Warsash Spring Championship - Second Weekend
by Flavia Bateson 26 Apr 2010 21:39 BST
24-25 April 2010
Sparkling Solent for Warsash finale
Warsash Sailing Club was a busy place over the weekend of 24th/25th April when the Warsash Spring Series and Spring Championship reached their final stages. Conditions in the Solent were ideal and provided some of the best racing so far this season. Each year some 120 Club members volunteer to run the event and over the final two days, 42 separate races were completed on three separate sailing areas. Competitors and race officers can now relax and look forward to the prize giving on Friday 14th May.
At 39 entries, the Laser SB3 class was the largest in the Spring Championship, including representation from the Royal Signals, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Having been on their best behaviour over the first weekend, competitiveness got the better of the fleet on the final Saturday with the ‘Black Flag Rule’ used for every race. The wind was steady throughout and only minor adjustments needed to be made to the line for the four races completed. Those on the anchored committee boat had a grandstand view of the close racing at the end of the runs as the boats planed by causing severe chop. The verdict was “uncomfortable but highly entertaining.”
On Sunday the breeze had increased and there was no problem completing the last three races giving 11 results to count for the two-weekend championship. Craig Burlton (Gill Race Team) was the runaway winner on 28 points with Geoff Carveth second on 52 points. The Russian sail number of Oleg Zherebzor came third with Champagne Blonde whilst Sponge Bob and Selden Mast were equal on points but Sponge Bob took fourth place on countback.
The J/80s completed 12 races over the course of the Spring Championship, each of between 40 and 60 minutes. Again there was a distinct winner in John Cooper’s Oi! which had never dropped below fifth place. Terry Palmer’s Just Do It and Steve Chappell’s Jango Fett were only five points apart coming second and third.
Triallists for the Rolex Commodore’s Cup joined the Black Group section of the Spring Championship over the final weekend. Cracklin Rosie (Corby 40), Artemis (Grand Soleil 43) and La Reponse (Beneteau First 40) raced with the Big Boat class and the 10 boats trialling for Class 3 of the Commodore’s Cup raced alongside the First 40.7s. Six races were completed over the weekend.
On Saturday with the wind east-south-east in the 10/12 knot range, the committee boat set up station between Universal Marina and East Bramble buoys. The windward/leeward courses used a mixture of laid and fixed marks. Farr 45s and the Big Boat classes were the first two away using a six mile course. Remaining classes’ courses were slightly shorter and the tide had turned halfway through the scheduled programme.
Fraxious and Rebel shared the Farr 45 honours, both winning two races by the end of the day. Guy Prest sailed consistently well in the 40.7s posting four wins in Tarka. Johnny Vincent’s TP52 Pace only dropped one win in the Big Boats and that was to RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine’s new La Reponse. The separate Commodore’s Cup Trials class saw Jim Macgregor on top form with his Elan 410 Premier Flair. His nearest challenger was Steve Northmore and Chris Arscott’s A35 Waterjet.co.uk which took the first race of the day.
Sunday’s breeze was stronger, with gusts to 18 knots. The Spring Championship competitors enjoyed two races sailing in their relevant IRC class. IRC1 saw a burst of over enthusiasm causing a general recall and a start delayed until IRC2 were underway. This added zest to the procedure as the two classes became amalgamated with a wall of spinnakers chasing their way from South Bramble to a laid mark between Hamble Yacht Services and Fastnet Insurance buoys. Although Fraxious was again on good form in the Farr 45s, scoring a first and third, this was not enough to beat Jerry Otter’s Werewolf which had performed better over the first weekend of the Spring Championship. In the Big Boats Pace again pulled out all the stops ending the Championship on a high with two further wins and 34 points ahead of her nearest rival Dark and Steamy (Nick and Annie Haigh). Tarka was taken to task by Portia (Andrew Iyer) and Encore (Steven Anderson/Jane Curwen) but nonetheless had secured a five point lead in the Championship. Jim Macgregor and Premier Flair had an enviable scoreline of five wins from six races and topped the Commodore’s Cup Trials Class 3. Seven J/109s competed. Although J/Dream (Kirsty and David Apthorp) counted six first places, Adam Wright in Velvet Elvis had not dropped below second place and took the Championship trophy by two points.
Provisional Results – Warsash Spring Championship:
Farr 45, Werewolf, Gerry Otter
Big Boats, Pace, Johnny Vincent
First 40.7, Tarka, Guy Prest
J/109, Velvet Elvis, Adam Wright
CC3, Premier Flair, Jim Macgregor
J/80, Oi!, John Cooper
Laser SB3, Gill Race Team, Craig Burlton
More information on the event website.