Image: The Cape 31 fleet. Photo: Paul Wyeth - pwpics.com
After a long postponement racing got underway today just after lunch, in bright sun and 6-8 knots of wind. A fickle sea breeze that rarely became fully established created a really challenging day for both competitors and race officials, especially later in the afternoon when the weak south-westerly flow fought the initial south-easterly.
The first classes to get under way from the Royal Yacht Squadron line, in an easterly breeze of 6-8 knots, were IRC Classes 0 and 1. They were competing today for the Britannia Cup, one of the most historic and prestigious trophies in the sailing world. Guy Gillon and Christian Hamilton’s GP42 Khumbu looked well placed at the inshore end of the tight start line, with Tony Mack’s J/111 McFly also nicely placed on her windward hip. Ian Atkins’ IC37 Icy also came out well in a gap further offshore, as did Peter Morton’s The Jean Genie, having tacked onto port nearby just before the gun.
By contrast, Tony Langley’s higher rated TP52 Gladiator started at the outboard end of the line, initially sailing her own race, continued offshore on starboard tack, when others tacked inshore right to the limit of the exclusion zone off Cowes Harbour.
Although the sea breeze was turbulent, with big wind shifts, the fleet made reasonable progress on their 17 mile course, until a leg back from the eastern Solent towards the finish on the Royal Yacht Squadron line.
Having built up a good lead on the water, Gladiator sailed into the transition zone with no wind between the early south-easterly sea breeze and the weak south-westerly that was slowly moving in from the west. Morton, however, headed towards the north shore, where the south-easterly was more consistent that he would benefit from less adverse tide in the shallow water.
Despite sailing a longer distance, The Jean Genie picked up a good vein of breeze close inshore off Lee on Solent, before tacking onto starboard and transitioning fairly smoothly into the new wind. By now Gladiator was sailing at speed in the south-westerly, but didn’t have enough runway left to catch the smaller boat. Morton finished 32 seconds ahead to take line honours and win the Britannia Cup. Icy was third on the water, having also approached from the north, but was beaten into second place on corrected time by Tony Mack’s J/111 McFly.
In IRC Class 2 John Barrett and Paul Woodfood’s Corby 36 Stiletto, and David Franks’ J/112E Leon, both also headed along the north shore after their last mark, rather than pointing directly to the finish. Like The Jean Genie they stayed in the south-easterly for long and then had an easier transition to the south westerly. Stilettotook line honours in the class, but was unable to save her time on Leon, who took victory on corrected time by 23 seconds. Another J/112E, John Cooper’s Jooped, took third both on the water and on handicap.
For the past few years the HP30 class has offered tight high adrenaline racing that doesn’t require a bigbudget. Sunday’s race, for instance, saw three boats cross the finish just five seconds apart at the end of a two and half hour race.
Today Richard Rankin’s Farr 280 Pandemonium approached the line first, dipped back just before the gun, but still turned up too soon and was premature. Another Farr 280, Jon Powell’s Betty, was nicely placed at the inshore end of the line, before tacking onto port, heading inshore almost to the limit of the exclusion area off Cowes.
Toucan was first across the line today, also winning on corrected time, having approached from the south, six and a half minutes ahead of Jerry Hill and Richard Faulkner’s Moral Compass, which approached from the north. Alain Waha and Matthew Waite’s Go West Cogital took third place today.
Four White Group day boat classes started and finished from a committee boat line today. In the Mermaid class, Robert Glanville’s Annabelle took victory by a margin of three minutes. However, the fight for second place could hardly have been closer and the next four boats, led by Anthony Eaton’s Halluf and Richard Hill’s Sheen, finished only 46 seconds apart. Sheen retains first place overall, two points ahead of Charles Glanville’s Bluebell.
In the Victory class, Hugh Pringle’s Pelican took victory today, ahead of Gareth Penn’s Christina and Nick Benham’s Zilch. A disappointing fifth place today for Russel Mead’s Shearwater ll leaves her tied on 18 points with Pelican at the top of the leaderboard.
Thursday promises a return to a stronger winds, with a southerly 12-18 knots increasing to give gusts of 25 knots or more in a front later in the afternoon.
