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Mike Hirst sets new VI kiteboarding record

-Record set at Nanny Cay Round Tortola Challenge
Hirst took the line honours win after just 2 hours, 14 minutes and 54 seconds to set a new record. Photo: RBVIYC
A beautiful morning greeted 11 competitors and delivered champagne sailing throughout the anti-clockwise around Tortola course on January 13, 2019, in the Virgin Islands. Photo: RBVIYC
A beautiful morning greeted 11 competitors and delivered champagne sailing throughout the anti-clockwise around Tortola course on January 13, 2019, in the Virgin Islands. Photo: RBVIYC
The Lucky 7 team with the Race Committee. Photo: RBVIYC
The Lucky 7 team with the Race Committee. Photo: RBVIYC
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - A beautiful morning greeted 11 competitors and delivered champagne sailing throughout the anti-clockwise Nanny Cay Round Tortola race on January 13, 2019, in the Virgin Islands.

New Kiteboarding record 

According to information from the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club (RBVIYC), first away at 09:35 were the Monohulls and cruising catamaran, followed by the three trimarans at 09:50. But all eyes were on Mike Hirst and Chris Brockbank with their foiling kites as they put down a challenge to establish a new kiteboarding record for the event.

Just over 2 hours later the pair came streaking back up the channel having maintained speeds in the upper teens throughout. Hirst took the line honours win after just 2 hours, 14 minutes and 54 seconds and, hot on his heels, Brockbank finished with a time of 2 hours 28 minutes and 53 seconds. 

Monohulls

The five monohulls made for an interesting fleet, ranging from David Lake's 30ft Hunter, Wicked Winch up to the majestic Swan 77, La Forza.  Sadly Wicked Winch was forced to retire at Beef Island due to rigging problems.  From the finish position at Nanny Cay, La Forza was the first to appear, dwarfing all other boats in the channel.

Sneaking up behind them though were the three multihulls, comfortably clocking upwind speeds around the 10-knot mark, with Mark Sander's Island Hops leading the way.  Finishing with an elapsed time of 4 hours 5 minutes and 25 seconds.  Eddie Brockbank's Lucky 7 was next, followed by Barney Crook's Airgasm with just under 10 minutes separating the three of them.

La Forza crossed the line a few minutes after Airgasm for the monohull class line honours but had not done enough to hold their position on corrected time.  Next up was Henry Leonnig and the Melges 24 Firewater which also gave them the class win ahead of Kevin Rowlette's Sweet Revenge and Miles Sutherland Pilch aboard his newly restored Beneteau 44.7 Odyssey.

The RBVIYC expressed gratitude to all who came out to witness the event as well as to sponsor Nanny Cay for supporting the event for another year. They also thanked Dick Schoonover for running the race committee team. 

Overall Results: Nanny Cay Round Tortola Results by Class 
Kite
1. Mike Hirst
2. Chris Brockbank

Monohulls
1. Firewater - Henry Leonnig (4th)
2. Sweet Revenge - Kevin Rowlette (5th)
3. Odyssey - Miles Sutherland Pilch / Keith Li Greci (6th)
4. La Forza - Svante Littmarck (8th)

Cruising Multihull
1.  Wildfire - John Hayes (7th)

Racing Multihull
1.  Lucky 7 - Eddie Brockbank (1st)
2.  Airgasm - Barney Crook (2nd)
3.  Island Hops - Mark Sanders (3rd)

Current Records for the Nanny Cay Challenge
Monohull 

Spookie (TP52) Steve & Heidi Benjamin - 3 hours 8 minutes & 43 seconds
29 March 2016

Multihll
Triple Jack, Kelsall One-Off - 2 hours 33 minutes & 40 seconds
30 April 2015

*New* Kiteboard Record 
Mike Hirst - 2 hours 14 minutes & 54 seconds
13 January 2019

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