J's Battle @ Hamble Winter Series Finale

(Hamble, England)- After last week's brief return of “the Beast from the East”, the forecast for Week 8 of the HYS Hamble Winter Series 2018, was for 12-30 knots WSW, with low water in the Solent at 12.30 pm. "Quite interesting conditions!" as PRO Kathy Smalley put it. Or, as one competitor was heard to mumble, "A witch from the West!"

There were two options to find a decent opening beat, move the Bramble Bank or head south of the bank to Goodall Roofing (4W) which is where the HRSC PRO took up station. The windward destination would be Prince Consort, followed by a "sheltered" broad reach to Norris to keep the first boats round the windward mark away from those still approaching it. A sort of health and safety spreader leg if you like.

There was a return to the “War of the Roses” in IRC 1 Class, when Chaz Ivill (Red) and Rob Bottomley (White), turned out for the final race showdown. It was the J/112E DAVANTI TYRES (Chaz Ivill and Paul Heys) who were cooking their hotpot with gas; taking their fourth win of the series and the overall title for IRC 1 Class. The J/112E DAVANTI TYRES closed with four 1sts and four 2nds to win by a convincing margin over the best 36 to 41 footer IRC teams in all of the Solent and southern Great Britain. Not surprisingly, this built upon the J/112E’s extraordinary 2018 season of sailing; winning the IRC Europeans overall and in class on the Solent and also winning the Offshore World Sailing Championship (IRC/ ORC) sailed off The Hague, The Netherlands.

The on-going battle between the J/109's continued between JIRAFFE (Simon Perry) and JAGO (Mike and Susie Yates). Perry commented that Yates was “quite good at match racing today!" This was probably because JAGO (second on the water) beat JIRAFFE (third on the water) and, unless JIRAFFE did something really quite silly, they had the series sewn up. Notably, JAGO had 14-year-old Cameron Yates on the mainsheet on Sunday, as he has been all series! A new record? His Dad Mike fell on the wheel during the race and bent it, but don't worry his wife Susie is getting him a new one for Christmas!  Rounding out the top five in class were two J88s; Gavin Howe’s TIGRIS in fourth and Kirsty & David Apthorp’s J-DREAM in fifth place.
  
In Class 3, the Greenhalgh family effort (Dad- David and daughter Libby) on their J/92 J’RONIMO leapfrogged into third position after the double toss races came into effect.  Thereafter, they won the final race in dramatic fashion and sealed their bid to take the bronze position on the podium!

Meanwhile, the J/88s saw a duel to the finish for class honors. Winning by one point was Gavin Howe’s TIGRIS over David & Kirsty Apthorp’s J-DREAM. Taking the bronze was Dirk van Beek’s SABRIEL JR.

A number of competitors were impressed by two club stalwarts, Rupert Smalley and Peter Baines, who manned the pin end boat, Obsession, as it bounced up and down during the windy start sequence. Rupert had a slightly different point of view, “it was nice and flat until all those race boats started to thrash around." He also felt it would be better if crews did not "ping" the port pin mark until it had actually been laid!!

Back in the HRSC Clubhouse, Paul Heys of Key Yachting presented the day prizes. He managed to avoid one awkward moment by quickly passing the Champagne and chocolates for the IRC 1 class winner to Chaz Ivill.

The Series prizes were presented by Lee Pollock of Hamble Yacht Services. Simon Perry’ J/109 JIRAFFE won “Yacht of the Series”. He thanked the Race Team and volunteers. "It was a fantastic series,” said Perry. “We will definitely be back again next year." Thanks for contribution from Trevor Pountain.   Sailing photo credits- Paul Wyeth   For more Hamble Winter Series sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.


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