with ‘Nimbus’ next best with 4,2,2. ‘Crossfire’ had a poor day by their usual heavy air standards scoring 2,3,5.

On Friday ‘Harry 2’ scored a second in lighter airs from ‘Nimbus’, which was more than enough to clinch the series with a race to spare. ‘Crossfire’ worn the final race of the series.

Overall Results: 1st ‘Harry 2’ Mike Budd 13pts; 2nd ‘Crossfire’ Dave Best 19pts; 3rd ‘Nimbus’ Alan Johnson 21pts; 4th ‘Moonstone’ Malcolm Blackburn 31 pts; 5th ‘RicOshea’ Chris Hogan 33pts.

Join us for a drink in Cowes

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:57:00 GMT

We'd love to invite all our customers to join us for a drink in the Hyde Cowes loft on the Wednesday of Cowes Week (August 10). It's your chance to ask us any burning questions, and update us on how you are getting on.

A range of members of the Hyde Sails team will be on hand after sailing until around 1800hrs to help where we can and catch up on your achievements.

When? August 10th, after sailing until 1730hrs
Where: Hyde Sails Cowes, The Sail Loft, Vectis Yard, Cowes PO31 7AY

Hyde Sails set off around the world

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:33:00 GMT

The 10-strong Clipper race fleet set sail yesterday, powered by Hyde Sails…

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race started from Southampton on Sunday, with the 10-strong fleet heading for a pitstop in Maderia before continuing on their first ocean leg, across the Atlantic to Rio de Janerio in Brazil. The race will return to the Solent in July, 2012.

It was the first time since 2004 that a round the world yacht race had started from the Solent and the large community of sailing and boating enthusiasts turned out in force to witness the spectacle under blue skies and 8-10 knots of breeze. The Royal Navy’s helicopter carrier, ‘HMS Illustrious’, and hundreds of spectator boats gave a spectacular send off to the amateur crews.

First to charge across the line was race debutant, ‘Gold Coast Australia’, closely followed by ‘Geraldton Western Australia’ and Keppel Corporation-sponsored ‘Singapore’, with ‘New York’, ‘De Lage Landen’ and the bright pink ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ in hot pursuit. By the first mark ‘Gold Coast Australia’ had extended their lead to a quarter of a mile while ‘Singapore’ had moved up to second.

The Hyde Sails team was out in force to witness the 10 yachts, all powered by Hyde’s sails, make their way out of the Solent. “It was an amazing sight,” said Paul Austin from Hyde’s. “We’re so pleased to be the fleet’s sail supplier for the second race in succession. It was good to see the boats, clad in the sails we made, setting out on their challenging journey round the world.”

As the official sail supplier for the Clipper 10-11 Round the World Yacht Race, Hyde has been closely involved with the boats as they prepared for their round the world test, helping the crews to train in sail repair and maintenance, which will be a necessary part of their trip. Hyde Sails will power all 10 of the Clipper yachts as they race round the world. Over the course of 10 months and 35,000 miles of racing, the yachts and their sails will face some of the most testing sailing conditions possible, including the challenges of the Southern Ocean. As well as the benefits of the highest quality workmanship, skippers will receive specialist support at key stopovers.

Hyde Sails trains Clipper crews

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 09:06:00 GMT

Specialist sail repair training is given to race crews as they prepare for the off…

As they geared up for the start, Clipper Race crews were treated to some invaluable sail repair training as part of the ongoing support from Hyde Sails. The one day sail repair course was run by two of Hyde’s highly experienced team, Martin Newman and Paul Austin.

As the official sail supplier for the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race, Hyde has been closely involved with the boats as they prepared for their round the world test, helping the crews to train in sail repair and maintenance, which will be a necessary part of their trip.

Hyde Sails will power all 10 of the Clipper yachts as they race round the world. Over the course of 10 months and 35,000 miles of racing, the yachts and their sails will face some of the most testing sailing conditions possible, including the challenges of the Southern Ocean.

Martin and Paul, who have over 35 years of sailmaking experience between them, trained 20 crew members in the art of how to use the onboard sewing machines to repair spinnakers and how to carry out hand sewn repairs to their fore and aft sails. Crews will need these skills in case of sail damage during a leg, when they will need to undertake any essential repairs to their sails in order to finish a leg.

