Latest News Items

Oh What A Night! 
137 Sigma 38 sailors representing 14 boats partied hard at the Annual Party and Prize Giving on Saturday. The should be band which briefly included Nigel Goodhew on bass guitar were a great hit with the dance floor continuously full. Rumour has it that some including the chairman lasted until dawn! At the AGM earlier in the evening a number of small rule changes were accepted. These will be posted on the website. Paul Kirwan of Errislannan was unanimously voted in as vice-chairman. Both Philip Meakins and Chris Choules stepped down for the committee. They were both thanked for their invaluable input. Click on the title to see the Chairman’s full report on an outstanding Sigma 38 year. Finally huge congratulations to all winners but in particular to With Alacrity – the 2009 Grand Champions – photo under results on the events page.

Annual Dinner Quiz 
If you were'nt able to make what proved to be a great evening at the Solent Spa, you can still enter the annual quiz. Try and beat the highest score on the night, won by MONET, as there are still prizes to be won. No cheating or Googling now! Just email your answers to: fenners@waitersfriend.com before the end of February.

Sigma Sailor signs up for Sydney-Hobart 
Not all Sigma sailors curl up for Christmas or so it seems. So whilst you’re unwrapping your new thermal sailing socks with the central heating keeping things nice and cosy, spare a thought for Nick Carter, sometime Mast man on Marta who’ll be battling across the Bass Strait in this year’s Sydney – Hobart.
Nick, a Sports Medicine Consultant when he’s not sailing Sigma 38’s, has signed on as ship’s doctor onboard the RAF’s entry DISCOVER of HORNET an ex Challenge 67 footer. Not somebody to take life at a leisurely pace, His lovely wife Adele tells me he’s previously competed in the Three Peaks Races as both sailor and runner, took part in this year’s Fastnet and is currently putting a team together to campaign Sigma 38 Mistral in the Round Ireland Race next year! Phew! Just hope he’s got time to fit in the Nationals somewhere along the way. So Nick, every best wish for a great race and a safe return from all of us at the Sigma 38 Association.

National Attendance Numbers - Sigma 38 in Top 15 
Yachts and Yachting have published new data tabling attendance levels at Class Nationals. With 14 entries last year the Sigma 38 Class comes in at number 15. In big boat terms only the J109s had a larger attendance. Yet another statistic that demonstrates the strength and resurgence of this 21 year old class. Click on the title for the detail. Can we make it into the top 10 next year? Start planning your entry now – last May Bank Holiday 28th – 31st May as part of International Paint Poole Regatta.

Winterising your Sigma 
The Winter Series is over at last and you can now snuggle back down under that duvet on a wild Sunday morning with a clear conscience. But what of that boat? She has worked hard for you all year and now deserves a well earned rest and plenty of TLC. Click on the title for a few tips to get her set for the long winter ahead.

GHWS Marks Sigma 38s 21st Anniversary 
The GHWS class winners are in for an extra treat at the Hamble River SC prize giving on Saturday. To mark their 21st Anniversary, the Sigma 38 Association is presenting an award winning bottle of bubbly and a souvenir champagne sealer to each class winner. Following a fantastic year of celebrations during which the number of Sigma 38's racing has increased significantly the Class Association have made this gesture to thank fellow competitors and the hard working Hamble Race Committee. Click on the title to read the Yachts and Yachting article.

A windy finale 
What an end to the 2009 season! With gusty conditions and a base wind strength of 22 knots, the hardy Sigmas who made it to the line were obliged to deal with squally rain and hail with winds in excess of 40 knots at times.
Kindred Spirit showed some more of what they are made of, starting with a port flyer and leading at the first mark in a race which had 3 leaders at different times. This last race of the season was a test for gear and crew resilience. Persephone took the gun with Light and Gallant close behind. Light win the 2009 GHWS . Congratulations go to them!

Respite Between Storms 
During a brief respite in storms the Garmin Hamble Race Committee treated the 10 Sigma 38s in IRC 3 to another outstanding race on Sunday. After Saturday's torrential rain and gale force winds it was a tonic to be out in a warm 13 -16 knot breeze and even see some sunshine! With Alacrity pulled off another commanding 1st followed in by Light and then Mefisto. Once again Zanzara, Marta, and Gallant had a real tussle finishing in that order with only one second separating Marta and Gallant. Great to see Gambit’s orange lion spinnaker flying!

Close Racing or What! 
In IRC3 (aka the Sigma 38 Class) Race Day 5 the top 4 boats finished within 64 seconds of each other. With Alacrity pulled off their third 1st, followed in by Rapscallion, Persephone and then Mefisto. Just over halfway through the series and competition is intense with postions on the overall score board swopping continually. It's going to be watch this space all the way to the end!

