With the clocks going back at 02.00 am last Sunday, Race Week 4 is the last two race day in the 2025 Hamble Winter Series.

The One Designs have packed up for the winter, leaving just the IRC classes to head out into the Solent. To make sure no one headed out too early, the event WhatsApp carried a “clock back” warning for the fleet the day before.

William Avery’s Maxi 1200, Baldur was the CV on Sunday and Peter Bateson, PRO, took it out in the direction of 4J, hamblewinterseries.com, with a warning that the wind direction may mean heading further out. In the end the CV settled at 4Q, John Fisher, just one buoy to the SE.

The wind was 12 knots from 280 to 300 degrees, though it would increase to 20 knots later. Race 1 was triangle-sausage affair, once all the rage in Olympic circles. Indeed, one or two competitors prefer this to the endless stream of windward/leewards, which tend to be staple diet nowadays. 4J was the up tide windward mark. A laid inflatable downwind of the CV was the leeward mark. The course was 5.6 miles for classes IRC1&2, with 4.8 miles for IRC class 3.

Sunday was another day with a quality fleet in IRC 3. To add to the mix, Whooper, Giovanni Belgrano, and Stan the Boat, Toby Gorman, came back out to play. Also, back for the first time was Rob Mcgregors Mustang 30, Dark Horse. Rob had carelessly lost Dark Horse’s rig over the side when heading across the channel in the summer. The new, two spreader version, arrived in the week, and Rob and crew managed, just about, to get it sorted on Saturday, despite one two halyards being reluctant to do their job properly at first.

Protis, Team Hamble, made the start on time this week and proceeded to make no mistakes, taking the first race by and minute and a half from Banter, Ian Handley and Tim James. Whooper, Giovanni Belgrano, who didn’t start too well, came 8 seconds behind Banter on corrected time.

In IRC 2, With Alacrity, Sigma 38, Chris and Vanessa Choules, had a fairly straight forward victory in Race 1. J’ronimo, J 92, David Greenhalgh, hit the podium for the first time this series in second place. Jybe Talkin’, J109, Chris Burleigh placed third.

After what can only be described as a poor first week, one retirement and one OCS, Tigris, Sunfast 3600, Gavin Howe, has reeled off a series of first places in IRC 1 against Mad Dash, Elan 410, Chris Burleigh.

The second race of the day was a round the cans affair. An inflatable windward mark was laid towards William buoy. The tide was now turning favourable on the upwind legs. The yachts then went downwind via a couple of marks to East Bramble. This brought a shy spinnaker reach into play which some boats found testing as the breeze increased. Finally, the course went back upwind to Paul Heys (IRC 1/2) or Hill Head buoy (IRC 3) then down to Contessa 32 class, and then back up to a finish at hamblewinterseries.com. This meant 8.5 miles for IRC 1 & 2, 7.8 miles for IRC 3.

In IRC 3, Whooper romped of to a fine win. Behind her Banter had unusual kite wrap issues, but these were nothing compared to Protis, as she dropped kite into the drink and trawled long enough to get catch of the day! Ian Handley, suggested rather unkindly, I think, that “Protis should change her home port to Grimsby!” Well, what do you expect from the skipper of a boat called Banter. Banter hung on to second place, with Quokka 9, James Crew, in third. This leaves Protis and Banter top of the leader board on 10 points with Quokka just four points behind.

Sailing can be a dangerous sport, just ask Chris Choules of With Alacrity, who dislocated a finger. Fortunately, Chris had the good sense to wait until after the second race had finished. This allowed WA to record a second bullet on the day, which leaves them in a very strong position with 6 points. Jybe Talkin’ was second moving them up the leaderboard to fourth (25pts), just behind Moro Risin’, Rob Cotterill (24 pts) and Hot Rats, Robbie and Lis Robinson (18 pts). Tigris once again came first in IRC 1.

Back in the HRSC Clubhouse the host club provided the prizes. Beer, chocolates and wine!

Next week is the mid series lay weekend, so the action will start again on Sunday 9th November.

Full results at www.hamblewinterseries.com

by Trevor Pountain