Hamble Scramble 2026 at Lymington Town Sailing Club

by Pat Stables 6 May 14:22 BST 2 May 2026

The forecast, whichever model you looked at, showed little hope of wind all morning until about midday. Just Do It (J80) decided that the wind would not play ball and would remain at home to eat their Colin the Caterpillar cupcakes instead. However, this did not put off a fleet of seven boats who turned up on the start line in anticipation of at least a float on a lovely morning.

The Race Officer, Nick Hopwood, arrived well in time and despite only 1-2 knots showing on the anemometer issued his very ambitious course. The fleet motored down tide to ensure enough distance from the startline at Baverstock to avoid starting early and having to sail back to restart. At 5 minutes to go there was about 3 knots from the North East and then a few more catspaws appeared on the water and then a few more zephyrs. It was beginning to look a bit more promising! By the start all the fleet were all well short of the line but in the slowly building breeze Strega (Spirit 37) powered off ahead of the fleet on port tack, only to be seen thereafter well in the distance, followed by Pallas Athene (Yeoman) and Google-Eye (Trapper 300).

The first leg was a fetch to mark 3B (Newtown East) but all boats were concerned that they may be swept by the tide past it, especially if the wind then died, so cracked off even further. Google-Eye and cruising newcomer Jo (Dehler 36 CWS) traded places a few times on the fetch and gradually caught up and passed Pallas Athene. Having been well behind after the start Contessa Catherine (Contessa 32) gradually caught up with the rest of the fleet as the wind increased and took the best line to the mark, but even she had to put in an unnecessary tack for it.

It was then a long beat to 3H (East Lepe) by which time Strega was well ahead and first to hoist her asymmetric spinnaker downwind to the next leg to 3E (The Boss). By the time the other boats arrived at 3H there was slack water on the mark and the ebb had started a little further inshore. Google-Eye was second to the mark, followed by Jo, Contessa Catherine, Pallas Athene and Otter (Nordic Folkboat), with Delilah (Dehler 29) bringing up the rear, all raising their kites except for Contessa Catherine and Jo (who was sailing white sails only). At mark 3E Strega, Google-Eye and Jo tacked back towards East Lepe to catch the last of the flood as did Contessa Catherine briefly before deciding that as the tide had already turned to head inshore instead. She was followed inshore by Pallas Athene, Otter and Delilah. Just before getting back to East Lepe Google-Eye, like Strega before her, decided that as the tide was now ebbing and the wind slowly decreasing to tack and head inshore hoping to clear Lepe Spit Buoy in case the wind died altogether with the development of a typical Beaulieu hole on the turn of the tide, and the deep water would not have been the place to be. In these circumstances the Race Officer decided to shorten the course at 3N (MDL Marinas).

However, it was here that Jo made her race winning move deciding to avoid the strong ebb at Lepe Spit. She sailed on beyond East Lepe into the deep water in the main channel to find slacker water than all the other boats who headed into Lepe Beach and when she tacked for the final mark gained the further advantage of a veer in the wind to the East finishing not far behind Strega and well ahead of Google-Eye. All the boats who had tacked too soon or headed directly inshore ended up West of the Lepe Spit buoy. Those with a deeper draft had to tack around the spit, with Google-Eye just grazing it after one tack, but Pallas Athene (0.95m) and Otter (1.2m) taking advantage of their shallow drafts were able to sail along the beach gaining a huge distance on the deeper draft boats.

After the long reach against the tide to the finish the larger boats headed to Hamble for the post-race Pontoon Party on the midstream pontoon opposite Warsash Sailing Club, where there was plentiful food and drink for all, which was fortunate for Contessa Catherine who had left their picnic in the car! The smaller boats and Race Officer decided that the weather was closing in with the sky darkening towards the South so headed directly back home. The party was unfortunately foreshortened when it started to rain. Strega then also headed home, getting soaked on the way back, but the other four boats continued on to Port Hamble to join up with the Cruising fraternity from Keyhaven Yacht Club and LTSC for their evening dinner at the RAF Yacht Club.

The results shown below proves that it matters not how old you are when you race or whether the boat is a cruiser or racer, and the crew seasoned racers or just family, with the oldest skipper in the fleet being Ted of Jo (a cruiser) at 86 years old winning in YTC and the youngest crew Brodie at 4 years old, (the grandson of the skipper of Pallas Athene, a racer) coming third. Delilah (a cruiser) although she came last on handicap and on the water decided the race was still a useful exercise in confirming that their old number 3 was only useful for the bin.

The next race in the series will be the Christchurch Ledge Race on Sunday 24 May, the LTSC 80th Anniversary Day, with a Barbeque being held on the Club lawn in the afternoon and we look forward to seeing even more boats out.

YTC Results:
1. Jo (Ted Watts)
2. Strega (Matt and Maria Perkins & Sandy Fielding)
3. Pallas Athene (Kevin, Matthew and Brodie Podger)

LAH Results:
1. Strega (Matt and Maria Perkins & Sandy Fielding)
2. Jo (Ted Watts)
3. Pallas Athene (Kevin, Matthew and Brodie Podger)