55th Annual Warming Pan
Published 15:18 on 15 Mar 2017
55th Annual Warming Pan at HRSC
This year's Warming Pan will take place on the 18th & 19th March, run as always by the Hamble River Sailing Club. Looking at the forecasts there will be wind, so dust off your boat covers dig out your wetsuits and dry suits and head to Hamble on Saturday morning.
If records are correct and Fake News can be discounted, 1962 the year of the first WP was an interesting time. The Beatles released their first single "Love Me Do", the first James Bond movie "Dr No", starring Sean Connery, premiered in London and Golden Wonder introduced flavoured crisps (cheese and onion). In addition the Mirror Dinghy Class Association was formed, and is still going strong some 70,000 boats later. Of course, the start of the Warming Pan on the Hamble River was just as culturally important as the fore mentioned, despite it not appearing in Wikipedia. In those days year round sailing was about as far away as membership of the EU, so the event quickly became the annual season opener for the serious dinghy sailor. Sailing kit had not reached same level as now hence the presentation of real Warming Pan's to the winners. Sail fast or be cold was the message.
The Merlin Rockets, one the original WP fleets, will lead the charge as the event is part of their Silver Tiller Travellers Series. The Firefly's, another regular class, are back too and may find the conditions to their liking. Many club stalwarts, including Barney Smith and Peter Slimming regularly sail in this fleet. The river's young sailors will be catered for in the Feva Class and we expect fierce competition from the local clubs junior sailors. Laser's, Solos and the ubiquitous Foxer's (HRSC's adopted dinghy) will provide for the single handers.
The Warming Pan is the only big fleet racing allowed the River Hamble and the sight of 50 plus dinghy's blasting up and down from the Hamble foreshore out to Hamble Point and back is one of the great sights of the year. Our thanks go to the Harbour Master, Jason Scott, for his continued support of the event.
The Race Management Team, led by Steph (M) Merry, have years of experience both in the River and the Solent. The PRO this year will be Simon Hand, more "Gold Finger" than "Dr No", supported as usual by his own Moneypenny, Mrs Hand. James Wilkinson (not Bond) and Philip Meakins will be Comms and Safety Officer respectively. Although just teenagers at the time of the first event, Jamie and Phil are word perfect when it comes to "Love Me Do".
The club will lay on, in addition to flavoured crisps, hot food, including breakfast roles and hot drinks when competitors and volunteers arrive.
The bar will open as usual and rugby fans need not worry Ireland v England will be on the screens after sailing. Other matches are available.
Registration starts at 0900 and further details can be found at: http://www.hrsc.org.uk/news/55th-annual-warming-pan-2017-1
Last updated 13:16 on 16 April 2024