Wednesday Results
Britannia Cup 1, The Jean Genie (Peter Morton) 2, McFly (Tony Mack) 3, Icy (Ian Atkins) 4, Skermisher (Jonathan Blanshard) 5, Journey Maker II (Chris Jones) IRC Class 0 1, The Jean Genie (Peter Morton) 2, Gladiator (Tony Langley) 3, Khumbu (Guy Gillon / Christian Hamilton) IRC Class 1 1, McFly (Tony Mack) 2, Icy (Ian Atkins) 3, Skermisher (Jonathan Blanshard) 4, Journey Maker II (Chris Jones) 5, Mercury (Ross Eldred) IRC Class 2 1, Leon (David Franks) 2, Stiletto (John Barrett & Paul Woodward) 3, Jooped (John Cooper) 4, Incognito (Paul McNamara) 5, Olympia'S Tigress (Susan Glenny) IRC Class 3 1, Arcus (John Howell / Paul Newell) 2, Jet'Aime Jami (Michael Weinman) 3, Njo Sails (Nicky & Tim Octon) 4, Elaine Again (Mike Bridges) 5, Sabriel Jr (Dirk and Dianne Van Beek) IRC Class 4 1, Brenda'S J (Becky Walford) 2, Premier Cru (Tom Richardson) 3, Justify (Ross Bowdler) 4, Nightjar (Jack Banks) 5, Jambo (Simon and Sally Shillaker) IRC Class 5 1, Secrets (Christopher Agar) 2, Cutlass (RNSA) 3, Whooper (Giovanni Belgrano) 4, Reflection (Patrick Blake) 5, Touchpaper (David Mallett) IRC Class 6 1, Stan The Boat (Toby Gorman) 2, Ziggy (Kevin Downer) 3, Crakajax (Richard & Ursula Hollis) 4, Banter (Handley James Families) 5, Erik The Red (Bernard Fyans) IRC Class 7 1, Woof (Jo Richards) 2, Inxs (Graham Peter Lord) 3, Expressly Forbidden (Lulu Wallis) 4, Eros (Azat Ulutas) 5, Madelaine (Madelaine & Isobella Donald) Performance Cruiser A 1, Baby X (Charles Esse) 2, Alcibiades III (Christopher R Parker QC) 3, Panther (James Stableford) 4, Eager (Chris Cecil-Wright) 5, Zephyr (Lord Grade) Performance Cruiser B 1, Anticipation (Pete Newlands) 2, Solid Air (Richard Strong) 3, Seasalt (Simon & Julia Bowes) 4, Ratatosk (Adam Beaumont) 5, Kiswala (Helena Boschi) Performance Cruiser C 1, Morwenna III (Jonathan Watkins) 2, Star-Born 4 (Peter Dickson & Andrew Yates) 3, Sam (Peter Hopps, Hilary Cook & Serena Alexander) 4, Islay (David Neville) 5, Encounter (Charles Lucas-Clements) Cape 31 1, Harlequin (Jonnie Goodwin) 2, Squirt (Russell Peters & Family) 3, Nifty (Ashley Bower) 4, Katabatic (Lance Adams) 5, Sardonyx (William Edwards) Daring 1, Dolphin (David Gower, Jamie B Clark, Peter Haworth, Gordon Tughan-Jon) 2, Darius (Oliver Laughton-Scott) 3, Dauntless (Giles Peckham, Milo Carver, Richard Romer-Lee) 4, Debutante (Sir Richard Ottaway) 5, Dynamite (David Stride) Dragon 1, Jerboa (Gavia Wilkinson-Cox) 2, Bluebottle (Graham Bailey) 3, Ecstatic (Eric Williams) 4, Bertie (Simon Barter) 5, Furious (Owen Pay) Etchells 1, China Wight (Nick Stagg) 2, Exabyte (Shaun & Emily Frohlich) 3, Rocketman (Rob Goddard) 4, Sumo (Anthony Parke) 5, Audrey (Jon Warwick & Will Bedford) Flying 15 1, Men Behaving Badly (Rupert Mander) 2, Fourwinds (Charles & Charlie Apthorp) 3, Flip Flop (Graham Deegan) 4, Ffabulous (Chris Brittain) 5, Ffervida (Lisa & Roger Guy) HP30 1, Toucan (Glyn Locke) 2, Moral Compass (Jerry Hill & Richard Faulkner) 3, Go West Cogital (Alain Waha & Matthew Waite) 4, Peggy (Jon Powell) 5, Jester (Mike Lewis) J/70 (Race13) 1, Calypso (J Calascione & J Peters) 2, Offbeat (David McLeman) 3, Dads 'N' Lads (Ole Bettum & Tim Simpson) 4, Sceptre (Ben Richards) 5, Cosmic (Patrick Liardet) Mermaid 1, Annabelle (Robert Glanville) 2, Halluf (Anthony Eaton) 3, Sheen (Richard Hill) 4, Bluebell (CHARLES GLANVILLE) 5, Scuttle (Simon Birchenough & Kate Broxham) Quarter Ton 1, Blt (Sam Laidlaw) 2, Bullet (Louise Morton) 3, Cote (Kai Hockley) 4, Pacifist (Duncan Peace) 5, Flashheart (Jeffrey Dakin & George Webb) SB20 1, Sportsboatworld (IAKA Youth Team) 2, Sail Navy (RNSA) Sigma 33 1, Stan The Boat (Toby Gorman) 2, Chaser (David Cheney & Glenn Ventham) 3, Workout (Jeff Worboys) 4, Spirit Of Kudu (Mark Watkins) 5, Arabesque (James Tanner) Sonata 1, Bd2 (Alistair Bolton) 2, Xandt (Brandom Morales) 3, Sonic (Robin Leather) 4, Wasp (Luke Goodall) 5, Dick Dastardly (Dawn Bee) Sportsboat 1, Premier Cru (Tom Richardson) 2, Justify (Ross Bowdler) 3, La Vie En Rose 2 (Craig & Emma Dymock) 4, Laughing Fish (Neil Angel, Nick Denyer) 5, Crescendo (JAMES W FLYNN) Squib 1, Squiggle (Jono Brown) 2, Lady Penelope (Malc Hutchings & Andy Ramsey) 3, Surprise (Duncan Grindley & Paul Goldman) 4, Guy Fawkes (Phillip Aspinall) 5, Osprey (Chris Gear & Peter Woolfrey) Victory 1, Pelican (Hugh Pringle) 2, Christina (Gareth Penn) 3, Zilch (Nick Benham, Ian Perryman & Clive Good) 4, Peregrine (Team Peregrine) 5, Shearwater II (Russell Mead) X One Design 1, Astralita (Fraser Graham & Tim Copsey) 2, Myrtle (Mr and Mrs R J Ellis) 3, Lone Star (Paul Woodman, Ollie James & Phil Lawrence) 4, Foxglove (Ashford, Stupple & Palmer) 5, Catherine (Colin McKinnon, Neil Hart & Chris Froy)