Fast Cruise 6 Finale & Prizegiving, Haslar - Sat 22nd March 2025

Our final Fast Cruise of the winter season will this year be taking us to dinner in Gosport at Hornet Services Sailing Club (HSSC), formerly HMS Hornet, a Coastal Forces base during both World Wars. We are privileged to have been invited to this exclusive club with whom we now have reciprocal arrangements.

The highlight of the evening will be an exchange of burgees between our Commodore and Rear Admiral Richard Stokes who is Commodore of HSSC. Richard has kindly agreed to present our prizes for the series.

As the Club is within the MOD estate, security staff will have been given a definitive list of attendees, and everyone will need to produce photo ID (passport or driving licence) whether entering from shore side or when berthing in the marina.  Don’t drop your ID in to the water!

Berthing, for those requiring it, will be arranged at the HSSC’s private marina which is situated on the port side at the end of Haslar Channel immediately beyond Haslar Marina and before the bridge. Skippers, please request berths when booking.

As you pass down the Haslar Channel, continue past the furthest point of Haslar Marina (fixed green light on the end of Pontoon D) until you see ahead of you a port hand fixed red light on the end of a long pontoon. DO NOT moor up on this pontoon, wait to be allocated a berth by the berthing master who will be waiting and who will have a note of boat names and dimensions. DO NOT call Channel 80 as it is NOT used by HSSC.

For those arriving by road, please call at the gate lodge immediately to your left as you exit the southern end of the Haslar Bridge. Show your photo ID to MOD security staff and you will be allocated a parking space in the car park opposite.

FINALLY, A SPECIAL TREAT.

A huge thank you to club member Stewart McLaren who has arranged a visit Gentoo, the Imoca 60 owned and skippered by Bob and James Harayda. James is preparing Gentoo for the 2028 Vendee Globe Race having narrowly missed entry to the most recent race. Gentoo is an ex-Hugo Boss yacht raced by Alex Thompson in the Vendee Globe races. In the last Vendee Globe 2020-2021, Alex retired in to Cape Town with rudder damage. Gentoo is berthed in Haslar Marina, and the plan is to arrange four groups to visit at fifteen-minute intervals between 1600 and 1700. Please express your interest when booking by adding a note with your food order.

Pre-dinner drinks will be from 1830 with dinner at 1930. The bar does NOT take cash - bring your credit/debit cards and order wine for your table at the bar.

SPECIAL NOTE. The HSSC has an absolute capacity of one hundred, so the organisers will have to close the bookings when that maximum number is reached. Please book early - this is likely to be a very popular event.