dinghy news

Hyde Sails at METS - stand 03.103

2010-11-16T04:06:00.001-08:00

Hyde Sails will be exhibiting in the UK Pavilion at METS this November, where you can meet the team and find out more about Hyde's and what makes their sails such a strong brand.

You can meet the team, including Sales and Marketing Director Richard Franks, Technical Director Mike Lennon and various members of the Hyde distribution network on stand number 03.103

As one of the largest volume sailmakers worldwide, Hyde currently produces some 45,000 sails a year for a range of dinghies, one-design keelboats, custom racing and cruising yachts. The company is also the supplier to a number of boat builders including LaserPerformance, LDC Racing Sailboats, Northshore Yachts, Cornish Crabbers, Hanse and Rustler Yachts as well as being the official sail supplier for the Clipper Round the World Race.

From its strong UK network, Hyde Sails has been busy expanding its famous brand to key markets around the world and has distributors across the globe, ranging from the USA to Australia, Spain, Denmark and New Zealand.

The Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) runs from November 16-18, 2010 at the RAI exhibition centre in Amsterdam.

Southampton Boat Show

2010-08-25T06:06:00.001-07:00

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

Wandering around the forthcoming Southampton Boat Show (September 10-19, 2010), 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.

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)7764 933 894 and speak to Wooderz to arrange a time.

'Genesis' wins Flying 15 Classics

2010-05-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

'Genesis' won the recent Scottish classics championship with a two-year-old set of Hyde sails, which just goes to prove the brand is made to last as well as perform…

Dan Challis and his fiancee Kirsten Shaughenessy bought 'Genesis' - one of the last Classics to be built in 1984 - some three years ago to join the burgeoning Scottish Classic fleet. They race her regularly at Holy Loch Sailing Club, which has a growing fleet and is home to the current Flying Fifteen Classic world champion. Dan explains: "I really enjoy sailing the boats, they are nicely balanced and offer a good challenge to sail them well. It has provided a great introduction to sailing for Kirsten with the stability of the keel making them very forgiving, which has really helped build her confidence. Finally I really enjoy the challenge of one-design racing with the club having a good sized fleet and there are good turnouts at open events - it is probably the biggest one-design class in Scotland right now! This season a Scottish traveller series had been organised with a series of events throughout the country, which we are currently leading the series having won the opening event."

We asked Dan to tell us the story of his Classics championship win at Loch Ard: "The event took place in very shifty conditions (being an inland venue) with the wind ranging from 2-3 to 10 knots," he recalls. "The Classic fleet started five minutes behind the Modern fleet (30+ boats) who were having their worlds qualifier. However, by the end of each race the top three classic boats were all well up in the modern fleet and if the times were combined, the classic boats would have won the event outright! It just goes to show how shifty everything was! There are probably five boats that we consider our main competition - two of which we were racing at Loch Ard, Bob Salmond (2nd) and John McMillian (3rd) both have beautifully prepared very early all wood Chippendale boats. Both are fiercely quick and both have beaten us in the past."

Dan was delighted with his win and the boat's performance, paying tribute to his suit of Hyde sails: "After a couple of seasons' use, they are still holding their shape well and seem plenty quick! Although it may be time to buy a new jib sometime soon... Many thanks - we are very impressed with your product and we hope that we can keep your sails at the front of the fleet."

For more information on Hyde Sails and the Flying 15 class, see Hyde Sails F15 spec page or contact Paul Austin (T: +44 (0) 7801 907458).

Silver Tiller win sets up season for new team

2010-04-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

Hyde Sails are continuing to top the Merlin Rocket fleet, this year it's all eyes on the new pairing of Simon Blake and Alex Jackson. We found out more about their first victory, how they got together, and their plans for the year ahead.

Simon Blake and Alex Jackson, both long time Merlin sailors, teamed up at the end of 2009. Alex explains how he made the switch from helming to crewing for Simon: "I had a great crew (Ben Hollis-currently leading the Silver Tiller), but unfortunately he lives in Birmingham so logistically it was a nightmare. On top of that I'd crewed for my brother at a few events and it reminded me just how much fun it was being at the front end of a Merlin, hence I discussed the option of campaigning with Si using my boat for 2010. I've always rated Si, particularly for his Inland sailing, something that was a weakness for myself when helming. He's very calm in a boat and sails extremely flat, two factors that I consider up-most if you want to perform well."