Hamble Winter Series Race Day 4 
In a stiff gusty breeze and rather choppy seas the Sigma 38 Class revelled in the conditions. Light finished 1st, and Persephone 2nd, but the really battle in the fleet was between the next 3 boats. Kindred Spirit (3rd), Gallant (4th) and Marta (5th) finished within 38 seconds of each other. An absolutely fantastic performance by newcomers Kindred Spirit and relatively new boats Gallant and Marta. However you have to feel for With Alacrity and Rapscallion who sailed impressively, crossed the line 1st and 2nd only to find out they were OCS! It keeps being said but it really is a showcase of one design racing. Glad we've got next weekend to recover.

Stop Press - Winter Series update 
With recent entries from Yoda, No Fear, Gallant and Kindred Spirit, the Sigma 38's number no fewer than 14 in the GHWS.

And there are rumours of special guest star appearances from one or two others. You know who you are...come out and join in!

HWS Race Day 2. 
For the 10 Sigma 38s racing in IRC3 competition throughout the fleet was intense with positions swopping throughout the race. With Alacrity fought hard all the way to win, beating Rapscallion by 11secs. Persephone followed them in in third place and Mefisto in fourth. Further down the fleet Light held off Marta by 17 seconds and Gallant battled to beat Zanzara by 15 seconds. Billy Whizz managed to beat Gambit despite a brief spell on Bramble Bank. Somewhere in the mix the 3 non-Sigma 38 IRC3 boats must each be having an identity crisis!

Nice and Easy Does It! 
The Hamble Winter Series started kindly with a steady gentle warmish breeze that eased crews into the series. In the 1st race Light, Persephone, and With Alacrity took the podium positions with the top 4 boats finishing within 22 seconds of each other. In the 2nd race With Alacrity finished 1st with a strong lead, followed in by Light and Rapscallion. Billy Whizz in their 1st Winter Series pulled out an impressive 5th and 6th. It was a pleasure to be out there again racing in a strongly competitive one design fleet

10 Sigma 38s entered in Hamble Winter Series 
Out of the 14 boats in HWS IRC3 10 Sigma 38s are entered. It's sure to be another showcase of closely fought one-design racing. New comers Gambit and Billy Whizz are warmly welcomed. And it will be fantastic to have the well sailed Rapscallion back on the race course. The old favourites Light, Marta, Mefisto, Persephone, Vitesse, With Alacrity, and Zanzara make up the numbers. All's set for an exciting series!

5 GO WILD IN CHICHESTER 
The inaugural cruising rally took place over the weekend of the 19th/20th September. Click on news to read the full story.

Monet win the Aitcheson Trophy 
In "Champagne" sailing conditions for the JOG double to Poole and back over the weekend of 12th/13th September, Monet came out as deserved winners after a superbly close fought race in both legs. With Alacrity sailed a canny race to win the outbound race ahead of Persephone and Monet in the gradually decreasing northeasterly breeze at Poole Bar. In the second leg, after a grippingly tense beat across Poole Bay, the Sigma 38 fleet was convincingly led home from North Head buoy to the JOG finish at Gurnard by Monet, who extended their lead over Dragonfly, driven by none other than Neil Aitcheson. A new name to engrave on the largest trophy in the Sigma 38 "cabinet", congratulations to Dave Cooke and his team.

Annual Rally and Treasure Hunt 19th and 20th Sept 
After a busy season for all now is the perfect time to get together, cruisers and racers, for a relaxed beach BBQ, fun and games. East head in Chichester Harbour will be the venue Saturday, so make sure you bring your tender. Sunday we will have a treasure hunt leading back into the central Solent. More details will be posted soon under events.


This is what we all need to bring:

one Rub a Dub with oars
disposable BBQ with food for your crew
a musical instrument to serenade the wild life
the ingredients for a shooter (design your own boat shooter)
We should all aim to meet at east head about 2-2,30pm. Start the games around 3pm and open the beer
and cook the food from about 5.30pm and sing a few sea shanties into the night.

The treasure hunt on Sunday will start about 10am and finish in Osbourne bay about 2.30pm.

All 11 Sigma 38s complete Fastnet. 
This year's Fastnet will be remembered as being long and very technically challenging - all 11 Sigma 38 entered patiently battled the light wind and strong tides to complete the course in just over 5 days. Congratulations to all teams and especially to Zanzara, With Alacrity, and Persephone who finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd. To get a feel for the highs and lows around the course as well as the supreme team efforts read the fascinating reports under the results section

Fastnet 19:00 Wed 12th Aug 
Zanzara, With Alacrity and Persephone are round the Fastnet Rock in what looks like an incredibly close fought battle. Go Sigma 38s go - we're watching you all and can see the duels developing throughtout the fleet. Click on the title for updates.

2009 FASTNET 
MONDAY AM: Its amazing! Despite light winds we've 3 boats in the Class 111 top 4 as they cross Lyme Bay with Nick Gale's ZANZARA leading the Class. The Choules in WITH ALACRITY are third and Nigel Goodhew keeps up the good work with PERSEPHONE closely in contention in Fourth. Behind them are a mass of old class 111 rivals usually hard to beat in light conditions. Wll done guys, keep it up!

