After a more than two hours postponement on Sunday enough breeze filled in to allow the final weekend’s racing to take place at the Garmin Hamble Winter Series. With only a point separating 1st and 2nd in IRCs 1 and 2 and only two points difference between the top two in IRC 3 it was essential that the last set of races should be sailed if at all possible. Finally at 1220 IRC 1 started cleanly and were able to sail a simple windward/leeward course twice round East Knoll and Fastnet Insurance with a final beat to the finish line at Hill Head buoy. The rest of the classes started at five-minute intervals under the Black Flag, 20 per cent penalty rule, on the same course. With only 5-6 kts of wind at best and a weather-going tide the two Sigma classes and IRC 4 were shortened at East Knoll second time around. The last boat finished just before 1445, 15 minutes inside the time limit.

Rob Goddard’s Farr 40 ‘Cadhire Farrfalina’ is officially rated as IRC 0 but as the sole entrant in this category he has been racing with IRC 1. This has provided a good benchmark for Stewart Hawthorn’s J/133 ‘Jump’ and there has been little between them over the water. This week ‘Jump’ took line honours, saved her time on Jerry Otter’s IMX-40 ‘Exabyte 2’ to record her third win and keep her single point overall lead.

The IRC 2 title was decided in the last 10 minutes of the final leg. Poole sailor Jim McGregor (Elan 40 ‘Flair IV’) went into the race with a single point lead over Peter Rutter’s Elan 37 ‘Quokka’. Rutter needed to win this race to take the title. ‘Flair IV’ started at the pin end and went off into the deeper water. ‘Quokka’, from the centre of the line started to the right on port tack. By the top mark ‘Flair IV’ was lying 2nd behind Russell Hodgson’s ‘Veneziani Deliverance 4’ . ‘Quokka’ rounded in the next group of boats. ‘Flair IV’ lost out on the run back to Fastnet Insurance as she was sailed over by the others and it stayed like this for the next beat.

On the 2nd run back ‘Flair IV’ sailed a wider course than the others. It didn’t gain her any ground but she kept clear air and rounded the bottom mark in 5th. ‘Quokka’ tacked and covered ‘Deliverance 4’, her main threat at the time. ‘Flair IV’ stayed inshore on port tack, caught a good lift and then tacked onto starboard when the wind shifted back. This brought her out to the finish line with an 80 second winning margin and the overall title for the second time in three years.

In the other classes Neville Hodkin (‘Extra Djinn’) won his fourth race in IRC 3. Michael Fawcett helmed his Mustang 30 ‘Hobby Horse to a 2nd win and 2nd place overall in IRC4 behind Peter Parker’s ‘Prime Cut’. For the fourth time in seven races Richard & Valerie Griffith finished ahead of Michael Birmingham in the Sigma 33 class.

In the larger Sigma class Adrian Ward and John Dunnet brought home ‘Beefeater’ to take the gun but Chris Choules on board ‘ With Alacrity’ came 2nd and took the class by one point. It was also a case of he who comes first comes second in the X-332 class. James Crockatt’s ‘Jump & Shout’ beat Ian Dawson, ‘Glide-X, into third place but Ian wins the class ahead of James.

Further inshore near the mouth of Southampton Water the Sportsboat classes never had enough steady wind to enable racing to take place. At 1300 Race Officers Jonty Sherwill and Philip Gage had no option but to cancel racing for the day and the handful of boats that had stayed to the bitter end in the hopes of one more race were disappointed. The outstanding protest inn the Laser SB3 class between Ben Duke and the Sarahs was settled before the Protest Committee sat. The girls accepted a 20 per cent placement penalty but still took the class honours on countback.

The prizegiving will take place at Hamble River Sailing Club on Saturday, 10 December at 1800 for 1830 prompt start.

Results

Provisional: Race 8

Keelboats

IRC 1 J/133 Jump Stewart Hawthorn

IRC 2 Elan 40 Flair IV Jim McGregor

IRC 3 X-362 Extra Djinn Neville Hodkin

IRC 4 Mustang 30 Hobby Horse Michael Fawcett

Bowsprit J/109 Johnny Blue Charles Ivill

Sigma 38 Beefeater Adrian Ward and John Dunnet

Sigma 33 Cerefe Richard and Valerie Griffith

X-332 Glide-X Ian Dawson

Provisional Overall Winners

Keelboat Classes

IRC 1 J/133 Jump Stewart Hawthorn

IRC 2 Elan 40 Flair IV Jim McGregor

Bowsprit J/109 Zelda Mike Ewart-Smith and Ben Richards

IRC 3 X-362 Extra Djinn Neville Hodkin

X-332 Glide-X Ian Dawson

Sigma 38 With Alacrity Chris Choules

Sigma 33 Cerefe Richard and Valerie Griffith

IRC4 Oyster 37 Prime Cut Peter Parker

Sportsboat Classes

Cork 1720 Mad Cow Darren and Georgie Baker

Laser SB3 Musto
(Chav My Ride) Sarah Webb, Sarah Ayton, Victoria Rawlinson and guests

Hunter 707 Pocket Battleship Mark Gillett

J/80 Jevan Jonathon and Robert Fox

Sportsboat Rules Key Yachting Shane Hughes