J/Boats Lead IRC Fleet at Warsash Spring Championship 2026 on the Solent
(Warsash, England)- The Warsash Sailing Club has been hosting its annual rite of spring- the Spring Championship for IRC Classes- for decades. It’s a very popular event for J/sailors to get themselves tuned up for the major summertime events on the Solent and for the RORC Offshore events that run all summer. The larger J’s are sailing on the Black Group course, which includes a large IRC contingent of J/teams sailing J/111s, J/109, J/92, and a J/99.
Spring weather helped PRO Peter Bateson (IRC Black Group) deliver an outstanding weekend of racing, enjoyed by over 50 boats. The weather on Saturday delivered as forecast, with the Solent tide running strongly in the afternoon for races 3 and 4. The weather models did not look promising for Sunday, with almost no wind forecast. However, the wind had built above predictions, with boats starting in 10 kts, and the breeze dropped to 5 kts during the day. As those who sail regularly on the Hill Head Plateau will know, a northerly breeze can be very shifty and puffy, with winds swinging up to 70 degrees, making it very tricky even for the most experienced of competitors!
IRC – Black Group
Three windward/leeward, 2-lap courses followed by around the cans to finish closer to the Southampton Water were set on Saturday, with a windward/leeward and Solent course for Sunday. Each of the three classes had a wide range of yachts taking part.
IRC 1 Division
Chris Jones & Louise Makin’s J/111 JOURNEYMAKER 11 is currently lying in second place. Sitting in 4th is Cornel Riklin’s J/111 JITTERBUG. Behind them in 5th is Paul Griffiths’s J/111 JAGERBOMB and in 6th is Elle Wollmann’s FREQUENT FLYER.
IRC 2 Division
J/Boats cover the top four places in IRC 2, with John Smart’s J/109 JUKEBOX winning with a consistent scoreline, currently discarding a second. Following them is Kevin Taylor’s J/99 JUMP 2 IT in second, David Richards’s J/109 JUMPING JELLYFISH in third, and Oliver Love’s J/109 FRANK IV in fourth place.
For more Warsash Spring Championship sailing information
https://warsashsc.org.uk/springseries/