RORC Channel race 
Despite not being part of the Sigma 38 offshore championship four Sigmas lined up for this year's RORC channel race. After around twenty four hours of racing the finish was amazing close, Zanzara just edging ahead of Vitesse by 23 seconds at the line. Torbellino coming in a mere 2 minutes and 15 seconds later and Inspiration of Boss 13 minutes later. One design racing at its absolute best.

Sigma 38s in the Three Peaks Yacht Race 
Three Sigma 38s took part in this year’s Three Peaks Yacht Race: Starship (Cardiff), Torbellino (Cowes) and Mistral (Conwy).......(click on title to read more)

21st Cowes Week Social Activities! 
The Sigma 38 Class Association has organised a Cowes Week packed full of social events to mark their 21st Anniversary. To ensure you are part of the action book your places now!
CURRY BUFFET - 19:30, Sunday 2nd August, Lower Marquee, Island Sailing Club. 15 pounds a head with cash bar.
MICHELIN CHEF CARIBBEAN BUFFET - 20:00, Wednesday 5th August at the beautiful grade 2 listed, Northwood House and Gardens. Once again only 15 pounds a head with subsidized Rum Punch bar as well as normal cash bar.
INFORMAL DRINKS – from 7pm, Saturday and Thursday, the Sail for Gold Bar, the Parade.
To secure your places for the Curry Buffet and the Michelin Chef Buffet please send payment IMMEDIATELY.
Bank Transfers - Account name: Sigma 38 Class Association, Account number: 00801958, Sort Code: 80-02-14, send advice of this remittance and numbers by email to: jonengland@ejwood.co.uk
Cheque:- Sigma 38 Class Association
Please post your remittance with numbers to:
The Treasurer 43, Beacon Way, Rickmansworth, Herts

Sigma 38s Dominate in Their 21st RTI! 
8 Sigma 38s finished in the top 10 out of the 41 starters of IRC Division 2D of the challenging 2009 RTI. Special congratulations go to Festina – 1st, Monet 2nd and Mefisto 3rd and Amaryllis who won division 4C. For this special birthday the weekend continued with a Celebration Supper in the evening attended by 160 people including David Thomas, the yacht’s designer and many other people who in the past have been instrumental in the Class. On Sunday 20 boats participated in 3 one-design races ably run by the Royal London YC. Once again Festina Lente won and were presented with the Queen Victoria Trophy by the Commodore of the RLYC. All in all a memorable weekend and a fantastic birthday party!

4 Races and a Proposal! 
On the dawn of the 2009 RTI Max Walker of Pavlova 3 must have been even more nervous than the rest of us. The reason became clear to all 1779 competitors as Pavlova rounded the Needles and the Spinnaker popped up. Written across it was “Rebecca, will you marry me?” This must easily be one of the most romantic moment ever in the RTI history. Down the leg to St. Cats a ring was produced and Rebecca said “YES.” On top of all this Pavlova finished 4th in Class and 64th overall and then went on the next day to compete in the 3 Sigma 21st Anniversary races the next day and finish 3rd! The Class Association wishes to say huge CONGRATULATIONS to Max and Rebecca. MEDIA CONTACT: For pictures and full story - Paul Fenner, Hon Press Officer paulf@waitersfriend.com Tel: 01483 560695

21st Anniversary Photo Competition 
Calling all photographers…. as part of our celebrations we are running a competition for the photo which best sums up the spirit of the Sigma 38s 21st Anniversary. The competition is open to all with no limit on number of photos submitted. The prize will be a bottle of champagne. Photos will be used in press releases and on the website. Submit your photos by email to Paul Fenner fenners@waitersfriend.com by 28th June 2009 and the winner will be announced on the website.

De Guingand Bowl 
Well done to all 8 Sigma 38 crews who entered the RORC race at the weekend. Another "RORC drift" requiring supreme concentration in the light airs. All the Sigma 38's finished in the testing conditions.

Congratulations to With Alacrity who came out on top of the 38 fleet in the end...a fleet led out of the Solent by Premier Cru, if I am not mistaken.

Cowes Week Berthing 
The Class Association has arranged berthing on "E Pontoon", the river pontoons near East Cowes otherwise known as Sigma City.

To reserve your slot email nigel.goodhew@btinternet.com as soon as possible because places are limited.

SOLD OUT - 21st Celebration Supper - SOLD OUT 
Tickets for the 21st Celebration Supper on the 20th June at the Sir Max Atkin Museum have sold out. We are delighted that as well as many other famous “yachties” who have played significant roles in the Sigma 38 Class, the yacht’s designer David Thomas will be joining us to toast the success of our hardy British built yachts.
The good news for anyone who is too late to get supper tickets is that there are places available for the 21st Anniversary One Design Races the next day - so far 19 boats are entered! However you must fill in and send off your form immediately – click on events, then 21st Anniversary.

