Royal Southampton two hander

A report from the Autumn Solent Double-Handed race

63 yachts entered the Royal Southampton Yacht Club’s Autumn Solent Double-Handed race held on Saturday 11th October and waited for two hours in
the sunshine for some wind.

The final event of the eight-race series, racing was in two IRC Classes, one club-rated and a multihull class. The Race Management Team set the start line near Meon Buoy and the fleet were given a first beat to East Knoll buoy near the Brambles Bank. The wind was light peaking around 8 knots from the south. The fleet split off the start line with some heading uptide on starboard while others headed on port towards Calshot Spit. In the light airs and strong tide the fleet converged at the windward mark with an unclear verdict on which side paid in the different classes. The next leg to an inflatable mark off the Lee on Solent shore was a close reach followed by a beat to Marinetrack.com and then a run to the shortened course finish at Meon.

The 21 boats in Class 1 IRC included ten J-Boats, three X-Boats, two Jeanneau OD35s, and a Corby 35. First to finish was the IMX 40 Exabyte 2 sailed by Nicholas Martin and Christina Bassadone by over six minutes. It was Kirsteen Donaldson and Mary Sturgess on the X-332 Pyxis which won on corrected time by 30 seconds from Chris Savage and Henry Collison on the J/80 Just Savage with Exabyte 2 third.

Inshore Series results: 1st Jambalaya (J/92 –Andrew Bird), 2nd Jos of Hamble (J/105 – Clemency Williams), 3rd Pyxis.
Full Series: 1st Audacious (JOD35 Paul Peggs), 2nd Jambalaya, 3rd Pyxis

The 19 boats in Class 2 IRC handicap, which ranged from a Starlight 39 down to a Trapper 300, saw Ross Bateson and Andrew Halliwell on the First 31.7 Starspray take line honours by 7 minutes. On corrected time the winner was Kathy and Rupert Smalley’s Laser 28 The Flying Fish by nearly three minutes, ahead of Starspray with third Pat Stables and Nigel Hunter on the Trapper 300 Google-Eye.

Inshore Series results: 1st Google-Eye, 2nd The Flying Fish, 3rd Garnele (Scampi – Chris Rustom).
Full Series: 1st Garnele, 2nd Google-Eye, 3rd The Flying Fish

The 17 boats in Class 3, Club-rated, ranged from a Bavaria 44 to a Folkboat. First to finish was the Andrew and Linda Campbell’s Bavaria 44 Faze 3. On corrected time the winner was Alan Baker’s GK33 Alma. Second was Faze 3 and third Zumbido the Sadler 29 of Michael Hibberd and Anne Howard.

Inshore Series results: 1st So! (Nordic Folkboat – Simon Osgood), 2nd Zumbido , 3rd A Day at The Races (One off Nicholson 35 – Barrie Martin).
Full Series: 1st Faze 3, 2nd A Day at the Races, 3rd Debanessa (Beneteau Oceanis 381 – Ricky & Tarryn Chalmers).

The six boats in the Multihull Class ranged from a Woods Banshee 35 catamaran to a Strider 24. David McLeman and Glen Ward on Dragonfly 920 Zoum were first on corrected time ahead of Dragonfly 800 Scooby III (Simon Forbes and Helena Darvelid) with Ben Goodland and Mike Yates third on Strider Tigger.

Inshore Series : 1st Tigger, 2nd Zoum!, 3rd Scooby III.

PROVISIONAL RESULTS AUTUMN SOLENT DOUBLE RACE
Class: 1 – IRC
1. Pyxis X-332 Kirsteen Donaldson/Mary Sturgess
2. Just Savage J/80 Chris Savage/ Henry Collison
3. Exabyte 2 IMX40 Nicholas Martin/Christina Bassadone

Class: 2 – IRC
1. The Flying Fish Laser 28 Kathy & Rupert Smalley
2. Starspray First 31.7 Ross Bateson/Andrew Halliwell
3. Google-Eye Trapper 300 Pat Stables / Nigel Hunter

Class: 3 – Club
1. Alma Westerly GK33 Alan Baker
2. Faze 3 Bavaria 44 Andrew & Linda Campbell
3. Zumbido Sadler 29 M Hibberd A Howard

Class: Multihulls
1. Zoum! Dragonfly 920 David McLeman / Glen Ward
2. Scooby III Dragonfly 800 Simon Forbes / Helena Darvelid
3. Kreuger Strider 24 Ben Goodland Michael Yates