TYCO Healthcare Hamble Winter Series 2003 - Day 1

Martin Gray's Hunter 707 Flying Low lying low on Day 1 of the TYCO Healthcare Hamble Winter Series 2003 © Eddie Mays

Steven Thorpe's J-145 Wings of the Wind IRC 0 on Day 1 of the TYCO Healthcare Hamble Winter Series 2003 © Eddie Mays

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When the first gun was fired for this year’s first race a record 225 boats had entered the series and the competitors were rewarded with ideal conditions for the first day’s racing.

A stiff Easterly breeze reached nearly 30 knots at times and with the strong spring tide running to the East the bigger boats racing in the Central Solent found very testing conditions in the large 3 metre waves. Only one boat lost its mast in these conditions but there was a steady stream of retirements throughout the Black Fleet as discretion overcame valour.

In the IRC Zero class a number of dual certificated IRM / IRC boats are racing under their IRC ratings and it was Robbie Cameron-Davies’s Ker 11.3 “I-Site” that opened up an early lead. She was eventually overtaken by the RYA Volvo’s “Heatwave” and then pipped on the line by Nick & Anne Haigh’s Farr 40 “Too Steamy”. After the time corrections had been calculated “I-Site” was declared the winner by 61 seconds. There are nine Prima 38s entered in IRC 1 and it was Jon Perry sailing “Firestorm” who took both line honours and the class win. Jim McGregor has again brought his Elan 40 “Keir builds with Flair” from Poole to challenge for another major Solent title. This week he could only finish second behind “Sanguma” sailed by Chris Walmsley. The class with the largest increase in numbers is the Bowsprit class. This year 17 boats have entered and first blood went to Robert Shaw on board “Jazola”.

Further inshore, where the waters were a little less troubled the Sportsboat classes in the White fleet managed to complete a full set of two races each. Gregor Logan in “Highlander III” had a double win in the small Mumm 30 class whilst Andrew & Jane McLelland recorded a 2nd and a win “Splash Test Dummies” in the strong Cork 1720 class. The Laser SB3s have been given their own start this year. Michael Ewart-Smith had a sublime start in his aptly named “Sublime” winning both his races. As has become traditional the largest class is the Hunter 707s. Previous class winner Mark Gillett, “Pocket Battleship” won the morning race but could only finish 7th behind last year’s Series winner Ian Southworth in “Chilli Chaser” with another favourite James Ross, “Black Sheep” 2nd.

Next weekend sees extended racing. On Friday the Europrix 45 will be racing separately but then on Saturday the Prima 38s, the IRM class as well as the Sportsboat classes join them for the mid-Winter championships. Next Sunday’s racing will also count towards these results.

Week 1 Winners:

More Information:

• TYCO Healthcare Hamble Winter Series Section