RORC Myth of Malham (Round Eddystone) 
Congratulations to With Alacrity, Flying Formula, Persephone, Vitesse, Premier Cru & Marta who grimmed it out to finish a frustrating light air RORC race around Eddystone over the bank holiday weekend. The 230 mile race took over 60 hours, probably one of the slowest offshore races most boats have experienced - a sobering thought that if the Fastnet is sailed in similar wind it could take 7 days!!

With 10 starters Sigma 38s made up a quarter of IRC class 3 but with many boats retiring the 6 S38s that completed the race made up a third of the finishers - testament to the single-minded determination of Sigma 38 crew if nothing else?

Round the Island Race...overnight berthing 
Your Class Association has reserved 20 places at Venture Quay, on the East side of the harbour in Cowes, for the Saturday evening after the RTI race. Venture Quay is therefore exclusively for use by Sigma 38 Association members.

To reserve your place, email nigel.goodhew@btinternet.com as soon as you can!

14 boats complete 2009 Nationals 
Congratulations to Festina Lente, Sigma 38 National Champions for a record 5th year! Going into the final race the leading 3 boats were split by just 1 point but Festina produced the goods when it mattered by winning race 7 ahead of With Alacrity and Pavlova III to determine the overall podium positions.

The real story of this Nationals though was the high standard of close racing throughout the fleet over an action packed bank holiday weekend. With 14 boats on the water it was the biggest Nationals turnout for a decade with many boats under new ownership competing for the first time. It was great to see Zest sailing from Plymouth to participate and Gallant competing in their first ever offshore race.

Royal Solent YC proved to be excellent hosts and a representative from sponsors Tacktick competed in the event. Photos, reports and overall results can be found under the Results section.

Largest Entry at Nationals for Many Years! 
14 boats have confirmed their entry at the 2009 National Championships being held in conjuction with the Royal Solent YC in Yarmouth.
Class Chairman Nigel Goodhew said “ I am delighted with the entry list….we have many more boats this year, with a strong field including our current National Champion, the European Champion, the Cowes Week winner and our Grand Champion. But even better, we have several newcomers entering the competition for the first time.”
Sailing Instructions for the Inshore Races are now posted under "Events"

European Champion to Helm at National Championships. 
It has been confirmed that Paul Kirwan of Errislannan (the Irish boat) which won the European Championships in Cork will be helming at the Nationals in Yarmouth. This promises to be a fantastic event with very close one design racing at its absolute best. The Sigma 38s are being hosted by the Royal Solent who are putting on a barbeque on Sat. and a dinner on Sun. at their club with unrivaled views over the Western Solent. Tacktick Wireless Instruments are providing prizes. With both an offshore and in-shore races competition throughout the fleet is sure to be intense.

Saltonstall Training Pays Off 
9 boats were put through their paces in an outstanding day of training run by Jim Saltonstall on Saturday. The Spring Series results on Sunday showed that Persephone (1st), With Alacrity (2nd), Monet (4th and 2nd), Gallant (a 3rd) and Marta (a 4th) had been paying close attention. Pavlova without benefiting from the training pulled out an impressive 3rd and a 1st. After 2 fabulous days out on the water in a testing, shifty breeze the Sigma 38 fleet want to say a big “thank” you to the Chief Ferret!

Get Your Entry Forms In! 
To partake in the best, closely fought, most exciting ONE DESIGN racing of the season you need to get your entry forms in now. The Notices of Race and Entry Forms for both the Sigma 38 National Championships and the 21st Anniversary Regatta are now posted on under events. Print off, fill in the forms and send off your payment. The closing date for the Nationals is the 23th April and for the 21st Anniversary Regatta, the 31st May.

Enter now to guarantee your boat’s place at these un-miss-able regattas!

IRC3 Warsash Spring Series Race 1 Abandoned 
In almost no wind but welcome Spring sunshine 6 Sigma 38s patiently fought their way around the already shortened course. Frustratingly when the wind finally filled and with the finish line tantalizingly close the time limit kicked in. Great to see the new owners of Yoda out for their first race.

Yachts and Yachting Sigma 38 article 
Sigma 38 class celebrates 21st birthday -This year’s JPMorgan Round the Island race will see the Sigma 38 Offshore One Design Class Association coming of age with post-race birthday celebrations at the Max Aitken Museum in Cowes.......(click title for more).

Annual Party Quiz 
The quiz held over dinner at the annual party kept plenty of brain cells occupied. It was won on the night by Festina Lente and Vitesse came up trumps on the picture round - but we have some prizes left over if you want to have another go and for anyone who couldn't make the dinner! Find the questions in the events > Results section of the website and email your entries to paulf@waitersfriend.com by 21st Feb. Answers will be posted shortly after this date. We expect the standard to be even higher with the extra time available but be warned - Google won't help with all the questions!

