TOPIC:

Hamble as many of you will know is where Fairey Marine first built Albacores in the early 60s. The Albacore is the big sister of the Firefly dinghy which was built some ten years earlier and was the original Olympic single hander.

Hamble River Sailing Club has a close affinity with these boats and includes Fireflies in its early season open event, the Warming Pan. This event is a must attend date for Merlins and a few brave National 12 sailors along with Fireflies.

In addition Hamble River Sailing Club run a Firefly Open meeting, generally around mid season time. The club is keen to include Albacores either in the Warming Pan event or as a part of the Firefly Open or even both.

What I am seeking to establish here is what might be the interest from Albacore sailors in attending either one or both of these events.

To help you with this decison let me describe what Hamble has to offer.

Hamble is on the outskirts of Southampton, a tributary off Southampton Water and it is the sailing gateway to the world. Ocean liners such as the new Queen Elizabeth will glide past the entrance to the river Hamble later this week as she enters the port for her naming ceromny. Many thousands of cruise ship passengers will line the decks to glimpse the dinghies and sailing yachts which unintentionally greet these ships and provide a wonderful backdrop to the Solent as they slip by in the deep water chanel.

Hamble has over 4500 yachts moored alongside its river banks and is the largest UK sailing venue. Hamble is but a short sail to the excellent sailing areas of the middle Solent. An Albacore open meeting would be sailed in these waters which regularly offer some of the the best sailors in the world challenging courses dealing with variable tides and warm south coast winds with regular refreshing sea breezes.

The Warming Pan is a chillier event altogether, still fun but sailed as an early season wake up call in mid March. The racing starts in the river off the club and generally goes out to one or two marks in Southampton Water and the Solent before returning to the river and a finish off the club. It is a wonderful spectacle and there is a great atmosphere in the village.

The club is friendly with good modern facilities. They recently hosted a highly succesful Firefly Nationals with over 70 boats and they have race officers with aspiring Olympic pedigrees.

The socal side of Hamble goes without saying as Hamble has more pubs and restaurants than probably any other similar village. It has highest delivery quotas of Mount Gay Rum and without doubt it has the best supported bottle bank in the country.

So if attending either an Albacore Open event or attending the Warming Pan would appeal please register interest with me.

Additionally as the site is quiet at this time of year, please forward this to those you know who might be interested.

Dom

The Warming Pan would get my vote. It has always been (in my mind) one of the major events of the winter having read about it since being a child when the likes Phil Crebin and Rob Martin were the sailing rock stars of the day.

We would definitely be keen as have just moved from Warsash (across the river from Hamble where I used to work) back to South Wales and the Warming Pan is a great event. We entered the last few years in our Merlin and it is a very well run, in a fantastic spot for dinghy sailing.

My only negative point or reservtion would be that the inclusion of all these classes would make the river part of the racing extremely cramped, but I guess it is all part of the fun! A seperate Albacore event would also get my vote for this reason.

Hugh

Both proposals would get my support depending on other commitments (had to put that in or 'er indoors will have me committed!). The Warming Pan has always sounded interesting if not a trifle chilly in March? I would certainly be in favour of either a combined Open with both Firefly and Albacore classes or alternatively an Albacore Open if we can get enough interest to support the event?

Albacore Andy
GBR A7525
Blue Jay

Andy,
I did a couple of Regatta events at Hamble a few years ago and it was good but sailed in handicap fleet dominanted by great N12 sailor from Burghfield and a Day Boat with an unbeatable handicap. I would certainly favour an Albacore Open and if I remember we did have one there; Neville sailed and Dave Hammond.
Put me down for this,
cheers
Trevor

Yes would def be interested in either preferably a one day event, have sailed at Hamble many times and its brilliant, hope to see some of you at Broadwater next weekend

Albacores promoted to the dizzy heights of the dinghy world?

It would be quite an honour for the class to be invited to have a chance of competing for the Warming Pan.

A one day event may be a good compromise for next season, bear in mind some boats will be missing mid/late season due to the Int. Champs in Canada.

As our Albacore spends half its life on the solent, you can probably count on us coming to an open at Hamble. Not sure about winter events though - still consider myself a fairweather sailor!

I would support a meeting there especially for the Warming Pan - it would save me being recruited as a Merlin crew for the same event

It looks like there is a fair bit of interest. I'll leave this ticking along for a few more days and then speak with the club. They are very keen for us to join them in some event or perhaps both.

Hi Dom

I have interest in a Hamble event. It's pretty close to us at Weston, could even sail down. However there is a danger that I too may be in the wrong end of a Merlin Rocket for the Warming Pan.

Johnnie AL6918

We don't come out of hibernation until late March, so very unlikely that we'd do the warming pan. We'd be up for a meet with the firefly class though, dates permitting. Supersonic won't be in the container

Cheers
Jean

Im interested, when?

Further work to do on the Warming Pan and the club would be pleased for us to join them for that event. They are searching out another Warming pan as a prize. The Warming Pan is 19th and 20th March.

The Albacore Firefly open would be the 11th and 12th June. We would also be joined by Larks. We would have our own start and they would use two committe boats, one as a start boat and one as a finish boat. Hamble River are used to runing events with boats of differing speed and we would have our own colour coded marks with near and far windward marks.

They have also found a cup "HRSC Albacore Class Victory Challenge Cup". Apparently it was first awarded in 1965 and I think it would be appropriate for it to be sailed for again by Albcores.

Once I have firmer information I will post again and if others could still register interest it would help me greatly.

Hi Dom

Hope you managed to pick up the new ship OK, Janet and i would certainly be interested in giving Hamble River a go, looks like a reasinable chance to sail on some reasonable water.

Best Regards

Andrew