This is a major Club event consisting of two races over the weekend of Saturday May 12th and Sunday May 13th. The Notice of Race is available and entries can be registered with the Sailing Secretary, Barry Stickland. When you register you should also consider booking your tickets for the Saturday night dinner at the RAF Yacht Club. Demand for places will be great, because not only do we have the racing yachts from LTSC we also have a number of participants from the Royal Solent and Royal Lymington, as these races are the first two in the 2007 WSCRA Series (West Solent Cruiser Racing Association). Barry Dutton, past Commodore of LTSC, is the driving force behind WSCRA and is also the social organiser for the Hamble dinner, so speak to him if you wish for any clarification.

Additionally at this event we are joined by a strong contingent of LTSC cruising boats, who usually throw some very liquid pontoon parties both before and after the dinner.

Taking Part in the Hamble Scramble
All cruising boats are invited to take part in a timed rally to the Hamble, the winner, subject to the application of some modest handicapping undertaken under the guidance of the Class Captain will receive a HARKEN voucher for £75. This can be spent on some go faster, ‘tweaky’ bits for the boat or designer gear for the owner’s better half.

HARKEN are really keen to show some support to our cruising folk and will be giving an interesting Wednesday Talk.

To be eligible for this cruiser rally prize, the owner must register his interest with Adam Reay. Whilst it would be nice for a number of cruisers to rally up to Hamble together the starting time remains the skipper’s decision. This is a challenging decision balancing off the effects of tides, sea breezes and shipping movements. The course will be the quickest way without infringing any navigational restriction. Owners are asked to take their time as they pass out of the Lymington River using the line between Jack in the Basket and the Royal’s starting platform. Again they should take their finishing time as they pass Coronation Buoy and the committee boat flying the LTSC Burgee. If the committee boat is not on station just take your time when the mark passes your beam. Engines are permitted, but skippers must record the number of minutes/hours they used the engine as a time penalty will be added.

So three figures to be given to the Committee Boat on your arrival: Start Time, Finish Time and time engine used.

The entry qualification is proper cruising folk only. That is – they must not have raced in the last two years and must not have a boat which by any stretch of the imagination is really a racing machine. Committee’s decision is final.