With Impalas everywhere emerging from a winter of hibernation, the start of the 2012 season is not far off. And what a season it looks set to be! Entries for the 2012 Nationals in Plymouth are already in double figures, Read more…
A few long lost trophies have emerged from attics and spare rooms recently – but there are still a few missing. If you’ve found one but are too ashamed to return it, don’t worry – just get in touch with Read more…
It’s not only on the South Coast that Impalas are still dominating the racing results. John Williams from Pembrokeshire writes: Thought I would send the results of our recent 2011 winter series, as you can see it was totally dominated Read more…
Check out the 2012 Nationals page for the latest info on the event, which will be in Plymouth from the 13-15 July. The racing will be run by Royal Western Yacht Club of England from their clubhouse in Queen Anne’s Read more…
Happy new year to all Impala sailors around the world. Here’s to a successful sailing season in 2012!
A freezing cold race finished off the final race in the Garmin Hamble Winter Series. It was a close race, and after the whole series, Polly is 1st, with Trudi 2nd and Curved Air 6th. There’s a provisional Solent calendar Read more…
This took place on Sunday Nov 20th.
Course is HK Island to Starboard, with a number of racing marks on the southern shore which have to be left to port to keep the yachts out of the very busy shipping lanes. Also there are a couple of small islands which must be left to starboard and a final starboard turning mark to line the fleet up for the final beat up the harbour from the west.
The starting and handicapping is similar to IOW RTIR with two start lines off the Club House, with an event handicap based on IRC with non IRC boats slotted in as the handicappers see fit.
Simultaneously Starting from the southern point of the island, from the Middle Island clubhouse is the RTIR for outriggers. These are strange craft in which the occupants, eschewing the wind that nature has provided, expend vast amounts of energy paddling the boats along. With gentle coaxing and the offer of rum and coke, and genial relaxed company whilst letting the sails do the work the male paddlers can usually be brought back into the fold. The female paddlers on the other hand strike fear into the souls of the humble and gentle sailing folk. With their highly developed physiques, bulging biceps, and steely eyed, they are best avoided.
The Lipton Trophy – Hong Kong Harbour Saturday 19th November
This is a pursuit race around marks in the harbour in which the boats first sail three triangles of about 1 ½ miles per leg, then between windward/leeward marks about a mile apart until the target finish time of 16.30 is reached; the race is finished when the leading boat next reaches the leeward mark. Starts are staggered from 14.00 hours when the Pandoras set off, with starts every two minutes. Ruffians 14.08; Sonatas 14.12 Impalas go off at 14.22; SB3s 14.30; Etchells and j80’s 14.32, all the way up to IRC 1.51 (yes there are such boats !) at 15.16
It’s a finely tuned system designed to have all fifty-five entrants crossing the finishing line overlapped. As you will see it does not always work out that way.
With winds that started at 27 knots and eased to 10 by the finish, the Impalas in Class 4 had an interesting day’s racing in the penultimate race of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series. The steep, short chop had the Read more…
“Its been a windy winter series at Hamble this autumn, with winds consistently in the 20 knot range, and often more. After 7 years away, coming back to sail Impalas has been great fun, and an opportunity to apply experience Read more…
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