Hayling Island - Sport and Leisure

Sport and Leisure

Hayling Island has a Non-League football club Hayling United F.C., which plays at Hayling College.

Although largely residential, Hayling is also a holiday, windsurfing and sailing centre, the site where windsurfing was invented.

In summer 2010, the Hayling Island Sailing Club hosted the 2010 World Laser Standard Senior and Junior Championships (27 August-5 September). The Senior championship was won by Australian Tom Slingsby, whilst Dane Thorbjoern Schierup won the Junior competition.

The Island also boasts one of the few active Real Tennis courts in the UK. Founded in 1911, Seacourt Tennis club is one of only a handful in the UK where it is possible to play every recognised racquet sport. The Racquets court itself was opened by Sir Colin Cowdrey.

Hayling Golf Club has been voted in the top 100 golf courses in the UK. A traditional links course, although relatively short by modern standards, the strong prevailing South-Westerly winds, fast greens, gorse bushes and traditional deep links bunkers make this a stern test for any golfer.

A funfair (Funland) situated at Beachlands, is open year round, as is the East Hayling Light Railway which runs from the funfair to Eastoke corner.

The 5-mile (8.0 km) Hayling Billy Trail is a former light rail right-of-way which has been converted to one of many footpaths on the island. The Ordnance Survey Explorer 120 map covers the area and the local tourist information office supplies leaflets of local interest walks.

The Station Theatre hosts a variety of plays staged by the Hayling Island Amateur Dramatics Society, Hayling Musical Society, musical events and films throughout the year. Hayling Island was also the birthplace and home of actress Stephanie Lawrence who starred in many West End musical shows, she was for many years close friends with Windsurfing inventor Peter Chilvers also from Hayling. The island supports several churches of different denominations including 3 Anglican churches; St Peter's at Northney, St Mary's at Gable Head and the more recently built St Andrew's in South Hayling.

Local hotels, holiday centres, bed and breakfast accommodation, holiday homes and caravans for rent, all support this year-round tourist resort.

Terra Firma Landscape Architects (Hampshire) led a team including HGP Architects and Planning Solutions in creating a regeneration masterplan strategy for the Hayling Island Seafront on behalf of Tourism South East and Havant Borough Council. The team are now involved in the first stage of development at West Beach for an extreme sports centre. The island is also well known by sea angling enthusiasts and at various times of the years plaice, black bream, mackerel,bass,cod and whiting can be taken. Also clams and cockles are frequently harvested in the surrounding harbours.