Another Sigma 38 Night to Remember! 
Over 100 crew representing 14 boats really let their hair down to celebrate the many Sigma 38 successes over the year. Sigma 38 sailors, never shy on the dance floor, boogied to “the Should Be Band” with more vigour than ever in a room decorated with 21st balloons in a “naval numeral one” colour scheme and David Harding’s excellent photos.
At the AGM held before the party the chairman, Nigel Goodhew stated he was “delighted to report that the Sigma 38 OOD Class is in rude health and that 2008 was another successful year for us.” Most encouragingly membership continues to build and race attendance is strong. Nigel ended by “thanking all the owners, skippers, crews, and supporters for making the Sigma 38 Class the strong community it has become.” Click on the title to read the full report.

First Call for Sigma Training Event 
Where - Starting from Hamble River Sailing Club
When - Saturday 18th April
Who - Jim Saltonstall - the best coach in the world
And - aided by members of crew from Festina Lente
Why - learn more in a day than the rest of the year put together
And - its 2 weeks before the nationals.
Cost - Max £75 per boat and £10 if you come without a boat .
Provided - you have paid your membership !
How - ( do i make the most of it ) Bring a full crew
What - (if i cant ) - OK we will make up the numbers.
Beds - Available.
Party - Afterwards
Contact - dosh to Jon England plus post name on Forum.

IRC 3 Dominated by Sigma 38s in Final HWS Race 
Festina, Persephone, and With Alacrity finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in a freezing northerly wind. 38s probably would have taken the top 4 places if the ferrets on Light hadn't hared off to the wrong mark! Pandanova finished a repectable 8th in her 2nd outing of the series.
Festina Lente won the series overall with an outstanding 7 wins out of 9 races. With Alacrity finished 3rd. Well done to all 11 Sigma 38 crews who competed in a challenging Winter Series.

3rd HWS Race Day Cancelled due to Strong Winds 
In a bitterly cold northery wind a third race day has been lost. It's lucky the race committee had the foresight to run 2 races a day. Let's hope the weather is kinder for the last race day of the Winter Series next week.

HWS Day 6- Sigma 38s Show Their Class! 
Nine Sigma 38s turned out for race day 6 of the Hamble Winter Series and showed the competition what our boats are made of. In the first race Festina Lente crossed the line 1st ,with Persephone 3rd and With Alacrity 4th. In the second race With Alacrity lead until they were overtaken at the last mark by Festina. Persephone followed them in making it another 1, 2, 3, by Sigma 38s. Zanzara, in her 1st Winter series, finished mid-way up the fleet proving they are going to be a future boat to watch. Great to see the stunning Gambit who would surely be the winner of a Concours d'Elegance!

Autumn Championships 
Read the excellent reports on the results page for all the ups and downs of this new addition to the Sigma 38 racing calendar.

Sigma 38s dominate IRC3 in HWS Race Day 3 
In winds starting about 15 knots and steadily increasing to appoximately 19 knots, Sigma 38s once again showed their class in IRC3. In both races Festina took the gun very closely followed by With Alacrity. In the 2nd race Light took third position making it a one, two and three by Sigma 38s. The other boats in IRC 3 must be wishing we would stick to one design racing!

HWS Race 2 - A Glorious Autumn Day 
After the first day of racing was cancelled due to gale force winds the 7 Sigma 38s who raced yesterday were treated to warm sunshine and a steady breeze. In both races Festina Lente won followed by With Alacrity and Persephone, although in the 2nd race Persephone and Light were actually tied in 3rd place. A great example of how close Sigma 38 racing is. Festina Lente were also 2nd and 1st in IRC3 - who says Sigma 38s stuggle in lighter conitions? Have a look at the reports in the results section for vital information on how to improve performance.

Zanzara Win Final 2008 offshore Race 
Nick Gale & his Crew on Zanzara have rounded off their first season in a Sigma 38 with style by finishing 1st S38 in the JOG Cowes-Cherbourg race and 3rd in IRC class 5. Five 38's turned out for the final race in the class offshore championship, making up nearly half of the entries in JOG class 5. With wind speed ranging from zero on the way out of the Solent to 25 knots at the finish and the direction covering most points of the compass, this was a fiendishly complex tactical race and Zanzara positioned themself perfactly to pick up the new breeze first and finish 37 minutes ahead of 2nd placed Persephone.

Congratulations also to Persephone whose 2nd place was enough to win a fascinating 2008 Sigma 38 Offshore Championship which has seen 5 different race winners in the 7 event series.

Click on the title to see a video report from Cowes Online.

JOG to Poole and Back 
A windy weekend with big waves greeted the fleet on the weekend of 6th/7th September. The penultimate event in the 2008 offshore series was held in 25 knots plus with windier squalls. Check the events section to see how it panned out.

