Sunday, March 13, 2016

HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series Preview

J/97E sailing Solent, England (Warsash, England)- The big news for this year’s Warsash Spring Series is that HELLY HANSEN has jumped aboard to partner with the Warsash SC’s premiere sailing regatta on that famous body of water called the Solent.

HELLY HANSEN has announced a three-year deal that will see the technical clothing brand become Title Sponsor of the prestigious Warsash Spring Series. Renamed as the HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series, HELLY HANSEN will be the exclusive provider of technical sailing clothing to all competitors and race organizers until 2018.

As a long established event, the HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series is the first of the Solent's annual yacht racing events. Organized and managed by Warsash Sailing Club, the series takes place over six consecutive Sundays throughout March and April, and will see over 180 yachts and 1,200 sailors taking part.

With HELLY HANSEN as Title Sponsor, all entrants and organizers will benefit from exclusive clothing discounts, enabling them to purchase innovative and technical sailing kit, designed to keep them warm, dry and protected whether competing or spectating. Class and other winners will be awarded prizes of Helly Hansen sailing kit.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Peter Bateson, Chairman of the event, said, "We are thrilled to welcome HELLY HANSEN on-board as our Title Sponsor. HELLY HANSEN is the brand of choice for many sailing professionals, and will be the perfect partner for ensuring competitors and organizers can keep warm and dry. We're very excited to develop our partnership over the next three years to the benefit of the event and the participants."

Marketing Manager for HELLY HANSEN in the UK and Ireland, Emma Russell, commented, "We're delighted to be announced as the Title Sponsor of the Warsash Spring Series. As a Norwegian brand, we understand the importance of keeping sailors warm and dry at sea, leaving them free to focus on their performance. The Warsash Spring Series, and the cold water in the Solent during the spring, provides the perfect location for HELLY HANSEN to associate itself with the UK's sailing community, from professional to amateur sailors." For more information about Helly Hansen, please visit- http://www.hellyhansen.com.

Looking forward to accumulating as much of that awesome “swag” as possible will be a veritable J/Navy.  In Black Group/ Championship IRC fleets, the queen of the fleet is Chris Daniel’s J/122 JUNO.  She will be joined by two J/111s- Paul Griffiths’ JAGERBOMB and Cornel Riklin’s JITTERBUG. Then, two 35-footers are in the mix, the J/35 BENGAL MAGIC and the J/105 MOSTLY HARMLESS (Natalie Jobling).  Chasing them all hard will be a frighteningly fast group of 29-31 footers led by the J/97 BLACKJACK (Andy Howe), the David Greenhalgh’s J/92 J’RONIMO and a rogue’s gallery of five J/88’s- Paul Ward’s EAT SLEEP J REPEAT, David & Kirsty Apthorp’s J-DREAM, Richard Cooper’s JONGLEUR, Dirk Van Beek’s SABRIEL JR, and Gavin Howe’s TIGRIS.

The Black Group/ Championship J/109 classes have yet another nice turnout with eight boats.  Numerous past class leaders should be in the hunt for the silverware, including Dave Mcgough’s JUST SO, Owain Franks’ JYNNAN TONNYX, the RAFSA’s RED ARROW and David Richards’ JAZZY JELLYFISH.

Nearly a dozen J/70s are participating in the White Group/ Championships, including Patrick Liardet’s COSMIC, Andrew Barraclough’s JENGA 8, Dave Mcleman’s OFFBEAT and Yannig Loyer’s J OUT OF THE BOX!  Similarly, the top J/80s in their White Group/ Championship fleets include Jon Powell’s BETTY, Mike Lewis’ JESTER and Terence O/Neill’s AQUA-J.  For more HELLY HANSEN Warsash Spring Series sailing information