Hansa Class UK Traveller Trophy Series at New Forest Sailability
by Malcolm Bentley 24 May 01:10 PDT
7 May 2025
Wednesday 7th May gave us a beautiful sunny day with a decent breeze forecast from the NE and allowing for committee boat start and finish lines in clear water and a good windward leg. The Race Officer John Driscoll, assisted by Paul Gray and Tim Airey, set the favoured trapezoidal course, with the fourth leeward mark nicely beyond the finish line giving a final leg beat to the finish.
Blashford Lake is renowned for extremely variable winds and this naturally was a key factor in performance, whether reading the shifts or the holes and gusts.
There were 28 entries, very similar to 2024 and boosted by several New Forest Sailability sailors who only enter for our home TT. With 19 in the Hansa 303 classes, the 0ne-person and two-person fleets had separate starts.
The five Libertys started first although Paul Phillips had an equipment failure and had to retire from race 1 but was back ready to start race 2.
Dave Durston appeared to really enjoy the conditions, winning races 1, 2 and 4 and having a photo finish with Paul Pearson in race 3. Ultimately, post-race, it was agreed by Dave that Paul had won and so Paul Pearson was second, one point ahead of Ric Cassell and Paul Phillips tied on 8 points, giving third place to Ric on count back, having achieved two second places.
The One-Person 303s had seven competitors, a lot fewer than in 2024 when there were twelve. Three of last year's sailors had changed classes for 2025 at New Forest: Mike Everitt crewing for Jayleigh Tilley in a Two-Person and likewise Richard Bickford opted for the Two-Person with Angela Bentley.
Rory McKinna sailed his One-Person but had chosen to join the Liberty start.
James Woosnam, Judith Riggs and Logan Bell look to be the people to beat this season, with James winning all four races, consistently succeeding in coming from second place in the early laps to overtake Logan or Judith. He said that he was fortunate in Race 4 to get a lift after the leeward mark for the beat to the finish and that Judith had not doggedly covered him.
A good number of nine entries for the Two-person, including four from New Forest Sailability. Lynne Swan with husband Stu have competed in eight races in the National TT Series this year and won all of them!
Jayleigh Tilley, teaming up with Mike Everitt were second, with a couple of points to spare ahead of Philip Hall and Denise Bryant. Richard Bickford and Angela Bentley were fourth and the best placed New Forest Sailability boat. Tim Worner and Ian Park had a bit of drama when a healthy amount of water came on board and auto-inflated Tim's lifejacket.
Lindsay Burns in the 2.3 class has a similar record to Lynne, having won all the races she has entered so far this season (as in most previous seasons!). New Forest's Rowena Marsh loves breaking up the Frensham Pond domination of the 2.3s, and seeking to chase Lindsay, and was second, followed by Andrew Lebec and Lara Sturgis.
Rowena declared herself DSQ in race 3, not being sure she sailed the correct course.