The duo's main focus for the year is Salcombe Week in July. "Si has finished second a number of times and I strongly believe we have a good chance at winning the event," says Alex. Adding the proviso: "If we can keep out of the Fortescue pub! After that we intend to take some time off from work and concentrate on sea sailing in preparation for the Nationals, this year being held at Penzance SC. I always found sea sailing to be my strength when helming, hence, with Si I hope we can combine our own individual strengths and sail our best."

So how is that going at present? "Currently we’re finding communication to be our biggest strength. With two helms in a boat I’m able to multi-task," Alex explains. "Si steers the boat very smoothly and flat, I do all the rig and we both have our eyes out of the boat looking for pressure and shifts."

Their boat is the latest Winder design. Alex says: "It's very similar to my previous boat, a Mk4 Winder called 'Moist'. The new boat has a slightly flatter run as I don’t weigh much (10.5 stone), hence we get away with less rocker. It's less forgiving and you have to sail it flatter upwind, but it feels marginally quicker off wind, particularly in a breeze."

The boat is powered by Hyde Sails. Having sailed with various designs, Alex is thorough in his assessment. "The new Hyde's are a more even shape than the competition, an inherent trait of a radial mainsail and to be expected. This helps reduce the drag in the breezy (+15 knots) where we feel we have a distinct boat speed advantage. In the lighter airs we were concerned that we'd have less grunt than the Speeds, P&B and Dynamics that are all roachier, however, with the sophisticated Merlin rigs we are able to straighten the rigs and put some more depth in to the main." The pair recently won the Banbury Silver Tiller even in light airs, showing promise for the season ahead.

Win for Hyde-powered Albacore

2010-04-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

Hyde has been busy over the winter developing sails for the Albacore class, we spoke to Mark Fowler to find out more…

Mark Fowler's Hyde-powered boat (7143) has been the testing ground for the development of Hyde's latest generation of Albacore sails. In 2009, Mark teamed up with Neville Herbert and 2010 has started well for the duo with a second in the Excel Dinghy pursuit race, which was followed by a recent win in Maidenhead, where they faced the added challenge of sailing in a borrowed boat as their boat was still in the workshop at Paintcraft.

Mark recalls: "Racing was held in force 3 gusting force 4. Our main rivals were Judy and Paul Armstrong from Scaling Dam, who were fifth at the Internationals last season, and John Woffinden sailing at his home club."

It wasn't an easy win for Mark and Neville, as Mark explains: "Race one went pear-shaped as no sooner had the start gun gone then we were heading for the slipway to bolt on the tiller extension, which had parted company with the tiller, and so we scored a DNF. With the Armstrong's winning and being the main threat we then knew we had to win both race 2 and 3. We had reasonable start in the second race, but with a very short first beat had to watch our back, we were unchallenged in this race and extended to win by a large margin. Race three was closer with Judy and Paul first to the windward mark, we trailed for the first half lap before getting the inside track at the gybe mark, we later hit a mark on the first allowing Armstrong's to close and challenge, but by the finish we had built a comfortable solid lead."

Mark and Neville's next challenge is the Inland Champs at South Cerney on May 1-2, where they plan to be sailing Mark's own boat, which is currently being re rigged with an Alto section mast from Selden by Ian Turnbull Marine. This mast section will give more offwind power, and sail development to suit the mast is already underway.

Albacore Focus

2010-04-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hyde has been busy over the winter developing sails for the Albacore class, we spoke to Mark Fowler to find out more…

The Albacore class might be nearly 50, but sail technology doesn't stand still and the Hyde Sails team continues to eek out every extra bit of efficiency and performance it can. Charles Devenport has been working closely with the class to develop the sails over the past year.

Mark Fowler's Hyde-powered boat (7143) has been the testing ground for the development of the sails. Mark’s boat was built by Richard Woof in 1981 and professionally rebuilt by Nigel Potter in 1993. In its first season the boat was fourth at the nationals, and in 2009, Mark teamed up with Neville Herbert and won the inlands. 2010 has started well for the duo with a second in the Excel Dinghy pursuit race, but their eyes are firmly set on the worlds in Canada in 2011, where they hope to give the American Barney Harris a run for his money - Harris has won the title three times in succession.

