Garmin Autumn Championships and Winter Series

by Peter Danby on 22 Oct 2007
Despite the wind finding it hard to get up early in the morning, the Hamble River Sailing Club race officers successfully started a total of 47 races to provide an excellent weekend of racing for 15 classes.

On Saturday, the first day of racing in the Garmin Hamble Autumn Championships saw three races for Beneteau 31.7s, Hunter 707s, J/105s, J/109s, J/80s, Laser SB3s, Quarter Tonners and Sigma 33s.

The 43 boats of the of Laser SB3 class were provided with a committee boat and course area of their own, while the other seven classes were started in sequence from a second committee boat.

Then on Sunday, when the racing was integrated with the regular Garmin Hamble Winter Series, it became a three ring circus with a third committee boat being brought into service. The entire weekend was a triumph of organization, and, to the credit of everyone involved, it ran like clockwork.

On both days variable breezes of only 3 knots delayed things for a short while, but then a firm 6 to 8 knots was adequate to provide suitable conditions for good close racing.

In the large Laser SB3 class consistency was the key to success, with no discards from the five races, and the most consistent of all was Chris Jennings' boat Selden Masts which won with 18 points. Second was 'Pam Bere' sailed by Mark Gillet, Ian Harrison and Nick Jones on 30 points despite counting a thirteenth.

Third was Geoff Carveth's Earls Court Boat Show counting four very low scores and a 23, making 33 in total. Also on 33 points was Craig Burlton's Team Touareg, beaten into fourth by Geoff Carveth's two race wins.

In the numerically smaller classes the point scores were naturally much closer, but only Alexander Christies' ASAP achieved the perfect score of 5 points. The Hunter 707 of Richard Barnes came close, with 6 points, as did the Sigma 33 'Shadowfax' of David Rolfe.

Sunday's normal Winter Series racing saw the Class 0 fleet doubled compared to the previous week, with Richard Williams' Moonraker taking the win. Premier Flair sailed by Lucy Macgregor came first in IRC 1, ahead of last week's winner White Knuckles sailed by Mervyn Hughes.

The Walmsley & Thomas team in Sanguma won in IRC 2, while Jochem Visser's Xtravagance won IRC 3, and Graham Fairhall's Brightwork took the honours in IRC 4.

Geoff Payne in Jolene finished first in the J/105s, and it was Matthew Boyle's Shiva that won the J/109s.

Garmin Hamble Autumn Championships Winners:

Beneteau 31.7, 'Aviva' Jonathon & Louisa McGuire
Hunter 707, 'Cacciatore' Richard Barnes
J/105, 'Fay-J' Paul Griffiths
J/109, 'Beth' Guy Knight/Five Star Sailing
J/80, 'Jammy Dodger' Neil Martin
Laser SB3, 'Selden Masts' Chris Jennings
Quarter Ton, 'ASAP' Alexander Christie
Sigma 33, 'Shadowfax' David Rolfe

Garmin Hamble Winter Series, Day 3, White Fleet Race Winners:

Hunter 707, Race 1 'A Grand Day Out' John Fisher. Race 2 'Darkness' Patrick Miles
J/80, Race 1 'Savage Racing Team' Liz Savage. Race 2 'Boats.Com' Ian Atkins
Laser SB3, Race 1 'Team Touareg' Craig Burlton. Race 2 'Earls Court Boat Show' Geoff Carveth
Sportsboat, Races 1 & 2 'Finn M'Coul' Tom Clay

Garmin Hamble Winter Series, Day 3, Black Fleet Race Winners:

IRC 0, 'Jellina' Mark Lloyd
IRC 1, 'White Knuckles' Mervyn Hughes
IRC 2, 'Steady Barker' Mike Rough
IRC 3, 'Xtravagance' Jochen Visser
IRC 4, 'Bightwork' Graham Fairhall
J/105, 'Diablo-J' Nick Martin
J/109, 'Jalapeno' Nigel & Suzie Brooke
Sigma 38, 'With Alacrity' Chris & Vanessa Choules

For complete results and further information visit the event web site: www.garminhamblewinterseries.co.uk

Garmin (Europe) Ltd is the series sponsor, and the White & Mackay London Boat Show sponsored Day 3 of the Winter Series.

Next weekend sees the completion of the Garmin Hamble Big Boat Series, but the Garmin Hamble Witer Series runs until 2nd December.