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About Haven Knox-Johnston

Where's Ian

Follow our sponsored crew on-board "Haven K-J Enigma"

About Ian Braham, owner and skipper of ‘Haven KJ Enigma’

Ian started sailing as a boy, first in Heron dinghies and later in Enterprises. He started yacht racing in his late teens, crewing in local races on the Sussex coast. Ian bought his first “yacht”, a UFO 27, at the age of 25, which he raced regularly, including numerous cross channel races and in inshore regattas such as Cowes Week. Probably the most adventurous exploit in “High Flyer” was to sail her two-handed to Cork in the 1994 Triangle Race, (which took 3 days and 4 hours!). A period of dinghy racing followed in his early 30’s, in Fireballs, while also chartering yachts for events such as Cowes Week. The highlight of this was winning the 40 boat Sunsail Sunfast 36 fleet in Cowes Week in 1999 and in doing so, winning holidays in the Caribbean for the crew!

About “Enigma”

Ian purchased Enigma, a 1992 MG 346 designed by Tony Castro, in 2004. Over the intervening years, Ian has raced Enigma in Cowes Week 10 times, with class wins in 5 of these, including winning the overall regatta trophy for yachts (Black Group) in 2008. Enigma has also competed in every Round the Island Race run since 2004 in Enigma, with several class wins recorded over the years.

In 2022, Haven KJ Enigma and crew achieved great results – always a celebration when you’re out on Enigma!

Dartmouth Regatta – 1st position overall

Taittinger Regatta – 1st in class

Round the Island Race – 4th in their IRC Division 3B and 50th overall

In addition to inshore racing, Ian and the team have competed offshore in Enigma, including the Fastnet Race in 2011 and 2015, finishing 5^th and 2^nd in Class 4B. #watchthisspace

In 2023 Ian and Pete from the crew took a small break from ’round the cans’ racing to take part in the prestigious and arduous AZAB race where they won overall honours on Leg 1 and were their class winners. #AZAB

2024 sees them back in Poole and back to racing in their local waters.

The Crew

The crew of ‘Haven KJ Enigma’ is made up of a combination of experience (aka old age) and youthful enthusiasm. The core crew is made up of the following:

Marine Surveyor (Ian)
Naval Architect (Pete)
Systems Engineer (Nick)
Yoga Instructor (Claire)
Marine Engineer (Mark)
Yachting journalist and photographer (David)
Graphics Systems Engineer (Neil)
University Student (Carrie)
School Student (Licity . . . when mum Carries lets her sail!)
Training Course Sales Executive (Ross)
Superyacht Crew (Harry – when he’s in the country)
Merchant Shipping Cadet (James – when he’s not away studying or at sea)

and

Insurance Bloke (Paul)

The normal inshore racing crew is 8, with 5 or 6 offshore. A typical average age of the crew would be about 45, with those in the upper 50’s being offset by some in their teens or early twenties. The whole crew is very experienced, with virtually all having started sailing in dinghies as kids. In fact, one member of the core crew (Mark) has sailed with Ian for over 30 years!

A typical year would include local weekly racing from Poole, a number of regattas (Taittenger, Poole, Dartmouth, Round the Island etc) and a couple of cross-channel races.

Below is a calendar for dates in 2024!

PYRA Poole to Yarmouth Race – 20th-22nd April

Covering a distance of around 25 nautical miles, Ian and the crew will be navigating across the picturesque waters of Pool Harbour before heading out into the open sea towards the Isle of Wight.

Poole Regatta/IRC Nationals – 25th-27th May

Organised by the combined yacht clubs in Poole and sponsored by International Paint and Haven Knox-Johnston (amongst others), the regatta promises a thrilling showcase of sailing prowess and maritime camaraderie

Round the Island Race – 15th June

Attracting over 1,200 boats and around 10,000 sailors, the annual Round the Island Race, organised by the Island Sailing Club, is a one day race around the Isle of Wight.

PYRA Poole to Weymouth – 12th-14th July

Covering approximately 30 nautical miles, this is another significant sailing event organised by PYRA. Participants will navigate from Poole to Weymouth, enjoying the coastal scenery along the way

Dartmouth Regatta – 28th-31th August

This is a prestigious and historic event, and is one of the largest sailing regattas in the UK after Cowes Week, appealing to the serious racing enthusiast.

Parkstone Autumn Regatta – 5th-6th October.

Organised by the Parkstone Yacht Club based in Poole, this is a significant fixture in the club’s racing calendar. Get ready for some tough racing! Poole Harbour’s tricky winds and tides keep things interesting, making every race a thrilling challenge.

Results to follow

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Haven Knox-Johnston is a trading name of Howden UK Brokers Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No. 307663. Registered in England and Wales under company registration number 02831010. Registered Office: One Creechurch Place, London, EC3A 5AF. Calls may be monitored and recorded for quality assurance purposes.