J/97 "YACHT OF THE SERIES" & J/80 "SPORTSBOAT OF THE SERIES"!(The Solent, Hamble, England)- The GHWS is one of the most hotly fought regatta series in the UK with an entry list that puts it right at the forefront of competitive sailing. There are of course many reasons for this. For starters, it’s an extremely well managed event, run by an experienced and intuitive race management team. The courses are varied and challenging, and the racing is tight and competitive. It also enjoys strong sponsor and volunteer support. All in all it’s a fabulous series in which to compete at any level, but to win it… well that’s really something!
The series prize-giving for the Garmin Hamble Winter Series took place on the 10th of December at Hamble River Sailing Club and the Class winners and podium finishers were all in attendance as one would expect, to collect their prizes. Racing took place across eight classes in the main IRC series including a J/109 one-design class and then there were four additional classes for the J/109s, the J/80s and other sportsboats on the two ‘Autumn Championship’ weekends. As usual, the J/Boat entry list for the series was both strong and successful.
In the main IRC series, raced over eight Sundays, David Ballantine’s J/133 JINGS achieved a creditable third place overall; a great result to round off his first full year in the boat. Chaz Ivill took the helm of the J/111 JENGA VI and finished second in IRC 1. Ivan Trotman and his J/122 JOULOU were placed fourth in the same class. Fourteen J/109s raced as a one-design class on a level rating basis and Richard and Valerie Griffiths veritably romped into the top slot with OUTRAJEOUS clocking up just ten points to count across the ten races sailed. David and Mary McGough’s JUST SO slammed in a second place in the J/109s and Paul Griffiths was third with JAGERBOMB. J/97s and J/92s raced in IRC 3 and Mike and Jamie Holmes J/97 JIKA-JIKA won the class convincingly, accruing just eight points to count at the end of the series-- some might call that "a schooling" on how to race the Solent!
The Autumn Championship was a nail-biter for the J/80 Class. Sailed over two weekends in October, Rob Larke’s J2X was leading the fleet by a single point after the first weekend, but let things slip on the second weekend. At the end of the fourteen race series, Phil Taylor and Kevin Sproul’s J.A.T emerged victorious. J2X settled for second, just three points behind and Thor Askeland took third in ELLE S'APPELLE. The J/109s also raced at the Autumn Championship and once again it was OUTRAJEOUS which emerged victorious. Steven Tapper’s STALKER finished in second place and Jody Windmiller’s J2EAU took third.
So
it was a bunch of very happy J Boat owners at the prize-giving.
However, after the series silverware was presented, there were still the
two main prizes to be awarded: YACHT OF THE SERIES and SPORTSBOAT OF
THE SERIES. Race Director Jamie Wilkinson explained that these prizes
are awarded at the discretion of the race management team to the two
boats which in their opinion put in the most impressive performance
across all classes. He made the point that the standard of competition
at the Garmin Hamble Winter Series is always top-flight and he also
reminded the assembled crowd that the sheer number of entries each year
means that any single race win is an achievement of which one should be
extremely pleased: to actually win YACHT OF THE SERIES is a major
accolade. Mike and Jamie Holmes scoreline in the J/97 JIKA-JIKA included
eight bullets! IRC 3 was considered one of the most competitive classes
in the series and Mike, Jamie and the crew of JIKA-JIKA were deserving
(and extremely proud) winners of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series YACHT
OF THE SERIES. Phil Taylor and Kevin Sproul never once finished outside
the top two in any of the fourteen races they sailed in their J/80
J.A.T. and the class was 22 boats strong! The Garmin Hamble Winter
Series SPORTSBOAT OF THE SERIES was awarded to Phil, Kevin and the crew
on J.A.T.: delighted and proud winners. For more Garmin Hamble Winter Series sailing information
