Royal Southampton YC Spring Solent Double Race

by Simon Forbes on 10 Apr 2006 The Royal Southampton Yacht Club’s first Double–Handed race of the year, the Solent Spring Double, held on Saturday 8 April saw 57 boats entered ranging from J/133s down to Mini Transats. The race was held in a westerly breeze averaging 12-15 knots gusting up to 22 knots.

The Race Management Team set the Committee Boat in the Central Solent. Class 4 Club Class were set away first at 1010. In general the courses set were a first beat to Royal Thames buoy off Lepe a run to Browndown off Stokes Bay with a second beat and run which were shorter and a final beat back to Flying Fish buoy in central Solent.

Class 1 IRC, saw the J-133 Jellina (Mark Lloyd/Donna Butler) take line honours but Simon Curwen and Paul Peggs sailing J-105 Voador took victory on corrected time by 5 minutes. Second was the J/105 Jos of Hamble (Clemency Williams) with third J-109 Zelda (Michael Ewart-Smith and Ben Richards).

In Class 2 IRC, the Didi 26 Spirit of Moondog (Andy and Peter Pickett) took line honours but first on corrected time was Google Eye (Pat Stables/Nigel Hunter) by 2 minutes from the Laser 28 Blazer (Colin Woodruff/Stuart Woodger). Third was Hunter Sonata Artel (Michael Barham).

Class 3 Club Class saw Bavaria 44 Faze 3 (Andrew and Linda Campbell) take line honours but the Hunter 707 Tigerfeet (Stephen Meyer/Ed Rogers) took victory on corrected time. Second was Faze 3 and third Westerly GK33 Alma (Alan Baker/Nigel Holt).

Class 4 Club Class saw the Westerly GK29 Green Kestrel (Jon Woolgar/Richard Davison) take line honours but victory on corrected time by 6 minutes went to Gibsea 284 Fusion III (Will Bridge/Paul Sherry) from Jeanneau Sunfast 26 Equus (Ian Morse/Andy Smith). Third was Green Kestrel.

In the Multihull Class, Dragonfly 920 Extreme Force X (George Burn/Justin West) took line honours and victory on corrected time by 62 seconds from Corsair F28R Triptych (Mike Wigmore/Grant Kelly) with third Blue Minnell II (Tim Wilson/Richard Haynes).

The Double Handed Series continues with the Weymouth Double on Saturday 29 April. The new Double Handed Regatta will be on 15-16 July.

For details contact Cathy Crawley, Sailing Secretary, RSYC, Tel: 023 80 223352 or email racing@rsyc.org.uk

Provisional Results:
Class: 1
1  Voadar  J-105  Simon Curwen/Paul Peggs
2  Jos of Hamble  J-105  Clemency Williams
3  Zelda  J109  Michael Ewart-Smith/ Ben Richards

Class: 2 
1  Google-Eye  Trapper 300  Pat Stables/Nigel Hunter
2  Blazer  Laser 28  Colin Woodruff/Stuart Woodger
3  Artel  Hunter Sonata  Michael Barham

Class: 3 
1  Tigerfeet  Hunter 707  Stephen Meyer/Ed Rogers
2  Faze 3  Bavaria 44  Andrew and Linda Campbell
3  Alma  Westerly GK33  Alan Baker/Nigel Holt

Class: 4 
1  Fusion III  Gibsea 284  Will Bridge/Paul Sherry
2  Equus Jeanneau Sunfast26  Ian Morse/Andy Smith
3  Green Kestrel  Westerly GK29  Jon Woolgar/Richard Richardson

Class: Multihulls
1  Force X  Dragonfly 920  George Burn/Mark Griffiths
2  Triptych  Farrier F28R  Mike Wigmore/Grant Kelly
3  Blue Minnell II  Dragonfly 920  Tim Wilson/Richard Haynes

Event website: http://rsyc.org.uk