JIKA-JIKA and J-DREAM Co-Winners Overall?
(Hamble, England)- While some dry-sailed boats were trapped ashore
after last week's snow and ice, those crews that ventured out for the
final day of the 2010 Garmin Hamble Winter Series had not only to deal
with fog, but also a gradually dying northerly breeze. Even the steadily
falling temperature failed to dampen the enthusiasm of both Black and
White fleet competitors, intent on securing a good result in the overall
standings.
Poor visibility meant that Race Director Jamie Wilkinson and his team
aboard Tony Lovell's 'Bonney' were unable to see the outer distance mark
so a RIB was despatched to the midpoint to create a split start line
for the Black Fleet. Meanwhile Philip Gage aboard 'Knight's Challenge'
at the pin end had switched on his radar to detect OCS boats.
Thankfully these were few in number and all seven classes got away first
time, with the Fastnet Insurance and East Bramble buoys as windward
marks, before returning downwind through the fierce ebb tide to leeward
marks on the Ryde Middle. Despite the tidal offset in the course some
boats lost out by not making enough easting early in the run, and this
was made worse by the light breeze that was sometimes down to 2 knots.
Responding to the slow pace of the racing, all classes had their courses
shortened, and once more the technology aboard Knight's Challenge was
being put to use. By then the fog had cleared but some boats were being
identified using AIS as they approached the finish line and before their
sail numbers became visible.
Although the overall winners of most classes had been settled the
previous week, as expected the front-runners for the Garmin Yacht of the
Year Award were out again to consolidate their results. Of the other
contenders David and Kirsty Apthorp's J-DREAM slipped to second place
behind Richard and Valerie Griffith's OUTRAJEOUS in the J/109 class,
while Mike and Jamie Holmes JIKA-JIKA in IRC3 took a 20% penalty
dropping her to fifth, and providing an opener for others to gain on
them.
Overall, J-DREAM won the J/109 class with 11 points. David McLeman on
OFFBEAT finished 2nd with 25 points, third was Richard's and Valerie's
OUTRAJEOUS, 4th ARIA's Luca Rubinelli with 32 points and 5th ME JULIE's
Dom Monkhouse.
As
many of you know by now, IRC Class 3 was dominated by the J/97
JIKA-JIKA (seen here) sailed by Mike and Jamie Holmes, they finished
with eight 1sts and a 3rd for 11 pts! Sailing a nice series and not
far off the pace lying 5th is the J/110 SHADES OF BLUE sailed by Ed
Holton. In the 12th and final race of the series, Bill Blain finally
got his J/97 BATFISH IV rolling and sailed well to get a 3rd, sistership
JIKA-JIKA won the race but was assessed a 20% scoring penalty.
In the White Fleet, despite the shifty breezes, the J/80s managed to
behave respectably and get off 3 quick races. Sweeping all three were
John Cooper's OI!, thus affirming their grip on the top of the podium.
Overall in 2nd was AQUA J- Patrick Liardet and 3rd is SWALLOW- Gordon
Craigen.
Over in IRC Class 2, there have been four J/105s racing and they are
7-8-9-10 in class dueling with one another for one-design "Top Dog". In
the fray are JACKPOT sailed by Vernon Bradley in 7th, JOS OF HAMBLE
skippered by Professor Roger Williams in 8th, JOURNEYMAKER 5 sailed by
Chris Jones in 9th and JOLENE with Ivan and Peter Trotman leading the
charge lying 10th. In fact, in the 12th and last race of the series,
the J/105s nearly swept the top 5, getting 1st- JACKPOT, 3rd-
JOURNEYMAKER 5, 4th- JOLENE and 5th- JOS OF HAMBLE.
Given the fact that both the J/97 JIKA-JIKA and the J/109 J-DREAM both
sailed solid series in two of the largest and most competitive classes,
it will be hard to determine the Garmin Yacht of the Year at the overall
prize giving on Saturday December 11th. Report contributed by Jonty
Sherwill. Full sailing details of the 2010 Garmin Hamble Winter Series. Sailing photos courtesy- Paul Wyeth/ PWPictures.com.
