Hansa TT at Burghfield Sailing Club
by David Martin 6 Jun 2023 21:14 BST
3 June 2023
Hansa TT at Burghfield © David Martin
There was a healthy fleet of 19 boats competing at Burghfield in the 5th Hansa TT this season. Conditions were 10 to 12 knots, with some 5 knot holes on the course. Add to that some sunshine and heat to set the scene for some really good racing.
The day began with the usual preparations; a good breakfast which was enjoyed whilst overlooking the lake. The Hansa Class have a six boat trailer of 303s which attend every event. The fantastic crew of volunteers roll up around 0830 on the morning of the regatta, then rig or supervise the rigging of each boat. The boats are available for charter by booking through the class website, and are always over subscribed. It's a great system that encourages more new people to come racing without the difficulty and expense of providing and transporting a boat. Meanwhile the rest of the fleet made their own preparations, along with volunteers who are so essential to the success of each regatta.
In the Liberty class there was some really tight racing, with the fleet finishing two races in very close company. Having a different winner in every race indicated the quality of the fleet. Paul Pearson, David Durston and Paul Phillips, took the line honours in the races, with all being contested right down to the finish line. Chris Emmett was unfortunate to have equipment failure after taking the lead in the first race. However, once the results were in, David came out on top with a 1st and two 2nd places.
In the 303s the fleet was more spread out, with Mike Everitt being dominant throughout, despite being pressed hard by James Woosnam over the 3 races. There were some interesting battles taking place all the way down the fleet, which lets face it is the name of the game. Judith Riggs picked up a respectable 3rd place, giving Frensham Pond Sailing Club a full house on the podium.
The 303 doubles were again dominated by Frensham members, with the father and son combination Nick and Harry Holland bringing home the goods over the series. Philip Hall from Chesil, along with his new partner, Denise, managed a very respectable 2nd. It was good to see another team at the event from Chesil, it consisted of Tom (Phil's partner from last year), and Luke who together took 3rd.
The 2.3s were given another masterclass by Lindsay Burns, who seems to get better with the passing of the years. Congratulations to Andrew and Lara on their podium finishes.
For anyone from the area, Burghfield Sailing Club hold regular Sailability sessions, with contact being made through Burghfield Sailability Facebook page.
Participation in the TT series is growing, and the standard of racing has improved noticeably. The greater competition and close racing makes it more pleasurable. This is fuelling the demand which is reaching out to sailors from more and more clubs across the country. The next event is at Northampton on Saturday 10th, so if you sail a Hansa, try to be there.