Hamble Winter Series

Eddie Mays reports on last Sundays action

The addition to the various classes of the mid-winter boats meant that for the first time over 200 boats competed in last Sunday’s racing in the Tyco Healthcare Hamble Winter Series, which was sponsored by local company, CADHire UK. The weather was a great deal kinder to the competitors with a shifting NE – E’erly breeze that started at about 10 kts and freshened steadily through the day.

In the Black Group Robbie Cameron-Davies, sailing the Ker 11.3 I-Site, won his second successive race in IRC Zero. Shaun Frohlich in the IMX-40 Exabyte2 took line honours in IRC 1 but was beaten into 2nd place on handicap by Nick Jones in Tarka. Prima 38s filled the next five places. Two Elan 40s took the top spots in IRC 2. Jim MacGregor, Keir building with Flair, gained a 90 second advantage over Nick & Paul Jones in Passion. One of the closest races, on the water, was in IRC 4. Tony Dodd sailing his Quarter tonner Purple Haze had a battle royal with Peter Slimming in his Hunter 30 Anne Louise. At the top of the third beat they were still dipping tacks. It was only towards the end of the race that Dodd managed to gain enough of an advantage to take the race on handicap.

In the One-design classes Ian Dawson, Glide-x, won his second race of the series. John Noe, La Nef IV, was challenging him at the first mark but then fell back badly to 8th before recovering to 4th on the last beat from the Island. Philip Meakins and his family on their recently acquired Sigma 38 Festina Lente took the winning gun in their class whilst Richard Puddifoot’s victory on board the Sigma 33 Whippa Snappa may be lost in the protest room next week. There is also a protest in the Bowsprit class between Jos of Hamble and Slingshot.

On the White Group course the offshore breeze restricted the length of windward leg that could set and life became very crowded around the top mark with boats, of various classes, going round at the same time. Jack Kelly, Moonshine, and Gregor Logan, Highlander III, shared the honours in the Mumm 30 class. Andrew & Jane McLelland, Splash Test Dummies, have started well in the 1720 class and they won the morning race and finished 3rd in the afternoon. However, the team of Swalwell, Vance & Cooper on board Oi! Were slightly more consistent with two 2nd places. Jerry Hill, having won the Sportsboat Class last year, is still going very fast in his Laser SB3, 3 Sad Old Blokes. He won both races this week. There are some very good sailors in the class and it is expected to be a close run thing by the end of the series. In the Hunter 707 class the points were equally shared between Chilli Chaser, Ian Southworth & Nigel Smith, and Black Sheep, owned by James Ross.

Class winners:

Class	Type/Race	Yacht	Owner
IRC 0	Ker 11.3	I-Site	Robbie Cameron-Davies
IRC 1	Beneteau 40.7	Tarka	Nick Jones
IRC 2	Elan 40	Keir building with Flair	Jim McGregor
IRC 3		Great Scot II	Eurof Phillips
IRC 4	¼ tonner	Purple Haze	Tony Dodd
X 332		Glide-X	Ian Dawson
Sigma38		Festina Lente	Philip Meakins
Sigma33		Whippa Snappa	Richard Puddifoot
Bowsprit		Jacobi	Matteo Mozzochi
Mumm 30	Race 1	Moonshine	Jack Kelly
	Race 2	Highlander III	Gregor Logan
1720	Race 1	Splash Test Dummies	Andrew & Jane McLelland
	Race 2	Boats.com	Ian Atkins
Laser SB3	Races 1 & 2	3 Sad Old Blokes	Jerry Hill
Sportsboat	Race 1	Impetuous	Morton, Brown & Jay
	Race 2	Eat my Shorts	Marcus Gabriel
707	Race 1	Chilli Chaser	Ian Southworth & Nigel Smith
	Race 2	Black Sheep	James Ross