DEMO SAILS AVAILABLE DURING THE HAMBLE WINTER SERIES.

After two races in the 2003 Hamble Winter Series, the Race1 Ker 11.3 is proving again how competitive it is in IRC racing. Instead of there being a separate IRM class this year, all the boats have joined the IRC competition in Class 0.

Already one of the 11.3s, Robbie Cameron-Davies’ I-Site, has won the first two races to establish a substantial lead in the class, ahead of the Farr 40 Too Steamy and the Swan 45 Fever.

This follows another great season for the 11.3 in IRC. Anthony Richards’ Minnie the Moocher won the Armitage Challenge Cup and the RYS Trophy in Class 1 in Cowes Week and finished second overall, after also winning the Coupe de Normandie in the JOG Deauville race earlier in the season.

John Shepherd’s Fair Do’s V won Class 1 in the Royal Torbay regatta, with Minnie the Moocher second.

Both Fair Do’s V and Nick Hartshorn’s El Gringo have had good seasons offshore. El Gringo won the Morgan Cup in IRC overall and in IRC Class 0 was 1st in the Channel Race, whilst Fair Do’s was 1st in the Cowes - Dinard.

David Pinner’s Cracker had a big win in the Port of Felixstowe regatta on the east coast winning overall out of 62 boats across IRC classes 1 to 4 all racing together, unbelievably counting three firsts and a second for 5 points while the second boat overall, an X332, counted 14 points.

Yet another 11.3, Michael Cover’s Blue Belle, won the Legal Week Challenge overall under IRC, counting two firsts in three races. Blue Belle also won the Royal Thames Y.C. Cumberland Regatta.

The 11.3 success in 2003 continues what happened in 2001 and 2002 when 11.3s won several of the major trophies in Cowes Week, including the New York Yacht Club Cup, the Queen’s Cup and the Rocking Chair Trophy, won several races in the 2002 Commodore’s Cup, when the 11.3s were the largest group of boats competing, winning a number of others including The Royal Dartmouth Regatta.

With the rest of the racing in the Winter Series being only on Sundays, demo sails of the 11.3 will be available on Saturdays. Currently there are tremendous deals available on either a New or a 2nd hand 11.3 as well as Charters available for the Big Events in 2004.

Anybody interested in the Class is invited to come along to try the boat out with no obligation.

Please contact Race1’s Jonny Falkner on 07005 388599 or Philip Crebbin on 02380 457890.