Before then, the class has its nationals at Lyme Regis in July, by which time Mark and Neville will be using another set of the new sails, the third set of development sails. The new sails have been specifically designed to work with a new Fireball Alto section Selden mast.

Dinghy Show kicks off Hyde Sails’ season

2010-03-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

The Volvo RYA Dinghy Show was a great success for Hyde's sails, which starred on a wide range of dinghies and keelboats - an indication of the exciting new season to come. Here are just a few of the highlights…

Merlin wins Concours d'Elegence
Glen Truswell's 2009 National championship winning boat was on display, and scooped third place in the prestigious Concours d'Elegence Trophy. As featured in Yachts and Yachting, Hyde's Sails were a core part of the campaign. The championship-winning sails were the result of an extensive sail development programme, which is typical of the development work Hyde is famed for.
Meanwhile, Glen's changing classes for 2010, and his newly-fitted-out International 14 attracted a host of visitors to the Hyde Sails stand.

Brightlingsea One Design
Olympic gold medallist Reg White had his medal with him over the weekend, and his Brightlingsea One Design got plenty of attention. A traditional one-design dayboat, the Hyde team were asked to design the sails following their success with the Southend-based Essex One Design class.

A host of others...
The 'H' logo also featured on a huge number of other classes, including all the RS classes (singlehanded RS100 through to twin trapeze RS800), Laser and Topper classes. The affordable Hurricane 5.9 two-man catamaran class chooses to exclusively use Hyde Sails, and features a new high aspect ratio mainsail and spinnaker kit.

Here to help
Whichever class you sail, the Hyde Sails team will be will be happy to answer your sailmaking queries and offer their expert sail care advice, whether you are planning to get yourself up to speed for this summer's nationals, or you just want to get the most our of your current suit of sails. You can also check out the specs for a large number of the classes in which Hyde specialises online at the company's new shop, www.hydeshop.com

Hyde Sails at the Dinghy Show

2010-03-02T06:45:00.000-08:00

Come and meet the Hyde Sails team at stand C106 at the forthcoming Volvo RYA Dinghy Show and take a look at a new International 14, making its first public appearance…

Star of the Hyde Sails stand at this year's Dinghy Show will be Glen Truswell's Hyde Sails-powered International 14. After a phenomenal 2009 season that saw Glen taking the Merlin

Rocket national title, with a little help from his Hyde Sails, 2010 sees a change of class to the International 14. Glen will be campaigning the boat with
Chris Blackburn and the duo have their eyes set on the worlds in Weymouth in 18 moths' time. The Dinghy Show will be the first outing for the boat before it embarks on a full season of racing...
and after the hours of work Glen has put into the project, in close collaboration with the Hyde Sails design team and Selden, it will certainly be worth a look.

Here to help
We'd be delighted to see you on stand C106. Whatever class you sail, the Hyde Sails team will be will be happy to answer your sailmaking queries and offer their expert sail care advice as well as assistance with any new sail purchases for the season ahead. As the only dedicated sailmaking stand, you can be sure that a visit to us will be well worthwhile, whether you are planning to get yourself up to speed for this summer's nationals, or you just want to get the most our of your current suit of sails. Meanwhile, you can check out the specs for a large number of the classes in which Hyde specialises online at the company's new shop, hydeshop

Flying Moth development

2010-02-25T04:25:00.000-08:00

The International Moth worlds is due to start in Dubai in a week’s time, and over the winter the Hyde team has been working hard developing a new version of their winning mainsail design.

A keen Moth sailor himself, Hyde Sails' Technical Director Mike Lennon explains: "With such an early world championship In Dubai this March, we wanted to move our Nationals-winning 2a design forward over the winter. However, the weather to date has not been kind and this has only allowed three iterations of the design. The development is further complicated by the need for three different luff curves. The 2a design is very much based on masts from the more flexible end of the spectrum and our winter program was very much aimed towards the stiffer end."