At each stopover specialist support will also be available to service the fleets’ sails and perform more permanent repairs where necessary. For more details and to follow the story of Hyde’s Sails in the race, see www.hydesails.com

Hyde's Scottish success

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:20:00 GMT

Hyde Sails has a strong team in Scotland, with agents on the east and west coasts. It’s not surprising then, that the brand is making its presence known on the racecourse…

(above) 'Vaila' .

It's been a cracking season so far this year, and many of Hyde Sails' customers have reason to celebrate with some great results across the region. In the Glencoe Regatta, 'Vaila', a BB10, was the overall winner, while other Hyde Sails boats on the podium included the Trapper 28, ‘Redwing’ which was delighted to win its class and Stoirm Mhor, a Westerly Typhoon was second in class.

(Above) 'Redwing'.

Stoirm Mhor went one better in the Round Mull Race where she took two firsts in class one, while 'Vaila' was the overall winner. Meanwhile, the Hunter 707 'Aperitif' was also the overall keelboat winner at the Lochaber Regatta.

It’s still not too late to order new sails for this season, and with Hyde's comprehensive network servicing the East and West coast of Scotland, there’s a specialist on your doorstep to help. See www.hydesails.com/scotland

Swift open evening and Brig sails from Hyde

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:36:00 GMT

Swift Boats has an open evening tomorrow July 14, from 4-8pm. Perfect timing for some chandlery and sail shopping! Hyde Sails' Jack Grogan and Essex agent Andy McIvor will both be on hand to give sails advice and assistance.

Swift Boats is well known for its work with the West Mersea Winkle Brig fleet, and Hyde is making its presence felt in the class. The latest set of Hyde Sails supplied to the Winkle Brig class, were for 'Wanderer'. As ever Hyde offered its expert advice to address the owners’ specific needs. The owners discussed what they needed from their new sails with Hyde’s design team; 'Wanderer's' sails were specified for racing but with an emphasis on longevity, which affected the cloth choice. Hyde also suggested a couple of adjustments to help the husband and wife team to manage the boat better in strong sea breezes, fitting a 2 to 1 purchase system on the jib clew for the jib sheets and a mainsail flattener. The owners are delighted with the sails and excited about using them in anger during the forthcoming Mersea Week.

Mersea Week runs from August 14-19 and you could also be using a new set of Hyde sails if you place your order this week or at the open evening… contact Hyde Sails on 0845 543 8945.

Swift Boats is situated at St Ives Hill, Peldon, Essex CO5 7QD see www.swiftboats.co.uk

Hyde's sails enjoy record Round the Island

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:02:00 GMT

With a record-breaking entry of 1,900 boats, the 2011 RTI race was proof that sailing and racing in the UK is in good health. With a good breeze in existence from the off, the mass starts made for some 'interesting moments' as rules knowledge and sail/boat handling were pushed to (and beyond) some competitors' limits!

The long beat westward out of the Solent to the Needles was followed by a sleigh ride all the way to Bembridge Ledge buoy before the beat back to Cowes. The attrition rate was high, and included capsized boats and broken masts.

(above) It was a third class win for Mike Brooks' Cape Cutter 19.

Hyde Sails had many customers competing, from the committed racer to the (usually more relaxed) cruising sailor. Two results in particular highlight the range of sails that Hyde Sails is producing. Mike Brooke and crew secured a third successive class win sailing a Cape Cutter 19. This is a traditionally rigged gaff cutter that uses woven Dacron for its sails. Meanwhile in IRC class 2B, two J/105s were battling it out at the front of their fleet. 'Neilson Redeye' (Pip and Pete Tyler) eventually took the class win from 'Jelly Baby' (William Newton) by 69 seconds. Both these yachts set Hyde sails manufactured from carbon laminate.

(above) 'Black Diamond' was fifth in class.

On its first outing with her new membrane sails, ‘Wolverine’ the Elan 450 owned by Kevin Mulligan (GBR Yachts) took 10th place in class ISC4 out of 170 boats and 35th overall in group ISC. This was a great result for the boat even when they did not fly their asymmetric all race. Also using a mixture of her GPL Carbon sails and a new Hyde membrane genoa, ‘Black Diamond’, a Figaro owned by Brown, Leese, Elliott, came fifth in class IRC 3a

Hyde Sails would like to congratulate all those who competed in and completed the race this year, and remind everyone that whatever your sail requirements are, Hyde Sails can fulfil them.

