Hamble Winter Series Race Week 5 - Sponsored by Force 4
"Dunkelflaute. The German word for the miserable, grey non-weather that's been draining the life out of everyone in Britain." wrote Quentin Letts in the Mail on Sunday, on 10th November 2024. Well, it has certainly been draining the strength out of the Hamble Winter Series so far this year. Two Race days have been lost to this phenomenon in the 43rd Hamble Winter Series and sandwiched in between them was Storm Ashley. No one associated with the event can remember losing more than one weekend before, let alone three. So, it was a very nervous Race Team that gathered at HRSC on Sunday morning. Audrey Knight proclaimed "In this country it's called Anti Cyclonic Gloom" which made everybody even more depressed! With 5 knots showing at Calshot on Windycator 11, PRO, Peter Bateson, ordered his troops to head for the CV and onward to the Solent.
At 08.27 Peter announced to the WhatsApp group that the CV, Sea Angel, a Westerly Ketchup, was heading for 4J, hamblewinterseries.com. Don't you just love predictive text. I'm a brown sauce man myself. By 9.08 it was confirmed that the set up was indeed at 4J, "Currently 6 knots from the SE." boasted Peter. The breeze was meandering between 090 and 120 degrees in the prestart period, so with the course axis set at 110 degrees, a simple 2 lap windward/leeward was designed for all boats, with windward marks at 0.6 and 0.8 NM. This gave race lengths 3.2 NM and 2.5 NM, with 4J used as the leeward mark.
In IRC 3, Protis, Quarter Ton, Team Hamble, skipped round the course finishing 12 minutes ahead of the second boat, also a Quarter Ton, Theseus, Jim Power. The Impala 28 Polly, Ben Meakins, came home third, beating Rob Macgregor's Mustang 30, Dark Horse, by 22 seconds. Banter, Mustang 30, Ian Handley, has been waiting for Protis to appear, but they were having an "off day" reported Ian. A stomach bug the night before had left Ian feeling "discombobulated". I'm not sure what the German for that is! In IRC 2, JAGO, J109, Mike and Susi Yates, manged to "find a way round the crowded marks to wriggle away and win the race". This was something of an improvement for Mike, who was fresh from cutting away a rig after six hours of the Middle Sea Race. Gavin Howe, no stranger to long offshore races himself, brought Wavetrain, Channel 32, home in second place. Moj Risin, J109, Rob Cotteril was third. Hot Rats, First 35, with newly bionic Lis Robinson on board, had been first at the windward mark, but then picked the wrong side of the run, to end up in the melee at the leeward mark. "It's been a while since I've seen several boats doing turns at the same time." said Lis.
Not satisfied with getting one race finished, the PRO sent everyone off again. For race 2, the breeze started at 4-5 knots from 120°. A (Very) short 3.7 mile round the cans course was set with a triangle, a beat and a run. As the breeze dropped to 1-3 knots the course was shortened at 4L, William, using the pin end/mark laying boat Obsession, whose team, Steph Merry, Rupert Wolloshin, Peter Halliday and Nick Irwin seemed glad to have more to do. As the boats were finishing, a light breeze of 5-6k returned, having veered another 120° and now coming from 240°.
In the second race of the day, IRC 3, Protis once again led round the course. This time however, Polly cut their lead down to eight minutes. Dark Horse managed to push Theseus down to fourth place. Banter was still sick, sorry sixth! In IRC 2, Jeanie, Rosie Berry made sure there was a J109 at the top of the podium again. JAGO managed to drift the wrong side of the weather mark, with a few others, which left them sixth. Wavetrain was just two agonising seconds behind Jeanie on corrected time. Jybe Talkin, Chis Burleigh kept the 109fest going with a third place.
Back in the HRSC Club House, Tom Underwood of Force 4 Chandlery, Port Hamble, presented the prizes. Tom brought enough goodies that the podiums in both races could receive a prize. The Raymarine goody bag for first was especially well received as it contained a Lighthouse Chart for the UK & Ireland. There were also Force 4 vouchers and goodies from Kingfisher Ropes. These prizes were well worth struggling round in light airs for. Mike Yates expressed his thanks to Peter B and the Race Team "Glad we got two races in." he said.
Finaly, it was noted that some post-race regulars were not in the club. It turns out JOGitus was to blame. JOG's dinner does for a number of our competitors every year. A special mention must go to With Alacrity, Sigma 38, Chris and Vanessa Choules who won the Spirit of JOG Award. So, Chris and Vanessa, you are excused, until next week that is.
Text: Trevor Pountain
Image: Hamble River Sailing Club