2 weeks to go to the final offshore to Cherbourg....

JOG St Peter Port 
Just two Sigma 38s turned out for the JOG race over the August bank holiday weekend but With Alacrity and Monet were rewarded with a stunning sail to Guernsey, most of it on a tight spinnaker reach in a cloudless star filled night and 17 knots of wind. The Sigma 38s covered the 95 mile course in just over 13 hours to finish 3rd & 4th on handicap. Click on the title to see Cowes TV coverage of the start....

Sigma 38s do the double 
Festina Lente & With Alacrity finished 1st & 2nd in class 2 in the Royal Southampton YC Nab Tower double handed race. Click on the title to find out more......

Gallant victory at Falmouth week 
Whilst the good and great of the Sigma fraternity were licking their spars, or whatever you do after a bruising Cowes Week, one lone 38 flag was flying further west, as Gallant took on the locals in the Falmouth Week Regatta PY Division.....click on the title to read more.

Wintery Conditions for Last Day at Cowes 
11 Sigma 38s braved the driving rain, choppy seas and gusts of 30 knots for the last race. The Project pulled out another win making them the overall winner of the week. With Alacrity was 2nd, Persephone 3rd and Gauntlett, Zanzara and Flossie followed them in. Unfortunately Mefisto, on starboard, was involved in a collision that resulted in their dis-masting and Dragonfly, Pavlova and Monet retired due to incidents. Overall Light finished 2nd and Mefisto 3rd. The week has been another great showcase for Sigma 38 One Design Racing with brilliant competition on the water and lots of post sailing fun!

Penultimate Day Upsets! 
Day 7 of Cowes Week saw Gauntlett of Tamar finish 1st to upset the leaders board. Monet produced another excellent 2nd. The pressure obviously got to some of the lead boats who were OCS. Tomorrow's results will be crucial as the top 2 boats, The Project and Light are tied on points, Mefisto is only 4 points behind and Persephone 6 points. It will be another thrilling day on the water tomorrow as the Sigma 38s prove once again what one design racing is all about.

Day 6 - Cowes Week 
Today Mefisto became the third class winner of the week, making them 2nd overall, in the hotly contested Sigma 38 One Design fleet. Monet finished in second to put them in 5th overall. Pavlova pulled out a 3rd for their 2nd day on the water after their dismasting on Tues. The Project, 1st overall, had an un-characteristic bad day and finished 9th, after4 firsts. Light, 3rd overall, is the other boat to take the winner's gun. Persephone, with some good strong results are lying 4th. New comers Torbellino have had 2 impressive 5ths. With many boats seeming to improve as the week goes on the next few days will prove interesting.

Cowes Week Waypoints 
Attached are some GPS ready lists of Cowes Week Waypoints that you can download to your GPS using either MapSource or GPSU.

Alternatively find me in Cowes (I am on Pavlova for the week) and I can download them for you.

Jamie Wilkinson - 07748 992874.

CORK WEEK DINNER 
Click on the link to read about the dinner held in Kinsale . You can also see just how poetic (sic) The Sigma Fleet is!

MARTA'S double handed island race 
Yes just two weeks after the RTI, I was back to try a spot of double handed 38 racing. Read on......

Errislannan wins Sigma 38 Europeans at Cork Week 
The testing, varied courses of Cork Week 2008 clearly demonstrated the close, exciting One Design racing that the Sigma 38s are renown for. The Kirwan family and friends on Errislannan sailed masterfully, pulling off 5 firsts, to win the Sigma 38 Europeans. The Morrison family on Enigma from the Clyde were second and the East Coast boat Red Macaw finished third. In addition Persistance was 3rd in Gentleman's Class 1. As usual all teams also threw themselves into shore side social activities - limericks from the Class Assoc. Dinner will be posted on the website soon. Congratulations to the winners and all other crews that made it a week to remember.

Sigma excells in 3 Peaks Race 
Just when you thought that the Sigma fleet which is currently bashing its way to Cork was about as crazy as it gets , click on the title and read about Keith Mander' exploits in the 3 Peaks Race. This race sounds fun , terrifying snd masochistic in equal measure and it looks as if his Sigma did him proud.

Rules Clinic to be tried out at Cork 
Maximise your party time by keeping out of the protest room. Click on the title to see the Committee's latest idea to make the Sigma 38 the best - and quietest racing fleet to sail in.

RTI - Sigma 38s Revel in Lively Conditions 
The 29 starters in the RTI produced a strong set of results in lively, challenging conditions that favoured the Sigma 38. Out of 1875 entries overall 4 Sigma 38 finished within the top 100 boats. In IRC6 Div. 2 five boats finished within the top ten - Festina Lente - 2nd, With Alacrity - 4th, Light - 6th, Dragonfly - 8th, and Monet - 9th. In ISC Rating Div. 4C Zest finished 8th. The smiles at the Sigma 38 Pontoon Party told the whole story - a magnificent day out!