For more information on Hyde Sails either give us a call 0845 543 8945

Tom Webb to head Round Britain

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:47:00 GMT

Seventeen-year-old Tom Webb is poised to sail solo round Britain in his Hyde Sails-powered Beneteau First 211 'Danera'.

Tom believes sailing is a sport to be enjoyed by people of all abilities and to highlight the opportunities in sailing, particularly for disabled young people, on July 2 he will set off on his solo sail round Britain. Tom explains: 'In doing the challenge I want to show my support for three fantastic charities: Phil Packer's British Inspiration Trust (BRIT), Even Keel and RYA Sailability at Langstone SC. Phil Packer is one of the most inspirational people I have met, who has an incredible mission with BRIT to create a centre of inspiration for disabled young people in the Chichester area. Also, as a young person I want to challenge myself by drawing from the inspiration of the young disabled people I have met through the Even Keel sailing charity. They have challenges just in their daily lives, but also strive to set themselves new goals.'

The Skipper
Tom Webb has been on and around boats all his life. 'My first dinghy was a bright yellow wooden Mirror dinghy,' he recalls. 'I then moved to Toppers and more recently I started racing a 420. Over the last couple of years I have been really lucky to have worked with the Even Keel Project and have taken part in racing events with them, including the fantastic Artemis Even Keel Challenge at Cowes in 2010. 'This was where his solo sailing started: 'During this time I was becoming motivated to push my singlehanded ambitionss, I began to explore the idea of sailing around Britain. Through some luck, and the sale of the family Iroquois catamaran in 2009,"'Danera" was bought as a yacht on which I could get experience of singlehanded keelboat sailing with a sail around Britain in the Summer of 2011 in mind.'

The Boat and Sails
'Danera' is a 21ft drop keel monohull. 'It's a fast boat that wouldn't be other people's first choice when sailing round Britain,' says Tom, 'Although hard work to keep going, she is rewarding to sail in all weather. She's topped out at 13 knots planing down a wave with the kite up - but I don't intend to push any where near as hard for the trip!' His new sails are from Hyde: "The new fully battened main and genoa are a fantastic addition to the boat, they provide the power and durability needed for long passages, but still give great responsive performance for racing around the cans.'

The Trip
Starting from Portsmouth on July 2, Tom will sail anti-clockwise stopping at 28 ports along the way. He will sail through the Caledonian canal, rather than round the top of Scotland as the trip needs to fit into his summer break between college and university. ‘I will be sailing on average eight hours a day and hope to complete the trip in one and a half months.’

For more information on the project see www.tomwebbsailing.com
To find your local Hyde Sails dealer go to www.hydesails.co.uk/contact.html

J/80 Nationals – Second for Larke

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:00:00 GMT

The 26-boat fleet at the Tacktick J/80 Nationals, hosted by the Royal Dart YC, were treated to a variety of conditions across the eight-race series from full on 30-knot foam-up on the first day to a more sedate 10-12 knots on the final day.

picture by Peter Newton

The last two races of the series were scheduled for Friday morning, Rob Larke won the first race of the day in J2X but it wasn’t enough as Kevin Sproul won the final race to confirm his series victory, forcing Larke and crew, who had shown good speed throughout, to settle for second.

Hyde offers training and support in Scotland

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:46:00 GMT

The Hyde Sails team made its presence felt at the recent Ice breaker weekend in Ardrossan, underlining the growth of the brand in Scotland

The weekend of April 16-17 saw a good turn of boats for the Sunbird 'Ice Breaker' IRC training
weekend in Ardrossan. This was a coaching weekend run by Barry Dunning, organised by Sunbird Yachts and sponsored by Geronimo sailing. Hyde Sails’ Paul Austin together with two of the Scottish Hyde Sails agents, Kevin Aitken and Chic Medley also attended to lend a hand.

With eight short windward-leeward races over the two-day event, attendees were treated to a fairly steady 10-12 knot wind much as forecast on Saturday, with Sunday’s conditions better than expected with 7-8 knot breeze from the SSW which built to 10+ knots with sunshine for the afternoon races. Over the course of the two days, the Hyde team was able to follow all the boats - not just the Hyde powered ones - and jump aboard to give a range of handy advice, tuning and training tips. It was a highly successful event, which certainly shook away the winter cobwebs.

