Hamble Winter Series 2025 Race Week 3, sponsored by One Sails UK
by Trevor Pountain 22 Oct 12:04 PDT
11-12 October 2025
Saturday saw the start of the second weekend of the Hamble One Design Championship. CRO Matt Stein took the CV Artimis near to 4R, Darling Buoy. He was ably assisted by Kathryn Clark as ARO with PRO Peter Bateson lurking onboard doing menial tasks. In addition, HRSC Rear Commodore Sailing, Mark Benton, skippered the boat, under the watchful eye of Dian Galpin. Helen O'Connor and Ann Russell completed the crew. What a Team!
With the breeze averaging circa 15-17 knots from 140 degrees, the plan was to run three windward/leeward races for both the SB20s and the J111s. J/111s would have a 1.5-mile leg and the SB20s 1 mile.
In the tricky conditions, Breaking Bod, Charles Whelan, held everything together well and recorded three first places. Twenty, Mark Gillet, had two second places but had to retire in Race 3. Betty, Simon Berry, placed third twice, before recording a DNC in the final race of the day. Din Tan, with SB20 class secretary Phil Tilley in charge, managed to complete the day's programme as did Peter Noe in 6A Vision Homes. Dark 'n' Stormy, Luke Wyburd, disappeared after Race 1 to try and retrieve the spinnaker halyard.
In the J111s, JourneyMaker 11, Louise Makin and Chris Jones, who were leading the competition from the first weekend, had a disappointing, for them, second place in Race 1. Jitterbug, Cornel Riklin, took advantage of their slip up to record the bullet. Jagerbomb, Paul Griffiths, was third. JourneyMaker 11 recovered their poise in the next two races leaving them in a pretty uncatchable position with one day to go. Jagerbomb, was second and Jitterbug recorded a DNC.
The PRO messaged both fleets on Saturday night, to confirm that "we are expecting brisk conditions tomorrow and are planning to go racing." He didn't mention the rain! The Rufty tuftiest on the J111s sent in a note from their mum to say they would not be going out in the rain. To be fair the series was pretty much done and dusted. This left the SB20s and the IRC classes to give it a go in moist, brisk conditions.
In the SB20s, Breaking Bod, took a bullet in the first race and was able to discard a third in the second race to take the weekend. Twenty was second and Betty third.
Peter Bateson took the CV Pufferfish to 4V, Hamble Yacht Services, for the two races for IRC yachts. The forecast 12-22k from the SSE, with rain, did not actually arrive. 12- 14k SE-SSE, with rain did. Two round-the- cans races were completed, the first mainly windward/leeward of 5.8 miles for IRC1 & 2 and 4.7 miles for IRC 3. Finally, a more varied race of 9 miles for IRC I & 2 and 7.5 miles for IRC 3.
IRC 1 was also affected by rain fever, leaving Tigris, Gavin Howe, with two of the easiest first places he will ever get. IRC 2 had slightly less than half the fleet with decent foul weather gear. With Alacrity, Sigma 38, Chris and Vanessa Choules, never let a bit of rain worry them. Two moist first places will do very nicely thank you. Hot Rats, Lis and Robbie Robinson and Mojo Risin' Rob Cotterill never protest either - well, not about the weather. They picked up useful points in the series as did Chris Burleigh in the J109, Jybe Talkin'.
The battle at the top of IRC 3 suddenly intensified on Sunday. The crew of Banter, Mustang 30, were getting sweaty palms before the start of Race 1. Where was Protis? Had Team Hamble been on the "pop" the night before? Had the outboard packed in? Surely, they don't mind the rain. Ian Handley, takes up the story "There was no sign of them but, with 2 minutes to go on the countdown, she emerged, Black Pearl like from the gloom." However, "they were never going to make the start."
Quokka, Half Ton, James Crew, won the race with Banter second. Protis, mounted a mighty charge from 10 minutes late to place 4th, which they duly discarded. In Race 2, after good starts, Protis, Quoka and Banter had a great battle around a longish course, where for once Banter seemed to have a small upwind advantage over Protis and hung onto Quoka. Banter took the win with Quokka second and Protis third.
Banter now leads the series by a very slim one point from Protis, with Quokka two points further back. Squeaky bum time Ian.
Back at HRSC the always well received prizes from One Sails UK were distributed along with the One Design prizes.
Next week there will be two races on Sunday for the IRC classes.
Full results at www.hamblewinterseries.com