Excellent performances at Warsash Spring Championships

Sailors took to the water with the sunny weather last weekend for the Brooks Macdonald Warsash Spring Championship.

There were 150 boats taking part in the event on April 20and 21 with officials running 40 separate races.

Spring Championship begins in ideal conditions

The Spring Championship, as part of the Warsash Spring Series, offers an intense schedule of four days’ racing, with no discards allowed.

Although the Saturday dawned with the River Hamble resembling a millpond, everyone was pleased to see the wind and the racing got underway without delay.

Windward/leeward courses were set for all classes in Black Group varying in length from 4.3 to 6.2 nm for IRC1/IRC2 and 3.1 to 5.5 nm for J/109, IRC3 and IRC4. IRC1 had an impressive lineup. The four Farr 45s topped the rating band and were joined by six J/111s as well as J/133s, Kers, a Sydney 40, Max Fun 35 and Grand Soleil 46.

Former Commodore’s Cup winner Anthony O’Leary also competed with his successful Ker 39 Antix.

After an initial general recall, the class was given a second chance to start under a ‘P’ flag and all went well.

The weather was bright and sunny on the Sunday with a forecast south-westerly breeze set to build from 10 to 17 knots during the day the best sailing conditions in the series so far.

The plan was to offer a longer race well over two hours to the Spring Series competitors followed by a short race for those boats entered in the Spring Championship only.

Racing took place on a small neap tide which may have led boats into a false sense of security. Several had to take penalties after misjudging the tide at the windward mark.

Ran proved unbeatable in IRC1 with Bon Exemple continuing her fine performance in IRC2. The Series race for IRC3 saw a very close finish, Induljence (J/97 – Nick and Adam Munday) taking first place by five seconds from Elaine (Elan 37 – Mike Bridges) with Starspray a further five seconds adrift in third. Sardonyx IX scored two wins in the J/109s, to count towards the Series and Championship. There is no stopping Kevin Sussmilch’s Mefisto, helmed by Volvo Ocean Race sailor Andy Budgen, making a clean sweep in the Sigma 38s.

The Brooks Macdonald Warsash Spring Series and Spring Championship grand finale will take place next weekend.