Paul Austin explained: 'The Hyde presence in Scotland has grown
dramatically over the past 18 months with our three agents being very
proactive across their areas, and working extremely hard to grow the brand’s presence.'

Hyde’s Scottish Agents:
Clyde - Kevin Aitken - kevin@aitkensports.co.uk 07778788855
North west – Peter Watt - wttpet@aol.com 07763 552422
East Coast – Chic Medley – chic@onetel.com 07974074493

Hyde Sails grows in Canada

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:45:00 GMT

Hyde Sails has announced the appointment of a new Canadian distributor, Stuart Bletcher, based in Central Ontario.

With his English roots, Stuart was very familiar with the Hyde Sails brand and he confessed a pleasant surprise when he learned that Hyde Sails were being brought to Canada through Ken Forsyth’s K-Force Sails.

Stuart explains: ‘As I am currently in my 28th year as a sales professional, 13 years in the marine business with one of the newest fresh water marinas on the Great Lakes, I know the importance of service to my clients. The Hyde Sails line of cruising and racing products are of the best quality and affordability I have seen in a long time. The keys to providing great service to my clients are communication, trust, transparency and execution. I look forward to this new relationship with Hyde Sails and to have input in making our customers’ boats faster and more efficient.

Stuart first stepped on a sailboat when he was 14 years old and admits that was 40 years ago! He has been active in the racing scene in Georgian Bay for some 20 years now, having won silver at many local club and annual invitational events, and is a two-times overall winner of the coveted Georgian Bay Sailing Regatta. Today, he owns a Beneteau 36.7, and explains: ‘The North American Championships are being held in Toronto, Ontario later this year. One of my goals is to see Hyde Sails represented this year for the first time at a NAC event.

Working closely with Ken Forsyth of K-Force Sails, Stuart will add strength and depth to Hyde’s service to its Canadian customers. Based in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada Stuart will be looking after Hyde customers in Central Ontario, including Lake Simcoe, Georgian Bay (southern and northern), and up to and including Parry Sound and the North Bay area.

For more details on Hyde in Canada

HYDE SAILS GREAT LAKES (CANADA)
K-Force, Loft: 3 Ronell Crescent,
Collingwood, Ontario, Canada L9Y 4J6
Shipping: 115 First Street, Suite 309,
Collingwood, Ontario, Canada L9Y 4W3
T: 705 446 2128
T: 866 746 2128 (toll free)
E-mail: greatlakes@hydesails.com

HYDE SAILS CENTRAL ONTARIO
Stuart Bletcher
1025 Holiday Park Drive,
Bracebridge, Ontario
Canada. P1L 1W9
T: 1-705-706-3362
E-mail: centralontario@hydesails.com

Hyde appoints a new distributor in Essex

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:45:00 GMT

Andy McIvor's ADM Sails has become a Hyde Sails distributor as part of the expansion of Hyde's local UK network.

Based in Heybridge near Maldon in Essex, Andy McIvor set up ADM Sails over a year ago. He partnership with Hyde Sails was an obvious one as Andy worked at Hyde's Burnham loft before the company's move to the south coast.

With a strong dinghy sailing background in classes ranging from RS600s to Fireballs, Andy is a familiar face racing bigger boats in events such as Burnham Week. His sailmaking career started in Maldon when he was still at school and used to help out at his local loft, which specialised in traditional sails. After four years sailmaking with another wellknown loft, Andy qualified as a boat builder in Lowestoft, before returning to sailmaking and eventually joining Hyde. His sailing knowledge combined with his boat building to give him a thorough knowledge of his customer’s needs. As well as working at the cutting edge of sailmaking, Andy is an expert finisher and experienced in the traditional side of the craft.

Andy explains: 'The business started after people asking me to do the odd repair or cover and it has snowballed from there. I now have my own purpose built loft and I tend to run it by appointment only as this means I can devote time to work that needs full concentration and the customers get my full attention without any interruptions, which means a really personal service.'

