37th Hoo Freezer at Hoo Ness Yacht Club

The 37th Hoo Freezer was held over the weekend 8th & 9th March sponsored by Hoo Marina, hosted by Hoo Ness YC and organized with assistance from Wilsonian SC.

Other Medway clubs, the Scouts, St. John’s Ambulance and the Coast Guard provide safety and medical cover. There was an excellent entry of 72 boats with competitors coming from as far away as Southport. The usual schedule was followed, a practice race on the Saturday, the Hoo Freezer on Sunday, lapping courses with results based on average lap times.

A blustery southwesterly gusting over 30 knots kept many competitors ashore for the practice race, just 30 boats venturing out in the challenging conditions that gave the rescue boats plenty of activity, only 17 boats surviving to record a finish.

The B14s of Chris Bines/David Gibbons and Mark Barnes/Peter Nicolson mastered the conditions well at the front of the fleet over the four laps. Bines/Gibbons held the lead to the line for victory while unfortunately Barnes/Nicolson were disqualified for passing between a freighter and the guard boat. Andrew Peake kept his Musto Skiff powered up to claim second while Chris Matthews/ Ed Gibbons (29er) were third.

On Sunday, in stark contrast, the southwesterly had eased to a light to moderate breeze. This favoured the medium handicap fleet and they were the first away as the fast handicap fleet were too eager to start, suffered a couple of general recalls and the black flag preparatory signal before they got underway. Tony Hunt/Suzanne Hall (V3000) led the fleet on the first round with Simon Cory/Sarah Styles (Buzz) snapping at their heels. Cory/Styles overhauled the leaders on the second lap to take line honours and lift the Hoo Freezer Cup with Hunt/Hall relegated to third on handicap. Chris Dutton/Claire Hansell also eased ahead of the early leaders and settled for the fourth spot.

Meanwhile Steve Hall/Simon Haighton kept well ahead of the other Larks to claim second prize with Chris Whitehead/Ruth Johnson ninth and together with Holly Hewat/Alison Dart 11th were awarded the highest placed class team prize. The Scorpions were well in evidence with John/Jamie Clementson leading the pack for fifth just ahead of sixth placed Janet Gatehouse/Alan Richie and Chris/Keith Swinchatt also from Chipstead SC, won the highest placed club team award. Locally based Stuart Bailey/Zoe Noble (Buzz) and Doug Horner/Tim Ellis (RS 200) picked up 7th and 10th prizes respectively while Brian Lamb/John Goudie (Wayfarer) was just outside the prizes in 12th. Although the B14s dominated the fast fleet, only David Hayes/Richie Bell finished for eighth prize on corrected time with Mark Watts/George Morrise and Mark Barnes/Peter Nicolson outside the top-ten.

The wind had a sting in its tail and a foretaste of the storm to come 12 hours later. As the last boats were finishing and others returning to shore a squall passed through with winds in excess of 30 knots causing short-term mayhem. However, all were soon recovered and returned safely to shore.

Medway’s Deputy Mayor Cllr Nick Bowler rounded up the highly successful event by presenting the prizes, aided by Richard Cassem commodore of Hoo Ness YC.

Cllr Bowler, being a non-sailor, had previously wondered what the Hoo Freezer was all about and was informed that ‘you go out in a boat at Hoo and freeze’!

Tom Sims awarded the Race Officer’s Prize to Robin Reeve for manning the flags on the committee boat for over 25 years and is now leaving the area.

Overall Results & Prizes:

Saturday practice race (Sun Wharf Cup)
1st B14 775 Chris Bines/David Gibbons (Brightingsea SC)
2nd Musto Skiff 288 (Eastbourne Sovereign SC)
3rd 29ER 620 Chris Matthews/Ed Gibbons (Brightingsea SC)

Hoo Freezer (Hoo Freezer Cup)
1st Buzz 1089 Simon Cory/Sarah Styles (Downs SC)
2nd Lark 2502 Steve Hall/Simon Haighton (Northampton SC)
3rd V3000 3603 Tony Hunt/Suzanne Hall (Wilsonian SC)
4th Buzz 1061 Chris Dutton/Claire Hansell (Downs SC)
5th Scorpion 1984 John/Jamie Clementson (Chipstead SC)
6th Scorpion 2995 Janet Gatehouse/Alan Richie (Chipstead SC)
7th Buzz 763 Stuart Bailey/Zoe Noble (Wilsonian SC)
8th B14 757 David Hayes/Richie Bell (Southport SC)
9th Lark 2411 Chris Whitehead/Ruth Johnson (Ranelagh SC)
10th RS 200 Doug Horner/Tim Ellis (Wilsonian SC)

First Youth Sailor (Hoo Marina Cup)
Chris Matthews/ Ed Gibbons

Highest Placed Club Team: Chipstead SC
John/Jamie Clementson, Janet Gatehouse/Alan Richie, Chris/Keith Swinchatt

Highest Placed Class Team: Lark
Steve Hall/Simon Haighton, Chris Whitehead/Ruth Johnson, Holly Hewat/Alison Dart

Highest placed boat Saturday and Sunday combined
Scorpion 2995 Janet Gatehouse/Alan Richie (Chipstead SC)

Race Officer’s Prize
Robin Reeve (Hoo Ness YC)

More information on the Hoo Ness Yacht Club website.