The basic elements
"There are several basic elements in the sails to be considered and perhaps the most influential is the shape on each side of the sleeve. The sleeve acts like a wing mast but the amount of rotation available is set by a combination of the shape on the front (luff curve) and the shape on the sleeve to sail join. Plus the flexibility of the batten tips out of the cams. The cams them selves can also have some effect.

"Outline shape is free so you can have massive square tops or super long foot so long as the surface area does not exceed 8sq m. The problem is that in marginal foiling and downwind always you want the area high and the sail deep. But upwind once foiling you need a quite flat draft forward shape. We tried a smaller head and wider lower/mid area but both myself and Richard Lovering didn't like it. We felt we could not get as good a VMG down wind. It seems easier to deal with over-full sails upwind, than power-up flat sails downwind."

The data verses on the water testing
"We have also been doing some pure aerodynamics with Kevin Ellway (Ninja designer) and although my experience told me some of the data he was feeding us didn't stack up with on the water work, we did made a very radical sail for Mike Cooke to try. This sail did influence the thinking in the more conventional work on the 2a modification. So we shortened the foot and added the area to the mid roach whilst keeping the large square head. This acts as a simple lever, power higher up meaning you have to bear off to de-power making you sail deeper angles. No rocket science in that, but a lesson remembered! We are hoping the shorter foot and wider mid section will reduce drag without reducing lift. Although it's understood this potential gain is pretty small compared to getting the shape right."

The result
"So we have ended up with less luff curve – a flatter, but wider mid section and shorter, but deeper foot section. The sleeve is slightly narrower, but has as much shape at the sail join. The top batten now shares the last cam whereas on the 2a there is a gap. This makes the twist profile smoother as in most Moth sails the top batten is not on a cam so you get less compression through the batten, allowing the twist between the top and second batten down to be inconsistent.
"The new sail for stiffer rigs (the 2B 2010) is still made from ODL04 as it's very light and very low stretch, but we have reverted back to dacron luff panels to make downhaul application more progressive.

Looking ahead to the worlds
"The World Championship should be a welcome relief from the UK winter with air temperatures in the late 20s and the sea in the early 20s. Light to moderate breeze is what's expected and looking at Windfinder and Windguru predictions for next week of around 10-15 knots, conditions should be ideal although it has been down at 6 and as high as 30 in the
last week or two, so I would expect the unexpected. The last two worlds have been on sheltered waters, but this is on the open sea so bigger waves may also have a role if it's windy. Moths are tricky downwind in larger swells. Last year's UK nationals was won and lost on who pitchpoled least!

"I would imagine that Bora Gulari (USA) will go in as favourite having spent most of the winter in Miami training to top up his already impressive skill level after winning last year's worlds.

"Watch out for the UK's Simon Payne in a mixed wind or light wind week; he is up foiling early up and quick downhill in the marginal stuff. He won one of the few light air races at the Gorge last year by a leg. Nathen Outteridge (AUS) (not currently entered) now has a Mach2 after finishing second last year in a Bladerider, the Mach2 may well give the extra
little bit needed to win.

"The boats are becoming more and more sophisticated and most are now adjusting ride height around the course and from tack to tack. Sail development has taken off after years of domination from KA. Also there are a lot of different mast sections available in the mix. There are rumours of wand dampers and built in slop in the flap to wand mechanics plus gearing adjusters to alter the wand to flap ratio of movement. The boats are getting quicker and the sailors' understanding of what matters is improving. It's going to interesting to see what comes next."

For more details on Hyde's Moth sails or their development, contact Charles Devenport on +44 (0)845 54 38 957. or email: charlesdevenport@hydesails.com

Merlin nationals victory for Hyde Sails

2009-10-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

Glen Truswell and Olly Turner scoop victory in Whitstable
A healthy turnout of 57 boats gathered in Whitstable, Kent for the 2009 Merlin Rocket National Championship. The first race took place in 12-14 knots of breeze with a slight swell. The event started steadlily for Glen and Olly, who finished third in the first race, which was won by Matt Biggs and Rob Kennaugh.

Glen and Olly went on to post wins in the next two races, which left them with a five piint lead at the head of the table, with Tom Stweart and Liam Dempsey lying second and Richard Whitworth and Sally Townend third.