ADM Sails offers a full range of sailmaking services and cover-making, including repairs and alterations.
For more details contact:
Hyde Sails Essex
Andy McIvor ADM Sails
Heybridge, Maldon
Essex
T: +44 (0)1621 851663
M: +44 (0)7739 097575
E: admproperty@aol.com

Hyde's new Suffolk agent offers 20% chandlery discount

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:21:00 GMT

Hyde Sails is delighted to announce the appointment of a new agent in Suffolk – The Suffolk Marine Centre in Saxmundum, which is celebrating its appointment by offering a special 20% off chandlery purchases to anyone buying a sail before the end of June 2011!

The Suffolk Marine Centre is managed by John McMurtrie, who moved down from Scotland to manage the business in 2010. Now into its seventh year of trading, the Suffolk Marine Centre is an old car showroom on the A12 in Stratford St Andrew, located between Ipswich and Norfolk. John explains: ‘In the shop we have a large range of the best quality and well-known brands on the market providing sailing and leisure clothing and equipment. We also have connections to provide our customers with boat interior design, electronics and rigging. Our plan is to open a sail repair loft next to the shop and also provide winter servicing and storage.’

‘The partnership with Hyde is very exciting and I’m very proud to work alongside a hugely respected company who both myself and my customers can rely on to produce great products,’ said John. ‘Hyde is also very good at providing technical support. Together we can provide a great ‘sails’ package from initial quotations to after sales service. Hyde provides some of the highest quality sails on the market at realistic prices. The accuracy and quality in their manufacturing means every sail produced gives the end user with a fantastic product for either cruising or racing at any level.’

John was brought up in a sailing family and has sailed in many classes and numerous events, including as part of winning crews at Scottish Series and West Highland Week. He explained: ‘I had been trailing my Loch Long down from Scotland to compete in Aldeburgh Regatta Week since 2006 and the love of this event was why I decided to relocate to Suffolk.’

Service is paramount in John’s eyes, as he explained: ‘I personally make sure all orders are made up as soon as possible and get to the customer by the date required. I make it my number one
priority to make customers happy so I will go that extra mile to achieve that.’ He added: ‘To promote our new partnership with Hyde and to support our customers we are offering a 20% discount on any chandlery and selected sailing equipment including Henri Lloyd, Ocean Safety and other selected products to anyone who orders a Hyde sail through us before the end of June 2011.’

The appointment is all part of the growth of Hyde’s local network in the UK.

For more details about Hyde Sails in Suffolk contact:
Hyde Sails Suffolk
The Suffolk Marine Store
The Showroom, Main Road, Stratford St Andrew
Saxmundham, Suffolk IP17 1LF
www.gybeaway.co.uk
t: 01728 605522

New Cornish distributor for Hyde Sails

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:42:00 GMT

The growth of Hyde’s network of local lofts in the UK continues with the appointment of Mitchell Sails as Hyde's Cornish distibutor.

Based in Fowey, Mitchell Sails was established by Andy Mitchell in 1983 when the previous sailmaker in Fowey stopped trading. Now run by Andy Mitchell and Alan Harris, the loft is ideally situated to service Plymouth and Cornwall. Based on the water front in Fowey, equidistance between Falmouth and Plymouth, the loft designs and makes sails and covers also providing a quick repair service. During the winter, the loft provides an onsite valeting service washing and repairing sails and covers.

The two faces behind the loft offer a wealth of experience. Andy Mitchell started sailmaking while he was still at school, working with a local sailmaker. After school he joined the Navy before returning to sailmaking in late ‘70s. He has been racing competitively for over 40 years in a variety of boats, including a Troy, which he owned for eight years, and a GK24. He currently sails a 505 and Fowey River Dinghy. He has been making and repairing sails and covers since 1983.

Alan Harris started his sailmaking apprenticeship in 2005 with Mitchell Sails. He then worked for a couple of big name sailmakers in New Zealand and Australia before returning to the UK to complete a Foundation degree in business management followed by a full degree in Marine Science. During his time in Australia and New Zealand, he sailed 16ft Skiffs, Etchells and Mumm 30s, while back in the UK he competed in J24s and an A35 before buying a Sadler 25, which he refitted to compete in the 2009 ARC.

The loft is currently very busy making sails for a variety of boats including Fowey Rivers, Ballads and local racing yachts in both laminate and dacron sailcloth. Speaking about the appointment, Alan Harris said he was proud to be working with the Hyde brand: ‘Distributing Hyde Sails will be an exciting task. Making high quality sails for the racing and cruising scene in Cornwall and Plymouth is something that has always been our focus and we look forward to a strong future for the loft working with Hyde Sails.'

