A total of 27 boats turned out for the SB3 Midwinter Championships at Hamble last weekend, as part of the One-design Event hosted by Hamble River Sailing Club.

All ran smoothly for pre-event favourite and Eurocup Champion Glenn Bourke until the final race, when he, along with second placed Glen Truswell, had a difference of opinion with the rest of the fleet and bore off around the inflatable mark which the 707s had been using. This all came from the result of repeated course changes as the fleets rolled through a sequence of general recalls. The result is now subject to protest, and the outcome should be known by the weekend prizegiving on Saturday.

Spank, helmed by Matt Johnston, with Nigel Olive Jones and Craig Burlton on board, showed the nationals was no one-off, by nailing a first in race one, and staying consistently in the top ten, to finish on equal points with Dave Cheyne in Mr Skiddy, with Paul Ellis and Pete Harrison calling the directions. It remains to be seen if they will be third and fourth, or elevated to the top of the podium after next weekend’s protest hearing.