J Boats in the Raymarine Warsash Spring Series
by Becci Eplett, J-UK 1 Apr 2008 18:26 BST
16 March 2008
Ian Atkins, boats.com, leads the J-80 class after 4 races of the Raymarine Warsash Spring Series © Eddie Mays
For those still reeling from the horrendous cold and wind of the Red Funnel Regatta, the benign conditions which greeted competitors for week two of the Raymarine Warsash Spring Series were most welcome indeed.
In IRC Class 1, after fairly ‘average’ start, John Patterson’s J/122 Panacea scooted round the top mark but was passed by the bigger Dark & Steamy on the spinnaker leg and they pulled away on the subsequent fetch and went on to win. Neil Martin’s J/133 Jammy Dodger was third at this stage. The breeze died causing some to kedge and as the breeze filled in all of IRC Class 2 and the back markers in IRC Class 1 came round the mark in new breeze and sailed through the boats which were previously looking good. In the end, Ian Mathews in his J/122 Jinja did well to salvage a fifth place in class, with Rob Craigie’s J/122 Jbellino just behind.
J/80 Sportsboats
Whether it was the warming spring sunshine or a new sense of harmony on board newlyweds Duncan and Michelle Johnston’s Mosquito matters not one iota. All that needs to be said is that something was working well on the black boat for Race 3 of the series, well enough at least to secure Mr & Mrs J a bullet in the first race on Sunday leaving Ian Atkins in Boats.com second and the Savage Sailing Team third.
Boats.com squeezed past the Savage Sailing Team in Race 4 a third race win for this little ship which means that Ian Atkins is now leading the series. Newcomers to the fleet Louis and Max Kenna enjoyed a great Race 4 in Jirolamo and finished third.
Overall for the series, as we go into Races 5 & 6 next Sunday it’s Boats.com at the top of the pack with 5 points, Mosquito in second with 18 points with Rob and Jonathan Fox third overall in Jevan with 22 points.
J/105s – Report by Andy Hill
Simon Curwen in Voador spotted a windshift at the start and was clear away as the rest of the J/105 fleet jilled about trying to cross the line. In his wake were Paul Griffith’s Fay-J, Andy Hill’s Only Just and Chris Jones’ Journeymaker 5.
Miles ahead at the first windward mark, the team Voador must have stopped to relax with a G&T on the downwind leg and, with their lead being shortened all the time, Fay-J just managed to squeeze past on the second beat. These positions were held until the finish and at the line it was Fay-J, from Voador in second with Only Just in third.
J/109s – Report by David Mcleman
The fourteen J/109s which came to the start on Sunday basked in the sunshine and enjoyed the pleasant contrast to the first race of the series. After a short postponement the fleet were off on what was intended to be a windward/leeward course zigzagging north from the Ryde Bank back up to the mainland shore. The start saw Zelda (Michael Ewart-Smith) and Matt Boyle’s Shiva making good starts towards the pin end of the line with David McLeman’s Offbeat winning the battle with David and Kirsty Apthorp on J-Dream for position at the committee boat end.
On the first beat, a 30 degree shift south and increase to eight to nine knots lifted Shiva and Mike Wallis’ Jahmali up to the layline to round first and second respectively, closely followed by Offbeat and Zelda (Ben Richards and Mike Ewart-Smith) who had both tacked away early hoping to find weaker tide on the north side of the main channel and been caught on the wrong side of the beat.
The change in direction reduced the rest of the race to a succession of tight spinnaker reaches and fetches with few place changes, and Shiva held a comfortable lead from Jahmali and looked set to win. At the penultimate mark, Hill Head, Zelda grabbed an overlap inside Offbeat to round third and set off in pursuit of the leaders who were over 200m ahead on the leg to Fastnet Insurance.
With the leaders running to the shortened finish the breeze died and the race began again as the leaders were closed by the chasing pack of Beth (Guy Knight), the RAF’s Red Arrow, David McGough’s Just-So, J-Dream and Johnny Blue II (Jeff Dakin, Bruce Jubb and Mike Flood). Zelda squeezed across the line in front of Jahmali with Offbeat in third place.
More information at www.warsashspringseries.org.uk