Blaze Southern Championship 2022 at Warsash Sailing Club

Blaze Southern Championship at Warsash © WSC

Richard Botting wins a special award at the Blaze Southern Championship at Warsash © WSC

The Southern Championship was sponsored by Allen, The Old Salt Loft and Vantage Sailing. Warsash is one of the most welcoming clubs and offers some of the best racing. The race officer made the class aware that the forecast was to build throughout the day and started off with an enjoyable 10-12 knots and build to 18-22 knots. Three back-to-back races were planned with a warning that a fourth race may take place due to the forecast for Sunday.

Race one was under way and the fleet enjoyed blue sunshine with the short chop and Solent slop was proving difficult to find a pattern upwind. After the first beat, Eden rounded first with Nick Ripley close in second showing some great pace upwind. Keith Gilmore rounded third and was close on Nic's tail but then had a whoopsy moment capsizing to windward on the first downwind leg of the day.

The battle for second place had begun with Mike Lyons closing Nick Ripley throughout the race and was providing some great boat on boat action with Eden holding first, Mike Lyons second and Nick Ripley third.

Race two the wind was building and it was another clean start from the fleet. The Blaze is in its element with a fantastic course set by the race officer that gave some exciting reaches and the ever-building waves created some great surf for the downwind legs. Eden finished first with Mike Lyons in second and Nick Ripley in third.

Race three started with an individual recall with Eden pulling the trigger too early. The wind was now blowing hard and the big guns were now in favour. Martin Jones in his Mk 4 rounded first with Nick Ripley close behind. Richard Botting in his new Mk 4 was showing some great speed and lead the race. He then decided to test the water temperature on the last lap of the day. The gybe mark was now proving difficult for some sailors and there were a few caught out and went for a short swim.

The evening started off with some great stories of the days racing followed by a fantastic dinner in Warsash Sailing Club. We then enjoyed some music by a local jazz band and Nick Tolhurst presented the Dick of the Day award which was tightly contested. Our class chairman Richard Botting won the award for having plenty of swims throughout the day. He weirdly suited the pink flamingo shorts and shirt.

Day two was going to be a light start with half the late launchers receiving an enjoyable taxi ride by the safety ribs to the start area. The wind was 5-8 knots and the sun was shining, what more could you want!

A clean start to day two saw some of the fleet take the right-hand side of the course and some went left. The right-hand side was paying due to the tide lee bowing you. Mike Lyons rounded first closely by David Entwistle and Steve shard in third. Race four ended with Mike taking the bullet, David Entwistle in second and Malcolm Hutchins in third.

Race Five was under way and Malcolm was the first boat around the windward mark followed closely by Eden, Nic Tolhurst and Mike Lyons. After three laps of beautiful sunshine racing saw Eden take the win, Mike in second and Nick Tolhurst taking third.

The last race of the championship saw Malcolm and Nick Tolhurst winning the pin end and taking onto port to cross the fleet. The Burnham pair were having a nip and tuck race with Eden just managing to get around them on the first downwind leg. He was now in clear air and defended the race to take the fifth bullet of the championship.

Overall Results:

Blaze Southern Championship at Warsash - photo © WSC