The 2023 Hamble Classics Regatta with earlier than usual Bank Holiday timing provided great sailing conditions for a wide range of yachts, dayboats and gaffers on two contrasting days. A regular entrant described it as ‘the best HCR ever!’ with Saturday’s dramatic skies, winds shifts and rain squalls making way for steadier conditions on Sunday but it was still demanding on crew work as an 8 knot breeze built to 19 knots in the afternoon.
With the RAFYC as the social base and race management by Hamble River Sailing Club the varied fleet of 31 yachts with build dates from 1886 to 2018 was split into six starts; IRC, Regatta Handicap, Old Gaffer, XOD, plus the International 6-Metres invited for practice before their World Championship starting this week in Cowes. The PRO Peter Bateson assisted by Kathy Smalley and a strong volunteer team of Assistant RO’s and RIB crews set round-the-cans courses to suit each class plus windward-leewards for the two 6-Metre divisions, Classic and Open, and a mix of courses for the XODs.
With five entries total the 6-Metre owners requested to start together on Sunday for the final two of five scheduled races, with Simon Williams’ Silvervingen winning the classics division from his other yacht Abu helmed by Klaus Diederichs and Andy Short’s Olin Stephens designed Nancy skippered by Vince Hayter. In the Open Division Martin Westerdahl & Hugo Stenbeck’s Sophie II scored 2,1,1,1,1 after a first race win by Foti Lykiardopulo’s Aera.
At the prize giving after racing on Sunday, event organiser Jonty Sherwill thanked both the clubs, Vicki his wife and hard working crew aboard Cockleshell, and the sponsor partners Spinlock, Classic Marine, the Elephant Boatyard, OneSails, the Sandeman Yacht Company, and the Salcombe Distilling Company, supporter of the Concours d’Elegance Awards with their Start Point Gin.
The prize winners were presented with Hamble Classics 2023 engraved champagne flutes by HRSC Commodore Serena Alexander, and each yacht with a OneSails permanent marker pen made from Pip Hare’s recycled 4T FORTE sails used during the Vendée Globe Race 2020-2021.
In addition to the racing prizes there were also Concours d’Elegance prizes, and in this competition the top prize for Ultimate Condition and Provenance was awarded jointly to International 6-Metres Abu and Silvervingen owned by Simon Williams – Abu designed by Johan Anker, built 1932 and Silvervingen designed by Tore Holm, built 1939
The race results are available at: https://hambleclassics.co.uk
Ends
British International Six Metre Association 