With no racing on day four of the championship, two races were held on day five. The Hyde Sails-powered boat posted a 6,2, which left them just one point ahead of Richard Whitworth and Sally ownend going into the final day.

The fleet was greeted with champagne conditions for the final showdown, with 18 - 20 knots from the west, and a short chop. Richard and Sally led the fleet up the first beat, but a capsize at the leeward mark pushed them back into 23rd place. Andy Davis and Ellie Bremner claimed the lead in their absence, with Glen Truswell and Olly Turner in second. The Hyde-powered duo sailed a conservative race and crossed the line in third place, ahead of Richard and Sally who had worked their way up to 6th - enough to secure the runner-up spot. It was a well-deserved victory for Glen and Olly. The pair are also currently leading the class's competitive Silver Tiller circuit with a range of results in a variety of venues and conditions, showing consistency and speed throughout the wind range.

Glen and Olly were using a complete suit of Hyde’s sails, developed by the company's experienced design team over the last few seasons. It is typical of the way that Hyde approaches its sailmaking, working closely with the sailors in a wide range of classes to develop ever improving designs that make the most of the latest developments in technology.

Hyde Sails prides itself in its continual sail development, Hyde's Merlin Sails are available direct from the company's online shop, www.hydeshop.com

Speedy '3 Rivers' for Hyde-powered A Rater

2009-10-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

New sails prove fast as record time is recorded by the first two boats to finish.

Just because a class looks beautiful, it doesn't mean that performance isn't important. Hyde Sails Cowes loft manager Rob Larke has been working with the Thames A Rater class to deliver first class sails for these beauties, which enjoy close and competitive racing.

In the recent Navigators and General Three Rivers Race, Thames A Raters set a new race record, with the first two boats to complete the course finishing just two minutes apart. The second placed team of Kevin Pearson, Nick Fribbens and Melanie Hardman were racing with a brand-new set of sails on 'Lady Jane'. Kevin Pearson enthused: "They have made a dramatic improvement to our boat's overall performance already, although we are only just beginning to find out how to get the best out of them.

The race, which runs annually from Horning SC, is approximately 55 miles long and teams have to drop the mast four times to go under bridges. This year's event saw a record entry of 135 boats, which enjoyed moderate, sometimes fresh, south westerly.

Kevin explained: 'We completed the race in the second fastest time ever (although unfortunately two minutes behind the leader) having lead for half the race. Our time was six hours 59 minutes and 45 seconds and beat the previous record by about half an hour."

Rob Larke explained: "When Kevin came to us and showed us his current sails we thought that we could definitely improve the shape and profile. Kevin asked for a bigger head on the mainsail so that he could get more area above the trees! The A Raters usually race on the Thames, which is surrounded by trees. The big problem we had is that the class rules only give an overall sail area of the main and jib combined so we had to work out the best place to take the area from so that we could add the area to the head of the mainsail and also create a roach profile that will work."

For more details see www.hydeshop.com or contact Rob Larke (T: +44 (0)7737 853914) to find out how Hyde Sails can help your boat find that extra bit of boatspeed.

Hyde Sails FD wins Northern areas

2009-10-11T13:18:00.001-07:00

Challenging conditions saw Hyde's Toby Barsley-Dale take a hard-fought victory in Ullswater.

Conditions were varied for the Flying Dutchman Northern Area Championships held at Ullswater YC. A Force 1-3 greeted competitors on Saturday, followed by a Force 3-5 on Sunday, with significantly bigger gusts, particularly on Sunday. Both days were also very shifty providing plenty of scope for gains and losses!

Overall winners after seven races were Toby Barsley-Dale and Gareth Russell, second was Jon Williams and Ales Rogers, third was Tony Lyall and Colin Burns.

Toby Barsley-Dale describes the win: "The event as a whole was quite challenging for us. The conditions meant that consistency was going to be the vital with all boats potentially having to count bad results. In the end we won the first race and managed to follow this with a second and another first. This left us in a strong position until the majority of the fleet made a navigational error in the last race on Saturday and the results were turned upside down, we were fortunate to be able to fight back to third for that race. Sunday was much breezier and despite much place changing we managed to get another two wins to secure the event before posting a third in the final race after a big capsize!"

