Hamble River Sailing Club Wednesday Night Series B - Day 8
by Lis Robinson 4 Sep 2015 10:56 BST
2 September 2015
The last night of the B series, and indeed of the entire Wednesday night series did not look good. A massive ebb tide, 6 knots of breeze and all weather forecasts predicting a 100% probability of rain from about 3pm to 9pm. Obviously this would deter all but the hardened and RO Lis Robinson was resigned to a strong likelihood of postponing and then abandoning the race for the brave few. When the committee boat got out onto the race area things looked even worse with the wind at 230 degrees with insufficient breeze to risk sending the fleet across the channel. A few boats trickled out and then, gradually, the trickle increased until the best part of 30 boats were floating around the committee boat. The RO set up a triangular course with short legs to allow shortening and then some 10 minutes before the start the breeze clocked round to 300 degrees and picked up to some 10 knots allowing boats to progress over the strong tide.
The race course for all fleets was set up as windward leewards around Coronation and Hamble Point with the biggest challenge to navigators being the need to remember the number of leeward roundings required. The various classes were packed off down wind and down tide to ensure that boats cleared the start line - even if the wind faltered. In view of the fast ebb not only was each class exceptionally well behaved but all apart from Class 3 were way behind the line on the starting gun making the line officer's job very simple. One of the best starts was Mike James in Forethought of Gosport given he was racing single handed for the evening. Once the classes were away the committee boat sped off to Hamble Point in time to watch the XODs and Class 3 on their second mark rounding. There was considerably debate on the committee boat as to who might follow the XOD fleet into the North Shore to get out of the tide without checking the depth. Whilst certain boats will remain nameless it was confirmed back in the Club house that some competitors had been seen checking their depth calibration offset on the first leg whilst there were even one or two boats who insisted on beating up in the main channel oblivious to the tide.
Needlework (Patrick Pymm & Peter Smith) took a commanding lead in Class 2 from the leeward mark as did Cockleshell (Jonty Shervill) in Class 3. Various large clouds threatened precipitation and the end of the breeze, but thankfully it passed around Southampton Water. However, the wind did drop slightly and with the nights closing in both Class 1 and class 2 were shortened to two laps to get all competitors home before dark. In the XOD fleet X54 took the bullet closely followed by Mischief (Wilson, Wright & Neale) with Satu (Andy Hamlett) in third place. For the series It (John Butt) came 3rd with Fearless (David Gregory) in 2nd and Satu squeezed into pole position by one point. In Class 3 Starfall (Adrian Hull) took 3rd behind Fritha (Bob Allen) with Cockleshell the winner. For the series Cockleshell broke away from Forethought of Gosport to take the overall lead with Fritha in 3rd.
In Class 2 Cheeky Monkey (Aidan Barr) took 3rd behind Vlad the Impala, but Needlework shook off the Impala fleet for the bullet. Vlad the Impala (Peter Dessent) took his first bullet of the Impala One Design series followed by Cheeky Monkey and Vodoo (Peter Rouse) to leave Polly (Meakins & Cudmore) in 3rd for the overall series, Voodoo in 2nd and Imptish, helmed by Rear Commodore Barney Smith, the clear winner. Needlework triumphed in both the NHC and Club handicap series, in Class 2, whilst Anne Louise (Peter Slimming) took 2nd under NHC and 3rd under Club handicap. Imptish took second overall under Club handicap whilst newcomer Uproar (Scott, Akhurst & Palmer) broke into the chocolates in third place under NHC.
In Class 1, Midnight Cowboy (Steph Merry) romped home for the evening with Wee Bear (Chudziak, Horner & Malas) and Light (Rob Denning) comfortably spread out behind her. In the overall Light managed to be consistent with a 3rd under both Club handicap and NHC, with Wee Bear 2nd under Club handicap and 1st under NHC. Midnight cowboy led by a country mile under Club and Las Nef IV took 2nd under NHC.
The Clubhouse was heaving after racing with both Wednesday night racers and various instructors from the Park Sport initiative around. Particularly gratifying in view of the Club aim to provide affordable sailing to the community, was the attendance of several instructors who started sailing through our links with Hamble Sport and Community College, and through the RYA training programme with the Club were in attendance having been instructors that day for the next generation of sailors.
Wednesday night racing continues next year as soon as the clocks go forward in March but in the meantime Bart's Bash is the next big event on 20th September followed by the renowned Garmin Hamble Winter Series. Early bird discount fees for the Garmin Winter Series close 18th September. Details of the full activities, training courses and events at the Club are available at www.hrsc.org.uk and www.hamblewinterseries.com.