Final tune up

Eddie Mays reports on the Royal Southern YC's July Regatta

Often used by competitors as a last warm-up regatta before the start of Skandia Cowes Week this year the Royal Southern Yacht Club's July Regatta saw a slightly lower entry than normal due to boats having not yet returned from ACCBank Cork Week. Although the class sizes were slightly smaller this month the quality of the racing was very high and there were many close finishes.

The recent period of strong winds was coming to an end but on Saturday the wind was quite erratic blowing anywhere from West to Northwest and gusting to 30 kts from a base of 15 kts making life difficult for both the race officers setting the courses and the tacticians on board trying to find the best way round.

In Class 1 Andrew Webster helmed his Seaquest Circus to line honours in both races but Andrew Iyer’s Portia shared the same time after the handicaps had been calculated for the first race and the points were shared. Neville Hodkin sailing his X-362 Xtra Djinn scored a double victory in Class 2 and in both races David Tomlinson brought home his J/92 Who’s to No in 2nd place. There was also a double victory in Class 3 where Michael Fawcett helming Hobby Horse took line honours but was overtaken on handicap by the Quarter tonner Runaway Bus (Paul Kelsey). The J/109s raced as a separate class on Saturday in the second of their special race day series. R.Srn.Y.C. members featured prominently in the results. Ben Richards & Mike Ewart-Smith won the first two races and came 3rd in the last but their lead was severely threatened by both National Champions Bruce Jubb and Mike Wallis.



Tony Lovell was in charge of the Sportsboat classes on the Green course and having laid windward / leeward courses off the Meon shore he found the combination of varying wind & building tides was too much after two races and the boats were sent home for an early cup of tea. Before that the large Laser SB3, of which half were club members, had enjoyed great racing. Craig Burlton ( monkeyoffice.co.uk) won the first race ahead of Mark Greenaway & Libby Greenhalgh ( Team Green) and Australian Daniel Geoghegan ( Platinum Blonde). Team Green exacted revenge in the second race when the first two positions were reversed to leave them on equal terms overnight. Club members also led the way in the other two classes. Julian Bates ( Bjornslippy) and Ben Duke & Rob Larke ( Jenga IV) both won a J/80 race whilst Miles Dalby won both Sportsboat races in his 707 Tequila.

Sunday dawned with a real promise of summer. The wind had eased overnight and steadied into the Northwest giving cracking racing conditions. Andrew Iyer’s First 40.7 Portia was unstoppable in Class 1. She finished 3rd behind the higher rated Circus and Panacea (John & Jill Patterson – R.Srn.Y.C.) in the morning race but won on handicap. In the afternoon Andrew took both line & class honours to finish the clear overall winner. The lighter conditions brought new faces to the front of Class 2. Jonathon McGuire made the right decisions on board Aviva to take the first race and Robbie & Lis Robinson finished the weekend on a high note by winning the final race. However Neville Hodkin finished in the top three each time and took the class win. Class 3 was a two boat battle between Runaway Bus and Hobby Horse and the day ended all square with a win apiece but Saturday’s better results gave the victory to the Bus.



R.Srn.Y.C.’s David Hudson had not raced his SB3 on Saturday but he came out with all cylinders firing on Sunday morning to take the first win ahead of Sandy Baillie-Strong (2nd) and Bruce Huber 3rd. Things did not go so smoothly at the start of the 2nd race and Tony Lovell had to resort to the black flag to get the fleet away. Even then four boats managed to fall foul of the rule and had an early trip back to the club. Sandy recorded another 2nd place and this brought him up to 2nd place overall behind Mark & Libby, who had capped off the weekend by winning the last race. In the J/80 class Julian Bates and the Ben Duke & Rob Larke team shared the honours leaving Julian to win overall. Miles Dalby made it a clean sweep in the Sportsboats winning both Sunday’s races.

With just one more regatta in September to complete the summer series none of the classes are decided and this is becoming one of the best series for some years. The club’s Race Officers are on duty again next weekend for the Level Racing Championships and then in August at the Squadron platform during Skandia Cowes Week.

Overall Results:

Class One
1st Portia Andrew Iyer
2nd Circus Andrew Webster Royal Southern
3rd Trion Michael Deeny

Class Two
1st Extra Djinn Neville Hodkin
2nd Who’s to No David Tomlinson
3rd Hot Rats Robbie & Lis Robinson Royal Southern


Class Three
1st Runaway Bus Paul Kelsey
2nd Hobby Horse Michael Fawcett
3rd Harry the Horse Richard Willetts

J-109 Class
1st Zelda Ben Richards & Michael Ewart-Smith
2nd Johnny Blue II Bruce Jubb
3rd Jahmali Mike Wallis Royal Southern

Laser SB3
1st Team Green Mark Greenaway & Royal Southern
Libby Greenhalgh
2nd Lets Be Free Sandy Baillie-Strong
3rd Trunk Monkey Joe Burnie

J-80 Class
1st BjornSlippy Julian Bates Royal Southern
2nd Jenga IV Ben Duke & Rob Larke Royal Southern
3rd Just Chilling Stephen Chiverton

Sportsboats
1st Tequila Miles Dalby Royal Southern
2nd 707 No. 7056 A.N.Other
3rd 3 little Pigs Nick Morgan

For full results see the Club's website: http://www.royal-southern.co.uk/