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Albacore success for Hyde Sails

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:14:00 GMT

Hyde's sails take the top spots at the first two open meeting of the season, with wins at Broadwater and Maidenhead for Hyde-powered boats.

The Albacore season has started well for Hyde, testament to the sailmaker's close collaboration with the class. The season opened with the Maidenhead open, which was won by Mark Fowler, with Graham Darvill third and Eddie Mays fourth, also in Hyde-powered boats. This was followed by success for Graham Darvill at Broadwater SC, which played host to the class's second event of the season.

Commenting on his success and the continued development of Hydes sails in the class, Mark Fowler explained: "The Maidenhead event is typically the 'shake down' event for the season. We then needed to get out in the new boat to trial the sails & new rig systems, before moving into the next stage of sail development. The existing 2b Hyde design has a powerful mainsail which is particularly suited to the lighter breeze," he added. "As the wind increases it has becoming apparent that de-powering the rig is the main factor to keep the boat pointing and footing fast."

Hyde's Richard Lovering has spent time on the water sailing GBR 8155, in order to gain an understanding of the intricacies of the Albacore rig and sail shape set up. The boat, aptly named 'Gran Turismo', is the new Ovington Hull boat, but timber decked, produced by GT Marine, which was exhibited at the Dinghy show at Alexandra Palace earlier this year. Further sail development will see the latest offering from Hyde being used at the inland Championship at Hornsea Mere SC on May 14 and 15.

Mark Fowler added: "This new design from Richard Lovering will give us the ammunition to take on the North Americans at the International Championships at Toronto, Canada, in September."

For more information on Hyde Sails, its products and how Hyde can work with your class, contact Paul Austin T: +44(0) 7801 907458

Hyde dominates Squib 'Last Chance' regatta

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:51:00 GMT

The final event of the Squib season took place at Burnham on Crouch in sparkling conditions and fresh northerly breezes that peaked at over 25 knots, testing the 15 competitors tired end-of-season boats and limbs to the limits.

Sponsored by Colman Coyle solicitors and run by Edwin Buckley's Endeavour Trophy race team, the five back-to-back races were brilliantly conducted on a series of windward leeward courses in the entrance to the River Roach. With most races taking just 30 minutes and, unusually for Squibs, just one general recall, the format was ideal for keeping the competitors warm in the crisp conditions.

Nigel and Jack Grogan took the event with four straight wins and made for the bar for race five. Behind them, the racing was close and furious with neap tides helping to keep the boats just feet apart for most of the time. Malcolm Hutchins and Andy Ramsey won the last race to take second overall on count-back from Peter Marchant and Mel Titmus. Ian Gray was always present, but in the year-long duel of the sailmakers it was a clear Hyde 1,2,3. Also significant from a gear point of view was the use by the Grogan's of a new horizontal cut spinnaker, which has shown great pace on windward-leeward courses all year.

With autumn upon us, it's the perfect time to invest in a new suit of sails to give your Squib that extra edge.

The 2010 Squib National Championships

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:53:00 GMT

Hyde Sails prove a force to be reckoned with at the 2010 Squib nationals at the Royal St George YC in Dun Laoghaire

The 2010 Squib National Championship was always set to be a tricky light weather test on the shifty, unpredictable waters of Dublin Bay. With a week of high pressure and spring tides, conditions were dominated by the timing and direction of the erratic sea breeze, which filled in every day, but sometimes long after the sailing had either finished or been abandoned. No one team managed to win more than one race and the series was a high points scorer with any resulting the top 20 being a counter.

Strong start for Hyde
Race one was won by Hyde Sails MD Nigel Grogan and Dan Cripps after they made it to the new sea breeze early and crossed the line with their spinnaker up, while the early leaders Malcolm Hutchings and Andy Ramsey parked on the left. With the wind from the land this pattern became all too familiar with the early gradient breeze eventually being replaced from the sea.

Race two was sailed in light, but steadier breezes and multiple championship winners the Hogans won, beating Andy Brown and Harvey Worden in 'Bacchante VII' who were second. The Rileys clocked up a second third place looking as though they had already mastered the conditions, while consistency eluded virtually everyone else.