Toby explains: "The sails are the 2008 designs we have produced for other boats in the fleet. We have used them in a couple of events now and have always felt that the speed and height offered is great. This was our first opportunity to use the heavy weather genoa and we were particularly pleased with the speed of this sail. We are one of the lighter crews in the class, but feel the sails are very versatile and can be depowered very efficiently to allow us to remain competitive across the wind range."

The next event for the FD class is the Nationals at Royal Torbay YC in June. This is the first sea event for the year and is likely to be very fiercely contested.

Hyde prides itself in its continual sail development, Flying Dutchman Sails and accessories are available direct from Hyde's online shop, www.hydeshop.com

Albacore sail development proves a success

2009-10-11T13:16:00.001-07:00

Hyde Sails-powered Albacore, sailed by Nigel Potter and Mark Fowler, wins the class Inlands

The Albacore Inland Championship, held at South Cerney on May 2-3 was hard fought on the water with a high calibre fleet and close racing throughout. A light, shifty Force 1-2 greeted competitors on day one, with Norman Halstead and Ruth Birkett taking the first two races. However, by race three, Nigel Potter and Mark Fowler in their Hyde Sailspowered boat made their presence felt, following their second in race two with a win to finish the day second overall behind Halstead and Birkett.

For the second day of racing, the sun had gone, but a welcome Force 3-4 made an appearance. The first race was won by Judy and Paul Armstrong, Potter and Fowler second and Halstead and Birkett third. Potter and Fowler then took the final two races to clain the inland title from Halstead and Birkett.

It was a well-deserved win for the duo, who showed good speed and consistency all weekend in their Paintcraft -rebuilt boat (sail number 7143), and their sights are firmly set on the class's International Championships in Largs this July. Mark Fowler explains: "We will be attending events at Lyme Regis and Ogston S.C prior to the International Championships, other weekends are spent sail tuning on the water at Notts County SC."

The sails have been developed in close collaboration with Potter and Fowler, and Hyde's Charles Devonport, a former Albacore national champion. Mark Fowler explains: "We are finding the sails extremely powerful, with work over the winter we now have the ability to manage the power with improved rig control, This is enabling improved off wind speed with the ability to maintain upwind performance. The final design is now with Charles Devenport who is a previous Albacore Champion, it is Charles's experience and feedback from Nigel and myself that has enabled the development to proceed quickly with only minor alterations to sail shapes."

Hyde prides itself in its continual sail development, Albacore and accessories are available direct from Hyde’s online shop, www.hydeshop.com

Hyde Streaker wins at Alton

2009-10-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

A very shifty Force 4-5 greeted competitors at the Streaker Open at Aton Water last weekend, with Jonny Shuster's Hyde Sails powered Streaker taking the top spot ahead of Chris Woodard. Mike Haynes, also sailing with a suit of Hyde's, finished third.

It was a convincing win for Jonny, who recalls; "I felt good going into the first race, it was my kind of conditions so I felt comfortable in my ability to perform well. Halfway up the first beat I realised it was going to be a real battle against my body as my legs were on fire, despite the increase in my fitness recently. I went round the windward mark second. Went onto the long shifty reach, which is my forte, and pulled through into first. Stayed like that for the remaining two laps with no challenge, pulling out a bit towards the end."

However, the second race didn’t go to plan for Jonny as he was a bit keen at the start and had to work his way up from the back of the fleet. By the end of the first beat he was up into fifth, then the reach and by the gybe mark he was up into third. "Chris Woodard, who had a great start and had established a big lead looked un-catchable with well over a minute's lead, I grabbed distance wherever I could and by the finish was just over 10 seconds behind."

So it was all down to the third race. A good start for Jonny, but Chris got the better of the beat and rounded in the lead, however Jonny had the pace on the reach and held his lead to the finish. "An exhausting open," concludes Jonny, "I'm very satisfied with my win, it was a great first open meeting with the Hyde sail."

