Hadron H2 National Championship at Brixham Yacht Club

Hadron H2 National Championship at Brixham Yacht Club – General

by Keith Callaghan 8 Sep 15:11 BST
September 6-8, 2024

After a superb BBQ meal at the host club on Saturday evening, with Chris Brown and Hadron Dinghies serving all participants a round of drinks, the competitors headed into the final day of the event with little expectation.

Day 1 had sunny spells and light winds, day 2 had drizzle and light winds, day 3 started with rain and no wind. So after a short deliberation by the H2’s, their K1 friends and the Brixham YC Race Office, the decision was made to abandon the day’s racing.

It is of course a disappointment to all concerned that we only had to sail four of the planned eight races. But the weather is not in our control, so the results published yesterday are the final results, but are mentioned again below.

That means our new National Champion is Josh Hamer (Leigh & Lowton SC). Josh’s results of 1,2,2,2 showed amazing consistency in the very difficult conditions that Torbay offered us. He adds the National Championship to the Inland Championship he won earlier this year – again in light winds. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, he wins the Lightweights Trophy for the event.

In second place for the third year running, with a score of 2,1,6,11, is Ian Dawson (Warsash SC). Ian has a great record in major H2 events, including winning two domestic championships. Ian also wins the Ulysses Trophy for the first helmet over 70 years old.

In third place, with a very consistent 3,3,4,3, is Steve Hendon (Blithfield SC). Unlike Josh and Ian, Steve is no lightweight, so his performance is very good. If we have more wind for next year’s Nationals (DV), Steve is well placed to improve his, er, position. Steve also wins the Masters Trophy for the first mate aged 60 to 64.

In fourth place, with 5.4.10.4, is Barry Wolfenden (Bough Beech SC). Barry is another versatile sailor who does well in all conditions. And thanks for the Doritos, Barry!

In fifth place is Tom Moore (Stokes Bay SC) with results of 13,14,1,1, he is sailing an H2 for the first time, which clearly shows that (a) he has changed his technique very quickly from his normal ‘RS300 mode’ to ‘H2 Mode’ and (b) he is a bloody good young sailor. Come sail with us again Tom!

Chris Brown finished in 8th place and wins the Grand Masters Trophy for the first mate aged 65 to 69 for the second year in a row.

Richard Leftley finished in 10th place and is the first of the heavyweight contingent to win the Heavyweights Trophy for the second year in a row. Richard is another ace helmer who could have been right at the front of the fleet if the weather had been different.

Newcomer to the class, Will McTurk, was given a special award for the helm with the longest distance. Will made the 15 hour trip from Inverurie to be with us this weekend. Have a safe trip home, Will.

The Hadron H2 Class Association would like to thank everyone at Brixham YC who helped to make this event run smoothly. Sean Semmons and his race team had a particularly difficult task in the prevailing conditions and deserve our thanks for their efforts.

Our thanks go to Wessex Resins for providing some practical prizes for our event. Their Pro-Set epoxy laminating resins are a key component of the H2’s carbon composite hull. Their Technical Applications Director, David Johnson, has generously given his time to support the initial development and production of the H2. Hadron Dinghies Ltd and the H2 Class are indebted to him and his company for their continued support.

Overall results: