Garmin Hamble Winter Series – Weekend 3

by Jonty Sherwill

The third weekend of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series delivered one day of great racing on Saturday for the Hamble Big Boat Series, followed by sunshine and a dying breeze on Sunday for the Winter Series classes. MDL was the race day sponsor.

For the Big Boat Series entrants, sponsored this weekend by Wight Vodka, it was the second half of their twelve race schedule that began in tough conditions a fortnight ago. Racing this Saturday commenced in a 15 knot northerly breeze that gradually reduced, and with a falling tide the course had to shifted to the northern side of the Brambles Banks for the last two of the four scheduled races.

In the IRC class Neil Martin's J-133 'Jammy Dodger' maintained her domination with two more firsts, with Gary Shaffer and Peter Jackson's 'Assassin' and Ian Matthews 'Jinja' grabbing a win each in races two and four. In the Level Racing 45 foot class all six Farr 45 entries were at the start line, and it was Jerry Otter's 'Werewolf' and Stewart Whitehead's 'Rebel' showing best form in the moderate conditions. Shaun & Emily Frohlich's 'Exabyte Four' had seemed the early series favourite, but their points advantage was gradually eroded by 'Werewolf', and she clinched the overall trophy by three points.

While Saturday had been overcast and chilly, Sunday was the epitome of high pressure October weather, with brilliant sunshine and only just enough breeze to get racing underway. It soon turned into a drifting match, and with only three finishers in the first White Group races, and the bigger boats with little prospect of finishing, racing was abandoned for the day. Even so it had been a beautiful sight, with the brighter coloured spinnakers transforming the normally grey Solent.

Next Sunday's racing (25th Oct.) continues with the full Winter Series programme for White and Black Group racing.

Full details of the 2009 Garmin Hamble Winter Series, plus Hamble Big Boat Series and Autumn Championships results are available at www.garminhamblewinterseries.co.uk

Garmin Hamble Winter Series – Day 3 Results:

White Fleet Race Winners:

J/80
'Boats.Com' Ian Atkins

SBR Sportsboats
‘X-Static' Tom Grigsby

Hamble Big Boat Series Overall Results:

IRC
1st 'Jammy Dodger' Neil Martin
2nd 'Jinja' Ian Matthews
3rd 'Assassin' Gary Shaffer and Peter Jackson

Level 45 Racing
1st 'Werewolf' Jerry Otter
2nd 'Exabyte Four' Shaun & Emily Frohlich 3rd 'Rebel' Stewart Whitehead