The new sail

We asked Jonny what he thought of his new sail. "It has a lovely shape to it and maintains its shape in the lighter airs which is something I really appreciate as it is my weakest in terms of conditions to race in. It performed brilliantly at the open, and I was able to depower it very effectively, whilst harnessing all the power I could manage downwind. I am still new to sailing with it but it has been great so far, and I look forward to continuing to race with it."

Jonny will be competing in as many of the Streaker events as he can this year, including the upcoming Northern Area Championships, the Nationals and the Inlands.

Hyde prides itself in its continual sail development, Streaker Sails are available direct from Hyde's online shop, www.hydeshop.com

New Osprey wins on first outing

2009-10-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

Eighteen Osprey crews competed at Blithfield Sailing Club for the two-day open meeting event held over the weekend of April 18-19.

The local Osprey boat builders Mark and Richard Hartley, sailing their hastily fitted out new MkIV (which was only finished the previous day) started as they meant to go on, demonstrating outstanding form to win the first two races.

Viola and Mike Scott in 'Think Again' (1314) went on to win race three, ahead of the Hartleys, who were hampered somewhat when Richard Hartley partd company with the boat during a particularly determined tack on the final leg of the race.

After a lively social on Saturday evening, the competitors woke to much reduced wind and increasingly shifty conditions. The Hartleys posted second in race four, behind Viola Scott and then won the final race ahead of Dave Carroll and Jonno Baker in 'Doris' (1302).

Hyde prides itself in its continual sail development, Osprey Sails are available direct from Hyde's online shop, www.hydeshop.com

Hyde Sails Merlin wins Salcombe Silver Tiller

2009-10-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Glen Truswell and Olly Turner sailing a Hyde Sailspowered Merlin Rocket continued their winning form with victory at the Salcombe Silver Tiller event.

Some 37 Merlin Rockets entered the event, which saw breezy conditions for Saturday's racing, followed by light winds on Sunday. Glen Truswell and Olly Turner started as they meant to go on, with a win in the first race, followed home by Matt Biggs and Rob Kennaugh in 'Two Pints of Lager'.Richard Adams and Ben Hollis in 'Loosed Cannon' were third. In race two, Truswell and Turner were relegated to third behind Tom Stewart/Liam Dempsey and Andy David/Elie Bremer. However, a win in race three was enough to give Truswell and Turner overall victory, finishing three points ahead of Biggs and Kennaugh who won the final race.

Truswell commented: "We remained competitive throughout though, sailed pretty well and had the necessary element of good fortune required to prevail at such an event!"

Hyde prides itself in its continual sail development, Merlin Sails are available direct from Hyde's online shop, www.hydeshop.com

Flying Moth development

2009-10-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hyde's new foiling International Moth mainsail proves a winner.

The Hyde Sails design team has been working hard on a new Moth sail design over the winter months, with a return to a radial panel layout, revised leech profile to promote pointing ability and a slightly bigger top. The sail also sports the suspended cam system for fast rotation during manoeuvres as developed on last year's sail.

A keen Moth sailor himself, Hyde Sails' Technical Director Mike Lennon explains: "Revised cloth layout and seam shape distribution allows the head to go "floppy" when you really go for it on the cunningham."

The sail has one less batten than most and is made almost entirely of ODL04 (2.8 OZ Technora by DP). Only the sleeve and window panel are from other materials. The result is a sail of less than 3kg in weight as opposed to the usual Moth mainsail weight of around 4kg.

Mike comments: "This is an all-round design but requires a strong cunningham system to get the most out of it in 14 knots and above." The sail (order code 2A 2009) is available from Hyde's online shop, www.hydeshop.com

Parkstone Open
The Moth class had its first class open of the year at Parkstone. Some 15 boats entered the event, which saw four 20-minute races were run in Saturday's 12-18 knot breeze. Hyde's Mike Lennon won every race on the water, suffering an OCS in the last race. Unfortunately Sunday's racing was cancelled due to no wind.

Foiling Moth ace Simon Payne had been favourite to win after stealing the show at the recent Australian Nationals with the debut of his new Mach 2 design, but gear failure stopped him from getting started. Mike takes delivery of a new Mach 2 any time soon, so combined with the power of the new mainsail, he should be a force to be reckoned with.

