A new event for the Royal Southern’s calendar this year, the Poole & Back Race saw 14 boats competing at the weekend race, enjoying good force 3-4 SW breezes if sometimes chilly conditions.

The first leg start from the Royal Southern’s committee boat just west of Calshot on Saturday was an hour before the tide turned west, so boats were initially close tacking inshore until making the fine judgement about when to emerge into the tide as it became favourable. The Needles channel proved the successful choice after Hurst, those using the North Channel losing out on tide and wind angle. Line honours went to David Carratt’s X46 Blue Vortex racing in Club class in 3 hours 46 minutes. In IRC, the leg winner on corrected time was Brian Mead’s Wishful Thinking (Westerly Typhoon), making a successful return to IRC racing after a couple of years in the club handicap division. Just one minute behind, after 4 hours racing, Paul Waxman and Imperator (SJ35) took 2nd place. The Club Class was won on corrected time by Robert Vose’s Swan 42 Upstart also just one minute ahead of Blue Vortex.

A warm welcome awaited competitors at Parkstone YC, then chief race officer Philip Gage gave competitors an early start off Studland Bay to catch the tide back to the Solent on Sunday morning. Blustery Day (Colin Sinclair, Beneteau First 38s5) was the first to set her spinnaker. She took an offshore course out towards the Needles before gybing back for the turning mark at North Head, leading on the water throughout to take line honours at the finish. However two of the chasing pack were close enough to beat her on corrected time in the IRC class. Michael & Louise Dellar’s Sigma 33 Vela took IRC in Leg 2 by 15 seconds on corrected time from Wishful Thinking, which was just 13 seconds ahead of Blustery Day. The lowest rated boat in Club Class, Chris Stevens Beneteau First 27.7 Finlandia of Hamble, won the division by the impressive margin of 23 minutes on corrected time over Paul Reading’s Starlight 39 Diamond Blue.

The overall Race Results, combining scores from the 2 Legs, saw Brian Mead and Wishful Thinking 1st in IRC and Paul Waxman’s Imperator 2nd. The Club Class was won by the smallest boat Chris Stevens’ Finlandia of Hamble, with the largest boat 2nd – David Carratt’s X-46 Blue Vortex. Prizes for each Leg and Overall were presented at the Royal Southern Yacht Club by Vice-Commodore Mark Inkster.

The next event at the Royal Southern is the May Regatta on 22-23 May with classes for IRC, Laser SB3s, J/80s, whilst the First 40.7 National Championships are also being run by the Club over the same weekend.