BMW Round Ireland Race 
Confratularions to Jerry Collins and his crew on the Sigma 38 Persistance who finished the BMW round Ireland race after 5 days of horrendous sailing conditions. After a "Fastnet style" 20 hour postponement the fleet battled through three separate gales in what has been rated the toughest round Ireland race since 1990. Persistance finished 5th in class with nearly half the fleet retiring.

Post RTI Treasure Hunt - version 1.2 
Click on the title for the SI's for this event. Maybe have a sneaky look at your strategy during the week- its probably best not to start thinking about it with 10 mts to go and a hangover to boot. If you spot any glaring errors let us know and we will put thenm right before the weekend. Note the scoring system has been subtly altered since first announced.

Marta Overall Winners JOG St Vaast - 20/6/08 
After 16 hours racing in a tricky Southerly wind, this week it was Marta’s turn to continue the great run of results of Sigma 38s in the 2008 JOG season. As well as finishing an hour and three quarters ahead of the next Sigma 38, With Alacrity, Brian & his merry crew won class 5 by an astounding 32 minutes and recorded the fastest time on handicap of all classes.

Cowes Week 
The Class Association has once again, arranged a limited number of moorings on "Sigma City" the traditional E Pontoon in the river close to East Cowes. Costs are £175 for the week.
If you have not yet reserved your place, contact Nigel Goodhew as soon as possible.

Monet Win JOG Weymouth - 14/6/08 
Though not part of the class calendar, 2 Sigma 38s turned out for the JOG Cowes to Weymouth race and had a fantastic sail when the light winds eventually fillied in to 15 knots. Monet lead from the start to win class 5 by 6 minutes after 7 hours racing and continue the excellent record of Sigma 38s in JOG races this year. With Alacrity couldn't match Monet's upwind boatspeed and finished 8 minutes later for 3rd in class.

Round the Island Race -Sigma 38s out in Force 
25 Sigma 38s are entered in the Round the Island Race, making the class one of the biggest one design entries! Competition on the water promises to be fierce so you and your crew will need to relax at the Sigma 38 RTI Celebrations - a pontoon party at Venture Quays, Cowes on Sat. night (drinks and snacks provided) and a Treaure Hunt in the Solent on Sun. To book your place see details on the Events Section, send off your form and payment immediately.

Womens Open Keelboat Championship 
With Alacrity was the sole Sigma 38 representative at the innaugural Womens Open Keelboat Championship organised by Royal Southern YC over the weekend of 7/8 June. Seven girls from the regular With Alacrity crew were supplemented by Maxine & Mary on loan from Premier Cru. The light air racing was dominated by some very well sailed smaller boats in the handicap fleet and WA was not quite able to break into the top 3, finishing a respectable 4th in class. With 6 close races held in sparkling sunshine a good time was had by all and looks like this could become a regular event in the WA calendar – it would be great to see some other S38s out next year! Click on the link for Y&Y event report.

Dragonfly shows the way in JOG Alderney 
Dragonfly continued her run of offshore form by leading the 4 Sigma 38s home in the JOG Cowes-Alderney race and finishing 2nd in IRC class 4. Monet was the 2nd Sigma 38 to finish just one minute ahead of Persephone after 11 hours racing!
Check out the results section for race reports.

Dragonfly 3rd in class in JOG Deauville 
Whilst most of the attention for the Sigma 38 class was on the Nationals over the bank holiday weekend, Dragonfly was competing in the JOG Cowes-Deauville race - needed for them to qualify for the new JOG Illingworth challenge event (a 400 mile race from Cowes to La Trinite in July). Dragonfly finished the course in 14.5 hours for a fantastic 3rd in a class with just a few minutes the difference between 2nd, 3rd & 4th!. Click on the title to read more from Dragonfly....

Festina Lente Wins 2008 Nationals 
Festina won the Nationals for an amazing 4th time in a row, but crikey it was close with just 2 points the difference between the first 3 places after 7 races (including the double counting offshore race). Just 5 boats made it to the start of the Monday inshore race due to the ferocious weather forecast - those that braved the wind & rain were rewarded with one of the most exciting and closest races of the championship in wind that eased through the race from 27 knots down to 17 at the finish. With Alacrity won the final race but Festina hung on for second which was enough to take the Nationals title by one point from local boat, Pavlova III. Congratulations to all crew who made the 2008 Nationals one to savour, it will be remembered for some stunningly close racing that demonstrated one design racing at it's best.

Nationals Update (Sunday) 
The 10 strong Sigma 38 fleet had an outstanding day of light air racing on Sunday to follow the windy first inshore race on Saturday afternoon. Click on the title to read more, with a possible 2 races to go it is wide open though the weather forecast for Monday is not looking great......

