Hastings 3 Day Boat Festival

This year’s three day boat festival was fished last Friday
Saturday and Sunday. After a stiffish breeze from the northeast
on the Friday the weather for the rest of the weekend was exceptional with hot sun and cloudless skies and very light winds. This match is determined on the five best specimens weighed in with points being given according to the percentage of the specimen weight.

Fishing was generally good with some fine specimens being weighed in, dabs and smoothounds were very good along with some good rays, wrasse and dogfish. This year’s winner came on the Friday with Bill Ellis scoring an exceptional 452 points to win the South of England Trophy and the first prize of £500. Bill also took The ICSA Gold Cup for most Festival points (1071) and the Herne Bay Cup for the best dogfish, a smoothound of 15lb 3oz.

Lucy Cramp aged just 12 had the best specimen o the Festival a very fine dab of 1lb 2¾oz for 125 points for the Friendship Trophy and £500 best specimen prize. Lucy’s mum Sunisa Cramp also had a very good match winning the Ladies Rosebowl with 236 points

Top Junior was George Dadswell who took all three junior trophies. Rodney Shoesmith took the Veterans Trophy and was top scorer on the Saturday with a very good bag of dabs for 378 points.Colin Crosby won on Sunday and took the Lewis Abbott Cup for most flatfish points with 5 excellent dabs for 403 points (usually enough for a clear festival win!). Best Skate was a cracking thornback ray of 12lb 2oz caught by Gavin Bourne. Another notable ray was a rare Painted ray of 9lb caught by Pete Wiseman and taken alive to the Sea Life centre where hopefully it will go on display soon.

The Prizes were presented by East Hastings AA Hon Sec John Thompson in the absence of Vice Chairman Jack Reece QPM. Great thanks is given by everyone involved for the generous support of the main sponsors Alex and Ellie of White’s Seafood & Steak Bar in the Old Town, Charlie Ball of C&G Commercial Services Ltd, Hastings Windows, Hastings Hire Centre and Berforts Ltd. Many thanks also to tackle suppliers Akios, Sonik and Svendsen Sports for donating fine tackle prizes.