Race three was held back to back with the sea breeze getting up to about 18 knots and strengthening throughout. 'Alchemy' got into their stride winning from Mike Probert and James Bryer, with Alan Johnson in third already carrying a black flag.

At the end of the day Grogan and Cripps had a big lead with the Fenwicks and the Rileys close behind, Robert Coyle and wife Tracy were also near the top due to some fast, consistent sailing.

Abandonments galore
Tuesday saw thick sea mist and no sailing, but the mist rose and a sparkling sea breeze filled in an hour before the coach arrived to take the fleet to Ireland's highest pub!

Wednesday was controversial. The gradient breeze was very light and moving around 30 degrees. The race was abandoned after a big shift on the first beat. After a restart the race was again abandoned after the wind went around 180 degrees on the run and there was confusion over the re-laid 'windward mark'. A third time attempt was made with the sea breeze now at around 10 knots, but as the boats on the right hoisted spinnakers (tactically?!) the race officer decided the boats romping to the windward mark on the right were having too much fun and abandoned that one too!

Final pressure
With the pressure now on to complete the series, the Thursday race started in an unstable westerly. Sam Cole and Denise Kerr performed brilliantly to win ahead of 'Nimble' and 'Banshee'. Heavyweights Colin Bentley and Nigel in 'Squirrel' defied gravity to take fourth.

The second race that day turned inside out, but was well won by Nigel Harris giving him the overall lead. Many of the frontrunners scored places in the wrong half of the fleet after being becalmed for over half an hour, importantly the Rileys managed a fourth and 'Pocohontes' a sixth, Owen Delaney and Tony Holman also showed good form on their old waters.

Fortunately the final race was sailed in steady 12-18 knots of breeze and a convincing win by the Fenwicks saw them take the championship with clever sailing and great tactical prowess. The Hogans were second, but well out of the overall results due to the disaster of the day before. Nigel Harris had a shocker after spinnaker problems, but still managed third overall, while 11th place in the last race was enough to give runner-up spot to Dave Best and Pete Richards who almost managed to keep every result in the top 20 and showed how to sail a high scoring, big fleet championships. Grogan and Cripps rallied to 11th, which gave them fourth overall, beating 'Pani Munta' by a point.

Sail development pays dividends
From a gear perspective the development work on sails paid dividends for Hyde Sails, with the Batt stranglehold well and truly broken. Interestingly five out of the top 10 were 'new' Parker boats as opposed to the pre-150 sail numbers. Some very expensive rudders and hull finishes were also evident as the class appears to have moved to new levels of competitiveness.

Overall Results

1st 758 Ghost Rider Mike Fenwick Penny Fenwick 41pts
2nd 797 Crossfire Dave Best Pete Richards 43pts
3rd 65 Banshee M.N. Harris R.J. Stephenson 51pts
4th 105 Helmut Shoing II Nigel Grogan Daniel Cripps 54pts
5th 128 Pani Munta Mike Probert James Bryer 55pts
6th 872 Pocahontas Mike Hughes James Smith 55pts
7th 127 Misfire Roger Harris Mark Thompson 60pts
8th 800 Alchemy Gerard P. Dyson Tony Saltonstall 61pts
9th 823 Humphrey Robert Coyle Tracy Coyle 63pts
10th 136 Rico'shea Chris Hogan Mark Hogan 64pts

Hyde tops podium after day one of Squib nationals

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:55:00 GMT

Two races were sailed on the first day of the 2010 Squib Nationals in Dublin. Nigel Grogan and Dan Cripps took the first race, sailing Squib 105 complete with their new set of 2010 Hyde Sails. They went on to extend their overall lead in the 68-boat fleet to 12 points after two races, despite a very unpredictable day's racing full of big gusts and shifts. There is still a long way to go in the event with three days of racing remaining and a fickle forecast.

