Autumnal sun

Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships joins the Garmin Hamble Winter Series

The second weekend of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series, which incorporated the first weekend of the Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships, saw some champagne sailing conditions. Bright sunshine and 8-12 knots of breeze burned off the thick frost and eerie mist that started the day off, giving some stunning, if shifty, sailing conditions for all classes.

The race team got two races in on schedule on windward-leeward courses, with big shifts and a strong ebb tide giving competitors the chance to make big gains - and losses.

IRC 0 was first away. Dr Ivan Trotman’s J/122 Jolou and Andrew Howard’s Grand Soleil 46 Belladonna won a race each. In IRC 1, Reflex 38 Visit Malta Puma posted two first places, ahead of Philip Farrands’ Old Mother Gun. David Franks’s Straight Dealer and Peter Morton’s Salvo took a win apiece in IRC 2.

In the J/111 class things were close. Cornel Ridkin’s Jitterbug and David and Kirsty Apthorp’s J Dream are tied overall on 5 points, with a first each. Similarly in the J/109s, Paul Griffiths’ Jagerbomb leads the class overall by a point, with a first and a third, ahead of David McLeman’s Offbeat and her score of a 4th and a 1st.

Nick and Adam Munday’s J/97 Indulgence topped the IRC 3 class, with a 3rd and a 1st. Craig Cossar’s Vital Eyes is close behind, with Peter Dessent’s ImaDjinn hot on her heels.

The Sigma 38s saw some of the closest racing. The class is topped in the series so far by Kevin Sussmilch’s Mefisto, which took two bullets. Kindred Spirit is second, with With Alacrity a point behind, and Nick Gale’s Zanzara a point behind her.

In IRC 4, Polly took two firsts, with Quarter Tonner Menace scoring a 2nd and 3rd second and Impala 28 Imptish a 5th and a 2nd.

A look at the full results shows some close battles lining up in all classes, which should prove fascinating to watch as the series unfolds.

Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships

The weekend also hosted the first of two Lewmar Hamble One-Design Championships weekends. This popular event had 48 entries, and featured racing for J/80, J/109 and the SB20 classes on both Saturday and Sunday, kindly supported by Lewmar.

Paul Griffiths’ Jagerbomb tops the J/109 class with a good smattering of top three results. She finished the weekend three points ahead of Richard and Valerie Griffith’s OutraJeous.

The J/80s sailed seven races over the weekend. Phil Taylor’s J.A.T leads the 13-strong class overall, ahead of Jon Powell’s Betty and Patrick Liardet’s Aqua-J. Racing on the same course was the newly rebranded SB20 class, with 14 entries. Geoff Carveth’s Sbeed took four firsts, and tops the class ahead of Henri Lloyd/Forelle Estates, sailed by Messrs Llewellyn, Wakefield and Vigus, and Nial Peelo’s 3-Some.

The next Lewmar Hamble One Design Championship weekend is on the 27/28 October, when the J/80s, J/109s and SB20s will be joined by the Impala 28 class for some more close one-design racing.

Next weekend is the final MDL Hamble Big Boat Championship weekend, as well as the third race day of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series. Let’s hope the fine weather continues.