Moth accessories
Hyde has also introduced a range of covers and foil bags for the Moth class. For details on these and any other International Moth products see www.hydeshop.com or go direct to the Hyde Sails Moth page www.hydeshop.com/ moth-104-c.asp

Flying 15s enjoy a battle at Bewl

2009-10-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

New Hyde spinnaker design proves a winner on its first outing.

Some 20 Flying 15s enjoyed a challenging weekend of racing, with Richard Lovering and Matt Alvarado taking overall victory, with the assistance of the brand-new Hyde spinnaker design.

Saturday's racing took place in a blustery breeze, which ranged from 8-24 knots. Big clouds added to the entertainment, with the wind direction predominantly northerly, but some large shifts up to 40 degrees at times - whacky inland sailing at its best!
A relatively short D-shaped course proved very testing with the pressure and angle changes, and the two five-lap races proved a real challenge.

Unfortunately Sunday dawned with just 2-4 knots at 10am, which dropped to zero at 10.30. Racing was eventually cancelled at 11.30 leaving Richard Lovering and Matt Alvarado in the Hyde-powered boat as winners, having won both of Saturday's races, with Robert Hogben and Glyn Morgan second.

Lovering and Alvarado put their win down to simple strategy with good starts, clean air and nice tactics from crew. Matt Alvarado commented: "The event was awesome fun given the massive changes in pressure and direction. Bewl is a beautiful place to sail. The main and jib combination was quick through the range, while the new Hyde spinnaker proved very stable and controllable on the tricky 3-sail reaches."

The first half of last year saw some intensive sail development by Hyde's in the Flying 15 class, resulting in a strong showing from Hyde-powered boats at the 2008 nationals. The main project over the winter and early 2009 has been the development of the new spinnaker design, which enjoyed its first airing at Bewl.

Hyde Sails is renowned for its success in working with one-design classes, and the last year has been a busy one. The Hyde team has been working hard to produce to best sails for each class to enable sailors to achieve their full potential. With the launch of Hyde's new webshop - www.hydeshop.com - you can browse the spec sheets and information for each class as well as being able to buy your sails direct online.

For more details on Flying 15 and other one-design sails, contact Paul Austin (T: +44(0)7872 816918) see www.hydesails.com or go direct to the Flying 15 class page: www.hydeshop.com/flying-15-143-c.asp

Hyde Sails enjoys a successful Dinghy Show

2009-09-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

The Hyde Sails team enjoyed a busy weekend at the recent Volvo RYA Dinghy Show, held on March 7-8 at Alexandra Palace, London.

Star of the Hyde Sails stand was the Hyde Sailspowered Cherub, which Pete Barton and Roz Allen have raced so successfully since its launch last year. Hyde's brand-new range of accessories was on display, attracting lots of attention from visitors, and the show also marked the launch of Hyde's new online shop, www.hydeshop.com, where sails for a host of dinghy classes from Albacores, B14s and Contenders, to Optimists, Streakers and Wayfarers can be ordered direct from Hyde's website.

Toby Barsley-Dale, who looks after Hyde's UK onedesign sales, commented: "We are delighted with the response we had at the show. Over the weekend we saw a ride range of visitors on the stand from cruising sailors to World champions showing that Hyde offers something for everyone. Despite the recession, sales were good and it was great to be able to discuss a number of new projects with sailors, builders and class associations."

HYDE SAILS MERLIN WINS AT STARCROSS

2009-09-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

The Steamer, held at Starcross YC on the River Exe, is one of the classic early season pursuit races, and although entries were down little, this year's event still attracted a strong 54-boat entry. The Hyde Sails Merlin crossed the line more than a leg ahead of the next boat, also a Merlin Rocket, sailed by 2008 Silver Tiller winners Matt Biggs and Rob Kennaugh. Another Merlin, sailed by John Gorridge and Peter Horn, took third place, with the RS800 of Russell Gibbs and Megan Fileman fourth, and the RS400 of Richard Cain and Owen Taylor completing the top five. Glen Trusswell commented:

We have now shed off our winter retirement and are back down to a fighting weight of under 23 stone.

The team plans to compete in the Steve Nicholson and Tiger Trophy events over the next two weekends.