Squib success for Hyde's sails

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:26:00 GMT

Hyde Sails' hard work developing its Squib sail design over the winter has paid
off, with Hyde's sails dominating the opening regatta of the season, the Mike Flint
Trophy…

The first regatta of the Squib season took place at Burnham on Crouch over the Easter Weekend, with the fleet competing for the Mike Flint Trophy. The event had a sailmaking subplot as Hyde Sails' former Squib agent, White Marine had defected to Lonton and Grey with both teams eager to see whose new designs would prove to be fastest…

Good Friday saw the opening contest for the Champagne Race with a strong breeze and low water restricting the course laying options, Nigel and Jack Grogan from Hyde in 'Helmut Shoeing' pulled away from Dave White and Mel Titmus in 'Easy' for a comfortable win, with Malcolm Hutchins and partner Jacqui ('Lady Penelope') in the other boat
sporting new Hyde sails third.

Saturday morning saw light variable breezes and a monster 2.5-hour struggle against the elements, Nigel and Jack's lead at the first mark was eliminated when the race turned inside out and Malcolm astutely went up the opposite bank to get well ahead with Paul Buckley ('Electra') just astern before he ran aground. Micky Wright ('Spoof') then planed up the middle of the river in his own jetstream to win, with the Grogans second and Malcolm unhappily OCS. Saturday afternoon saw the fleet racing up the Roach and a close tussle between Malcom and the Grogans well ahead of the rest with the race being decided when the Grogans managed to carry their spinnaker on the reach back to the finish. Micky Wright took a good third with Sarah Hastwell making a guest appearance on Dave White's boat for fourth.

Sunday saw Malcolm build a big lead with massive upwind speed, unfortunately for him the wind filled in from behind and in the long run downriver Paul Buckley, Robert Coyle ('Humphrey') and the Grogans all caught up. With clever balancing of tide versus breeze Robert just edged ahead for a final mark white knuckle ride, but the Grogan's sailed over them on the fetch to the finish with Malcolm second. The afternoon saw fresh conditions and Malcolm over the line again. But Simon Sanders (What's the Story') put his foot down and flew up the first beat. The Grogans managed to wriggle ahead and stay there to win from Malcolm by a boat length, Simon hung onto a well deserved third with Paul Buckley fourth.
With the event won the Grogan's sat out the final race with Lonton and Grey fielding their third guest helmsman of the event. Dave's brother Pete White pulled off a win from Malcolm as for the second time they were out spinnaker reached. Paul Buckley took third to also finish third overall, beating 'Spoof', the first placed Lonton and Grey boat into fourth. Simon and crew excelled with fifth overall, ahead 'Easy' in sixth. A comprehensive win for Hyde in 'the battle of the sailmakers'.

The event was blessed with a good mix of courses and breezes and leaves the fleet itching to get to grips again at the Gold Cup in a few weeks' time.

Winter Development and Testing

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:18:00 GMT

We have spent the winter redesigning our sails and two boat tuning which has resulted in quantifiably performance improvements.

Jib Design - Using Nigel Grogan's boat and Malcolm Hutchin’s 819, we firstly tested all our designs to see what the differences were under the expert eye of our two sail designers, Mike Lennonand & Richard Lovering. They then used Sailpack (state of the art sail design software developed by the Italian America's Cup syndicate) to produce the perfect "flying shape" Some late nights in our Cowes loft then gave us a prototype to test. The results were very gratifying, whoever sailed which boat, and the team with the new jib were consistently higher and faster. The changes had concentrated on entry and exit angles as well as chord depth particularly high up. The new jib is also much more user friendly and easier to change gears with using halyard tension and barber hauler length.

Mainsail Design - The designers then worked on matching the mainsail perfectly to the jib. The mainsail has less fullness high up to encourage the right amount of twist and also a less aggressive leach return to aid straight line speed and acceleration. If you look at the pictures you can see the slot is matched to the back of the mainsail all the way up with no back winding and no over twisting of the jib leach - common problems we are all too familiar with.

Two Boat Tuning – It is easy to make all sorts of claims about sail design improvements, but the real test is two-boat tuning - hours of it! We spent several days going up and down the open water of the Solent with the boats close hauled a few feet apart replicating that "start line feeling" until there was no doubt that the changes we have made translate into speed gains across all wind ranges. We tried the new sails against the previous versions in conditions ranging from 6 knots short tacking back up the Hamble to full- on 25 knots in open water with waves and snow! As Mike Lennon observed "I know which sails I would use to try and win the nationals!"

At Hydesails we are looking forward to the start of the sailing season and using the new sails on the racecourse. We will be at most of the open events this year where we will be delighted to discuss the changes we have made in greater detail.