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Hamble River SC Wednesday Night A Series Race 8

Published 21:00 on 25 Jun 2014

Round the Island Winners turn out for Big Wednesday

Hamble River SC came up trumps as one of the best performing clubs in the Round the Island Race last weekend with three boats in the top overall IRC fifteen and many other members amongst the top boats. Needlework, (Peter & Ann Smith) took 5th in RTI and eschewed the Quarter Ton Cup in Cowes to join nearly forty boats for Big Wednesday. Big Wednesday was also supported by Vice Commodore Barney Smith , 8th in RTI, in Imptish with Commodore Trevor Pountain and Rear Commodore House Phillippa Pountain out to play on Implacable. A number of other members and non members also turned up for the first time this year for the open event.

Race officer Kathy Smalley was ably supported by a lovely evening and a steady SE breeze at 12 knots. With a flood tide just approaching the first stand a windward leeward course was set around Stormforce and Bald Head with varying number of loops for different classes and a dead run up the river to finish at the Club line. Despite the big turn out and some less practised competitors all classes got away clean although both Shri (Ben McGrane) in the XOD fleet and Imptish in Class 2 got as close as you could get without an OCS!

It was the last race in the A series with overall results to be decided as well as placings on the night. In the XOD class Swallow (Simon Russell) led the fleet into the finish with Shri and La Mouette (Ken Williamson) close behind but an unusually slip into 5th place for Satu (Andy Hamlett) cost him overall with this years newcomers on Shri taking 1st overall and Sox (Mr & Mrs Osgood) overall 3rd.Class 3 had an unprecedented turnout with Cockleshell (Jonty Sherwill) taking line honours, 1st and 1st overall. Fritha (Bob Allen) came 2nd on her first outing sporting a lovely new mast after winter storm damage and Starfall pulled into 3rd place. Forethought of Gosport (Mike James) took second overall whilst three bullets were enough to pop Svenja (Mike Stoner) into 3rd overall.

The ever popular Class 2 saw members Alastair & Annabel Shove on Rampion on their first time out this year charge into 1st place with Needlework forced into 2nd followed by Two Frank (Olly Love & Samantha Flint) but overall Needlework held onto the series by one point from Extract (Dudley Stock) with Mist (Undraas & Ross Elliston) close at their heels in 3rd. Another newcomer Pete Redmond stepped off the bow of Hot Rats and into 1st place on the night with J70 Giny with a commanding lead over Wee Bear (Chudziak, Horner & Malas) followed by Triarchy (Dr Colin Kennedy) but overall Wee Bear just pipped Triarchy by one point at the end of a fiercely contested series with La Nef (John Noe) in 3rd.

Next week is the pursuit race followed the following week by the B series. Wednesday night racing is free and only available to members but all new comers are invited to come and try an evening for free. Those looking to crew do contact the office and it has been great to see a number of new crew who recently have joined the Club. Full details on the Hamble River SC website so come and break up the week with a dose of sea air each Wednesday evening until the clocks change. All new boats are invited to join the fleet back in the Clubhouse for supper afterwards and those members with boats who haven’t made it out on the water yet - get your friends together for a fun race, spread the word and let’s see if we can break our BIG WEDNESDAY record.

Report Lis Robinson

Photos Bertrand Malas

5906 XOD fleet just after the start

5962 Class 2 Forethought of Gosport and Starfall

6903 Giny luffs Wight Hare

6282 Starboard or Might is Right…….Series winners Shri take on Firebird

6493 Rampion Class 2 winners on their first night out

6761 Vice Commodore Barney Smith concentrating on Imptish

6865 Mist and Wight Hare

The full photo gallery can be found both on Facebook or on the club website:

Website: http://www.hambleriversc.org.uk/gallery/hamble-river-sc-wednesday-night-a-series-race-8

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.616842631746995.1073741836.234324393332156&type=1