TYCO Healthcare Hamble Winter Series - Day 5

Lloyd Hamilton finished 5th sailing Giraffe 7093 in the 1st race of week 5 of the TYCO Healthcare Hamble Winter Series © Eddie Mays

Gregor Logan's Mumm 30 Highlander III won both her races during week 5 of the TYCO Healthcare Hamble Winter Series © Eddie Mays

Sponsored by International Coatings

Plenty of sun and a cold NW'erly breeze was enough to tempt most of the competitors away from the warmth and comfort of an armchair and the England v France Rugby match. However it is probably a good thing that the final is being played next Saturday. The paint company International Coatings sponsored the racing and it was a classic day of racing.

The Europrix 45s had returned for an extra weekend's racing and having already had four races on Saturday they completed another two on Sunday. They started ahead of the main Black Fleet sequence and then had another race after the main body of the fleet were away. Glyn William's sailing Wolf dominated the weekend. He won five out of the six races with only David Franks on board Rebel winning the last race to break the sequence. The weak tidal conditions near the Ryde bank meant that the fleets, with the exception of the Sigma 38s, were well behaved on the start line. There were only two boats declared OCS. The Sigma 38s started their run to the line too early and more than half were over the line and the class were recalled and sent to the back of the sequence. Vince Hayter & Chris Gillingham, Highland Spirit, won the class but Philip Meakins, Festina Lente, scored another 2nd place to lead the class overall by a point from Kevin Sussmilch with Mefisto. In the other Sigma class, the 33s, John Wright joined the series for his first race and lost no time in making his mark. He helmed Summation to a 30 second win over David & Fiona Crawforth in Sigress. IRC0 was won by the DK46 Erivale (M. Greville) but Nick & Anne Haigh (Farr 40, Too Steamy) was 2nd ahead of class leader Robbie Cameron-Davies (Ker 11.3, I-Site). Rob Goddard (Falcon) comfortably beat Nick Jones (Tarka) by three minutes on the water but this was reduced to a mere four second advantage after the time correction had been calculated. Jim MacGregor, (Kier building with Flair) continued his winning sequence. This week it was another Elan 40, Nick & Paul Jones's Passion that took 2nd place. Behind these two was Mike Brough on board Bavaria Yachts first production Match 38. Technical difficulties in the first two races earned them maximum points but they are now getting on the pace with a 2nd (Race 3) and this week's 3rd place.

The Sportsboat classes of the White Fleet were set courses from Navigators & General up to the Meon buoy. Most were well behaved but three 707's lost track of their timing sequence in the first race and started one minute too soon. Two boats recovered but one failed to return and was declared OCS. Gregor Logan (Highlander III) is starting to impose himself on the Mumm 30 class. He won both races ahead of his main rival, David McLean on Offbeat. It was honours even in the Cork 1720s with the two front runners, Splash test Dummies and Oi!, both winning a race. Mike Ewart-Smith sailing his Laser SB3, Sublime, gained on his nearest rivals by winning both races this week. John Hanson, Beaty Swollocks, and Jerry Hill, 3 sad old blokes, both had comparatively poor results but these three are some way ahead of the others in the overall standings. The 707s used Royal Southern as their first mark. They then had a broad reach / fetch sausage before going further upwind and away from the other classes. Class leaders Chilli Chaser and Black Sheep had poor first races. They finished close together but in 7th & 8th positions. Things improved in the afternoon when they finished 1st & 3rd respectively. Best performance of the day was from Mark Gillett, Pocket Battleship. He won the morning race and was 4th in the afternoon. This leaves him in 2nd place overall behind Ian Southworth & Nigel Smith.

Week 5 Winners:

More Information:

• TYCO Healthcare Hamble Winter Series Section