Crews face hard challenges on Day 4 of Helly Hansen Warsash Series

by Louise Nicholls on 12 Apr 2016 Crews and skippers alike had their work cut out with a SE to ESE wind of 19-24 knots, gusting 28-29 knots and a big spring tide in the Solent on Sunday 10 April, the fourth day of the Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series.

Black Group classes, except for IRC4, started racing near mark ‘Deloitte Sailing Club’ and followed a largely windward leeward pattern to and from the Ryde Middle Bank and then up the North Channel for further legs before finishing at East Knoll.

Mike Moxley’s Malice (Hod35) took her second win of the series in IRC3, beating David Greenhalgh’s J’Ronimo (J92) by just three seconds. Jamie Muir’s Scarlett Jester (SJ 320) followed in third place gaining his first podium position of the series. Malice continues to lead the class overall with a four-point lead over J’Ronimo.

At the prize giving at the Warsash SC Club house Mike Moxley and Huw Phillips (Malice) talked about how much harder it can be to get good boat speed in strong winds: “You try and bear away to get the speed, the boat gets knocked down, you come up and then you stall so it’s much harder to get the boat into the groove, to find its sweet spot.

“We stuck with white sails only which paid off. Downwind we got speeds of 10-11 knots. We’re feeling pretty good as this was the third win of the week for us!”.

The white sails only, tactic paid off for Betty in IRC4 as well (Hunter 707 – Tim Rees) as she stormed into first place, albeit with a number of rips in the mainsail. Stan the Boat (Sigma 33-Toby Gorman) came in second, with Prospero of Hamble (Sigma 33 – Alan Fraser following in third place. Bernard Fyans’ Erik the Red (Mustang 30 MkII - Bernard Fynans) continues to lead the class overall but needs to watch out as Stan and Betty are hot on his heels.

In IRC1 Jitterbug (J111 – Cornel Riklin) was the only one of the three boats leading the class to finish the race; both Nifty (Mark Mills King 40 – Frank Roger Bowden) and Lady Mariposa R Ker 46 - James Bolingbroke) retired. Jitterbug finished first, with Kestrel (J/111 – Simon Bamford) in second and Alison Mary (X-442 – Simon Anderson) in third.

Sunrise ((JPK1080-Tom Kneen), came in second in IRC2 after suffering several broaches during the race. Sunrise was pipped to first place this week by Eat, Sleep, J, Repeat (J/88 – Paul Ward). Jongleur (J/88 – Richard Cooper) came in third. Sunrise is also lying second in the class, with Fast Tack Puma (Reflex 38-Fast Tack Sailing Ltd) leading the class overall.

Last but not least the Just So (David McGough) won in the J/109 class, with Jynnan Tonnyx (Owain Franks) in second and Juke Box (Chris Copeland and John Smart) in third place.

Racing did not go ahead for the White Group because of the conditions. Some competitors were seen hoisting their spinnakers as they headed back to the River Hamble, only to find themselves sailing horizontally. For one boat their mast broke and they had to be assisted into port. Back at the clubhouse Chief Race Officer for White Group Peter Knight was heard to say that he was ‘comfortable’ with his decision!

Hats off to the Spring Series race officers out on the committee boats where conditions at anchor were less than comfortable! Richard Courtice sailing in Black Group tweeted “Thank you @WarsashSS committee boats. Looked like hell for you guys”.

The free draw for a Crewsaver lifejacket was won by Assasin (Mark Brown and Justin Lees) and the draw for a Helly Hensen jacket was won by Playing Around (Nick Rawbone).
Champagne and prizes were presented by WSC Commodore Nigel Russell.

Peter Bateson, Series Chairman: “Next weekend, 16 and 17 April sees the start of the Crewsaver Warsash Spring Championship with four days of racing spread over two weekends. Over 100 boats to date have entered the Championship.

“We are pleased to be welcoming those yachts who are competing in the Fast 40+ circuit to the Championship and those which will be battling it out for selection to the British Commodores Cup team”.

Read the Helly Hansen Warsash Spring Series Results for week four. There's still time to enter the Crewsaver Warsash Spring Championship.

Series leaderboard
IRC 1 Jitterbug (Cornel Riklin)
IRC 2 Fast-Tack Puma (Fast Tack Sailing Ltd
IRC 3 Malice (Mike Moxley)
IRC 4 Erik the Red ( Bernard Fynans)
J/109 Just So (David McGough)
White Group Combined Betty (Jon Powell)
J/80 Betty (Jon Powell)
J/70 Cosmic (Patrick Liardet)
SB20 Flutter (Aron Wellbend)