Winter sets in

Full thermals on for the latest rounds of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series and Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships

Winter finally showed its teeth to the Garmin Hamble Winter Series and Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships at the weekend, to mark the halfway point of the series.

Saturday was the first day of the final weekend of the Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships. But a ferocious forecast and bitingly cold northerly wind put paid to the plans of the SB20 and J/80 classes, whose racing was cancelled. Only the J/109s ventured out for one race, before racing was called off for the day. One boat lost their rig, which broke above the top spreader, and another two boats had already retired. Steve Maine’s J2Eau won the race, around a minute ahead of Jynnan Tonnyx and Yeoman of Wight.

Hopes were high for better conditions on Sunday, with competitors enjoying an extra hour in bed as the clocks went back. Despite the cold morning, competitors were greeted by a much more civilised 11-18 knots from the west. The race team set each class two races from up to Hill Head for the smaller boats, and East Knoll for the bigger boats, to laid gate and leeward marks downwind. SB20s and J/80s in the Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships fleet raced in the mouth of Southampton Water, sailing three races.

Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships

After the final three races of the two-weekend Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships on Sunday, Phil Taylor’s J.A.T won the J/80 class overall, three points clear of Jon Powell’s Betty. In the SB20 class, Geoff Carveth’s Sbeed posted an impressive score of three firsts on Sunday, putting them eight points clear at the top of the class ahead of Henri Lloyd/Forelle estates in second. The J/109s raced with the main Garmin Hamble Winter Series fleet. Christopher Palmer’s J Taime posted two firsts on Sunday, but this wasn’t enough to beat Owain Franks’ Jynnan Tonnyx, whose two second places on Sunday, was enough put them two points clear overall.

Thanks go to Lewmar for their sponsorship of the event.

Garmin Hamble Winter Series

In the main series, the shifty, patchy breeze meant that large gains and losses were there for the taking, and in many classes the status quo was upset by some fantastic displays of tactical sailing. Andark was the day sponsor, and presented prizes to the winners in each class.

In IRC 0, Ivan Trotman’s J/122 Jolou posted two firsts to take them four points clear at the top of the class.In IRC 1, The Reflex 38 Visit Malta Puma and Beneteau First 40.7 Mitchellson Interceptor took a first and a second place apiece. In IRC 2, David Franks’ Straight Dealer added to their near-perfect run of firsts with another two bullets. David and Kirsty Apthorp’s J-Dream enjoyed similar success in the J/111 class.

Things were closer in the IRC 3 class, With Craig Cossar’s Salona 35 Vital Eyes and Tom Snowball’s First 34.7 Mongoose posting a first and a third each. Positions changed regularly in the Sigma 38 class too, with Pandanova sailing a blinding first race to take first place, ahead of With Alacrity, which was second. Mefisto won the second race, with Kindred Spirit second.

In the IRC 4 class, Quarter Tonner Menace won both races, ahead of Impala 28 Polly and X-95 Crakajax. That puts Menace in front at the halfway point in the series.

Next week, there’s a break in the series, before it resumes on 11 November. The next four weeks have one race per day to get competitors in before the light fades. Enjoy the break and see you in a fortnight!