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Hansa Class UK Traveller Trophy Series Round 7 at the Woolverstone Project

14 August 2024

Close racing in the Liberty class during the UK Hansa TT at the Woolverstone Project © Andy Beharrell & Dot Steeds

The Woolverstone Project was thrilled to host the Hansa Class Association for a Traveller Trophy (TT) event on August 14th, marking the first time the venue has welcomed the class in over a decade.

Nineteen boats competed, with 15 visitors and 4 local Woolverstone Project sailors. The 1-person Hansa Class had 9 entries, the 2-person class had 6, and the Liberty Class featured 4 boats.

The day began pleasantly with a light and steady breeze from the northwest. Following the briefing, all boats quickly set out to capitalize on the wind. The race officer successfully set a course that remained effective until mid-race when unpredictable shifts and patchy gusts presented challenges for the competitors. In the 1-person Hansa 3.03 class, Mike Everitt took an early lead, closely followed by Rory McKinna in second place, with Jazz Turner (sailing her boat named Phoebe along with her support dog, also called Phoebe) finishing in third. For the two-person 3.03 class, Lynne and Stuart Swann triumphed in a borrowed boat named Lady Jane. They navigated the shifty conditions expertly, finishing ahead of Philip Hall and Denise Bryant, with Rick and Sue Jillings securing third place. In the Liberty class, Paul Pearson skillfully maneuvered through the shifting winds to claim victory, followed by Paul Phillips and Ric Cassel.

During the second race, the race officer, Gordon Sutton from the Royal Harwich YC, had to adjust the starting line for the Liberty class due to another significant wind shift, resulting in a recall. A struggle between the gradient wind and emerging sea breeze played out for about 20 minutes until a stable course was finally established.

Light and erratic winds continued to pose difficulties. Spectators observed flags at marks 2 and 3 blowing in opposite directions, complicating mark roundings and causing sudden position changes. The final results in the Liberty class saw the two Pauls continue to dominate, finishing first and second, while Tessa Watkiss, who had retired from Race 1 due to servo issues, returned to take third. In the 1-person Hansa 3.03 class, Rory McKinna reversed the finishing order from the previous race, finishing first, followed by Mike Everitt in second and Leslie Philip in third. In the 2-person class, Lynne and Stuart Swann maintained consistency with the same finishing order as race one.

As the day concluded, the breeze became slightly more stable, contributing to continued tight racing. In the Hansa 3.03 1-person class, Rory McKinna maintained his lead, finishing first yet again, with Leslie Philip in second and Jazz Turner in third. This performance secured Rory the overall win, while Mike Everitt claimed second overall. In the 3.03 2-person class, Lynne and Stuart Swann achieved a remarkable third win, finishing first overall with only three points, while Philip Hall and Denise Bryant’s consistent second-place finishes in every race earned them second overall. Paul Pearson’s repeated victories in the Liberty class placed him first overall, with Paul Phillips taking second with three second-place finishes.

While not receiving prizes, the local Woolverstone Project sailors found great joy in challenging their visitors. One participant, Rik Codling, renowned for his success in virtual racing with Team GBR, found his first physical regatta both challenging and enlightening. He plans to return to improve his results in future events.

The Woolverstone Project extends gratitude to the Hansa Class Association for their invaluable assistance before and during the event, ensuring everything ran smoothly despite weather challenges. Special thanks are also given to the Royal Hospital School for their support with equipment and support boats for this exciting event.

Overall Results:

Pos Boat Sail No Helm Crew Club R1 R2 R3 Pts
Hansa 3.03 (1 person) Class
1st Glasgow Bonnet 2284 Rory McKinna Clyde Cruising Club 2 1 1 4
2nd Jaguar 3244 Mike Everitt Frensham Pond 1 2 4 7
3rd Hansa Yellow 3221 Leslie Philip Tideway London 4 3 2 9
4th Phoebe 3278 Jazz Turner Newhaven and Seaford SC 3 4 3 10
5th Slipstream (Red deck) Blank John Norman Woolverstone Project 6 5 5 16
6th Hansa Jade 3223 Hannah Nicoll Whitefriars SC 5 6 6 17
7th Hansa Purple 3224 Debra Pennington Notts County SC 7 7 7 21
8th Hansa Orange 3220 Logan Bell Rutland SC 8 8 8 24
9th 2971 Jeff Dormer WASH Sailability DNF DNF DNF 30
Hansa 3.03 (2 person) Class
1st Lady Jane 2298 Lynne Swan Stuart Swann Chesil Sailability 1 1 1 3
2nd Hansa Blue 3222 Philip Hall Denise Bryant Chesil Sailability 2 2 2 6
3rd Hansa Red 3219 Rick Jillings Sue Jillings Carsington SC 3 3 3 9
4th Flossie (pink deck) Blank Graham Seabrook Robbie Johns Woolverstone Project 4 4 5 13
5th Freedom 3647 Rik Codling Fred Codling Woolverstone Project 6 5 4 15
6th Elsa Blank Peter Mills Michael Bell Woolverstone Project 5 6 6 17
Liberty Class
1st 3423 Paul Pearson Rutland SC 1 1 1 3
2nd Saoirse (Sir‑sha) 2557 Paul Phillips Frensham Pond 2 2 2 6
3rd Myles Adrift 1010 Tessa Watkiss Frensham Pond RET 3 3 11
4th Star Chaser 1066 Ric Cassel Rutland SC 3 4 4 11
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