The 2008 Hamble River SC Firefly Open Meeting was held over the weekend of June 7/8. Race Officer Rob Lamb and his team managed to fit in all six scheduled races in an exceptionally crowded Southampton Water despite light winds and raging spring tides.
The event attracted an excellent 28 entries, including visitors from as far west as Restronguet in Cornwall and as far east as Felixstowe in Suffolk. Sailors from four ‘Royal’ clubs, Harwich, Thames, Lymington and the Southern, also competed.
Five times National Firefly Champion Stuart Hudson, sailing with wife Jane, took home the top prize with an impressive scoreline of four firsts, a third and a fourth. Stuart and Jane didn’t have it all their own way with Ian Sanderson/Sally Wilson and Tom Hebbert/Jo Bailey also taking individual race wins. Ian and Sally were placed second overall with local Hamble boat Barney Smith/Alannah Witherby counting a consistent scoreline to finish third overall.
Close racing was in evidence throughout the fleet all weekend with a battle royale for top Hamble Youth Crew being narrowly won by Dan Cousins (8th overall with Guy Davidson) from Callum Weston (9th overall with Jonty Sherwill) and Annie Shawcroft (12th overall with Peter Slimming).
Over 30 volunteers from Hamble River SC (the club’s total membership is less than 300) helped run the event, assisting with a range of tasks including safety cover, mark laying, bar and galley duty. The catering team fed nearly 80 people during Saturday‘s BBQ which was held on the club balcony during the warmest night of the year to date.
In 2009 Hamble River will host the Firefly Nationals from 15-21 August. The club will also host its traditional open meeting during June or July.
The next event on the 2008 Firefly Open Calendar will be held at Royal Harwich Yacht Club on the 21/22 June. The 2008 Nationals is being held at Royal Torbay Yacht Club from the 2-8 August.
Overall Results:
Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3850 | Stuart Hudson | Jane Hudson | Weston | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
2 | 3841 | Ian Sanderson | Sally Wilson | Royal Lymington | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
3 | 3023 | Barnaby Smith | Alannah Witherby | Hamble River | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 19 |
4 | 3414 | Andrew Palmer-Felgate | Liz Palmer-Felgate | Burghfield | 7 | 4 | 7 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 24 |
5 | 3607 | Tom Hebbert | Jo Bailey | Royal Thames | 2 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 29 | 8 | 26 |
6 | 3690 | Rosie Davey | Roger Hudson | Royal Harwich | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 28 |
7 | 626 | Christian Guy | Jonquil Brookes | Parkstone | 5 | 5 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 28 |
8 | 2539 | Guy Davidson | Dan Cousins | Llangorse | 11 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 12 | 41 |
9 | 36941 | Jonty Sherwill | Callum Weston | Hamble River | 12 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 47 |
10 | 3739 | Lucy Boreham | Rachel Crebbin | Dell Quay | 8 | 11 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 48 |
11 | 2065 | Richard Thompson | Charlotte McGarry | Deben | 10 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 29 | 49 |
12 | 1811 | Peter Slimming | Annie Shawcroft | Hamble River | 17 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 52 |
13 | 2777 | Susan Steyn | Frances Davidson | Llangorse | 9 | 12 | 6 | 29 | 12 | 14 | 53 |
14 | 3692 | James Fryatt | Sam Burns | Hamble River | 16 | 14 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 9 | 65 |
15 | 3610 | Luke Thompson | Tom Cousins | Felixstowe Ferry | 13 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 11 | 68 |
16 | 2550 | Hermione Turner | Jo Mason | Itchenor | 14 | 23 | 16 | 19 | 9 | 15 | 73 |
17 | 1701 | Patrick Clarke | Alex Clarke | Restronguet | 15 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 29 | 29 | 87 |
18 | 3711 | Phillipa Wilkinson | Rhiannon Flack | Hamble River | 22 | 20 | 10 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 89 |
19 | 3693 | Robert Dann | Chelsey Watson | Hamble River | 24 | 21 | 22 | 13 | 14 | 29 | 94 |
20 | 302X | Simon Cowdell | Sophia Hulbert | Castaways | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 18 | 94 |
21 | 3694 | Thomas Shawcroft | Hannah Kitcher | Hamble River | 21 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 96 |
22 | 3626 | Alec Russell | Emma Russell | Royal Southern | 19 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 22 | 29 | 98 |
23 | 3749 | Fiona Jones | Vicky Weston | Hamble River | 29 | 29 | 29 | 15 | 20 | 16 | 109 |
24 | 252 | Ruth Romer | Jenny Leon | Birmingham Old Boys | 23 | 24 | 29 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 111 |
25 | 3072 | Damian Boreham | Tom Johnson | Spinnaker | 29 | 29 | 29 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 116 |
26 | 1446 | Andrew Flack | Rob Flack | Hamble River | 20 | 17 | 23 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 118 |
27 | 983 | Phil Knight-Jones | Chris Knight-Jones | Warsash | 29 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 25 | 19 | 127 |
28 | 180 | James Hayden | Katie Bowers | Birmingham Old Boys | 29 | 29 | 29 | 23 | 19 | 29 | 129 |