TYCO Healthcare Hamble Winter Series 2004 - Day 8
by Eddie Mays 7 Dec 2004 14:42 GMT
5 December 2004
The final day racing of the TYCO Hamble Winter Series © Eddie Mays
Sponsored by the Quantum Sail Design Group and Parker & Kay
The forecasters predicted a steady 5 - 10 kts wind bearing 300 - 310 degs. Little did they know. The little breeze there was rarely got above 5 kts. At 10:00, the beginning of the start sequence, it was nearer 270 degs. It clocked left for an hour to 315 degs, stayed there (more or less) for an hour before clocking even further left to about 345 degs. In between this it fluctuated almost at will. By mid-day large areas of the Central Solent had no wind at all.
For several classes in both groups much depended on this day's results for the overall title. It was a great shame that it became such a lottery. The Black fleet started from a line off Lee-on-Solent and as the sequence progressed the adverse tide built, seemingly in direct proportion to the wind fading, until be the time that IRC 3 and the Sigma 33s started there was barely enough wind left to produce forward motion. Richard Puddifoot, 'Whippa Snappa' and Richard & Valerie Griffith, 'Cerefe' both had 9 points from the seven previous races. Puddifoot needed to win this race to take the series and initially it looked as if 'Whippa Snappa' had gained an early advantage but as the race progressed they both lost out to Eddie & Helen Smith on 'Vela' and most of the other 33s. With the cause lost Puddifoot retired from the race and this left the Griffith with the series victory.
Although the X-332s are racing as a One-design class they do carry an individual TCC which is applied to their elapsed time. Earlier in the morning their race had been a nail-biting affair. Ian Dawson, Glide-X, started off with a 2 point lead. At the windward mark he held a 200 metre lead and looked comfortable. Behind him both 'Steve Maine, 'X-to-sea' and Ian Smyth, 'Pittolo Bill' were struggling to make progress. Then the wind died and progress slowed even more. Glide-X and X-to-Sea arrived at the penultimate mark together. The last beat proved critical. Dawson managed to get to the line a couple of minutes ahead of Maine. When their respective correction factors had been applied Dawson's winning margin had been cut to 9 secs. This win was enough to give him the overall class victory.
Nearer the mouth of Southampton Water the first set of races for the Sportsboat classes was going well, if slowly, until a large shift during the last beat gave an advantage to those who had gone to the right. The Mumm 30 result was turned upside down. Charlie Frize, The Big L, won the 1720s but behind him Greg O'Brien, Gul/purplemarine, came from 2nd last to 2nd - pure skill I have been assured. After a period of no wind a new breeze slowly built from the Northwest. Many of the boats decided that enough was enough but for the front runners there was still a lot to play for. David Greenhalgh, G & T, having been adjudged OCS on the first race made amends for this error by winning the last race. Charlie Frize came second and this was enough to produce a four way tie for the overall title. Ian Atkins, Charlie Frize, Des Faherty and Andy Smith all finished with 35 points after discards. The title went to Ian Atkins on count back. Four wins to the others 3 apiece.
The Laser SB3s have had 34 boats racing, only one less than the 707s. On this final day Daniel Geoghegan, Blonde Ambition, recorded a 1st and a 2nd and only failed by two points to tie with Nigel Olive-Jones & Matt Johnson sailing Spank. Last year Ian Southworth was nearly invincible in the 707 class. This year he has only managed to sail a couple of weekends and so the class has been more open. Although it has usually been many of the long standing sailors who have been at the front. They were there again this week but unless my eyesight is worse than I think they seemed to be in different boats. Very confusing. Iain May was definitely in the right place and his 4th & 6th places were enough to give him a clear 6 point winning margin.
Week 8 Provisional Results:
IRM - Race 1, El Gringo, Ker 11.3, Nick Hartshorn & Hannah Harwood
IRM - Race 2, Alice, Mumm 36, Simon Henning
IRC 0, Jump, J-133, Stewart Hawthorn
IRC 1, Circus, Seaquest 36, Andrew Webster
IRC 2, Sanguma, One-off, Chris Walmsley
IRC 3, Leo Lady, Sigma 362, Graham Nixon
IRC 4, Curved Air, Impala, Messers Morris, Mason & Sprague
X 332, Glide-X, Ian Dawson
Bowsprit, Johnny Blue, J-109, Charles Ivill
Sigma 38, festina lente, The Meakins family
Sigma 33, Vela, Eddie & Helen Smith
Mumm 30 – Race 1, White Shark, Geof Gibbons
Mumm 30 – Race 2, Offbeat, Ian Gill
Cork 1720 – Race 1, Boats.com, Ian Atkins
Cork 1720 - Race 2, G & T, David Greenhalgh & Paul Lovejoy
Laser SB3 – Race 1, Blonde Ambition, Daniel Geoghegan
Laser SB3 – Race 2, Synchro, R.A.F.S.A.
Hunter 707 – Race 1, Chilli Chaser, Ian Southworth
Hunter 707 – Race 2, Doh!, Tom Davidson & Andrew Aldwinkle
Sportsboat Rules - Race 1, RYA 2, J-80
Sportsboat Rules – Race 2, RYA 1, J-80
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