Festina Take early lead in the Nationals 
The overnight double-points offshore feeder race to Poole was won by Festina Lente after fighting off a determined challenge from With Alacrity. After exiting the Solent to the East the 2 boats frequently crossed within boatlengths of each other during the night until Festina built their lead by going close inshore on the approach to St Catherines Point. With Alacrity closed the gap in the long spinnaker reach to the finish but Festina finished 10 lengths ahead for a well-deserved win after 8.5 hours of racing. Persephone finished 3rd & Light 4th after a similar battle and Marta got the better of Premier Cru & Monet to finish 5th.

2008 Sigma 38 Nationals 
The 2008 Sigma 38 Nationals are confirmed as having the largest entry in recent years. This is a real testament to the growing resurgence in the class. The aim of the Class Association has been to put together an event that is both relevant and attractive to members as well as providing the showcase for the exciting One Design racing that the class can provide. The event gives excellent exposure to inshore racing; as part of International Paint Poole Regatta, and a gentle introduction to the offshore racing that the boat was designed for; with a specially designed feeder race. The offshore leaves Hamble on the Friday evening of the last May Bank Holiday with inshore racing starting late Saturday, on Sunday and Monday allowing the minimum expenditure of holiday time. A special welcome is extended to the new owners of Gallant, Gambit and Monet participating for their first time.

Antigua Week 2008 - Alliance 2nd in class 
After winning the fourth race on Thursday the Sigma 38 "Alliance" went into the final race tied for first overall with 2 other boats in their class. The last race was held in unusually light and shifty wind with huge holes for the unwary. Though not able to keep up with the J109 who sailed into the new breeze first Alliance held on for 2nd place which was enough to secure 2nd in class for the week (click on the title to read more about Alliance in Antigua).

Beefeater wins final WSS Race! 
In an incredibly fluky wind which saw shifts of up to 180 degrees Beefeater pulled off an impressive win in the final race of the Spring Series. Marta followed in second and Light, 3rd. A huge hole at the windward mark allowed the fleet which had spread out to catch up and effectively re-start the race. Big congratulations to Beefeater and all the crews who agonizingly fought their way to cross the finish line.

2008 Sigma Nationals 23-26th May 
Click on the title above and find out why this event has been designed specially for you. It should provide the One design racing of the year. If your boat really cannot make it - why not join a boat that can . Contact your committee who will arrange it for you. Enter now to benefit from the early entry fee. Go to "Events", click on Poole Regatta to enter the inshore races and uplooad the Offshore Entry Form for the Sigma 38 offshore race

WSS 4 - A Brilliant day on the water 
After the sturm und drang of the previous days race training - we were treated to a peach of a day .The the wind delivered more shifts than an NHS beaurocrat , and was up and down like a whores drawers .Lastly the sun shone throughout. What more could a sailor ask for?

Race Training 
The crews that gathered to improve their racing skills were certainly put through their paces not only by coach Jim Saltonstall but the weather gods as well. The wind got up to 34 knotts bringing with it the biggest and most painful hail stones I've every seen. As the wind built most of the boats (unfortunately 2 boats had to retire following damage) retreated up to Southamton water and after making snowmen in the cockpit got on with the days business. After the debrief in the clubhouse everyone enjoyed a delicious and incredibly reasonable dinner organised by the Asociation.

Offshore Races Re-scheduled 
The Sigma 38 events calendar has been revised after the Easter gales have forced JOG to re-organise their race schedule. Cowes-Cherbourg & the return will now be sailed on the first May bank holiday weekend. Cowes St Vaast, originally scheduled to be sailed that weekend has been moved to 20th June.

Light airs for Spring Series 2 
After several postponements race 2 of the spring series got away in light winds and ended in glorious spring sunshine. Despite the patchy breeze the Sigma 38s had a surprisingly close race with Light leading the way until eventually being overhauled by Festina Lente who also finished 2nd in IRC 3.

Easter Offshore Races Postponed 
JOG Cherbourg races 1&2 over Easter (which are also race 1&2 for the Sigma 38 offshore championships) have been postponed to a later date due to the horrible weather forecast. Check the JOG website (click on the title) for more info.....

Marta wins first race of the season 
Cloudy skies, drizzle & wind building to a solid 25 knots was not enough to put off 4 hardy Sigma 38s for Race 1 of the Spring Series. As ever, the racing was neck and neck with the lead changing several times, but it was Marta who came good with a devastating final beat to sneak ahead of Light at the finish. See results for Light's report.

Are you ready for Spring..........? 
Ready or not, its high time we got the boat ready. Click on the link for a first draft of a winter refit check list. If you find that I have missed something , go to the forum and add your suggestion there .The check list will then be updated and if it all goes to plan we will have a check list that benefits from the combined experience of all of the membership.

Ten ways to Improve your Performance 
Cant get the boatspeed up? Fed up with not winning ? You need to spend a squillion quid on sails!
Right? Wrong!
Click on the link and find out how with with just a scrubbing brush and alarm clock you too can get in the chocolates.

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