With over 100 entries for the race, the Royal Yacht
Squadron Line was a cauldron of activity and a magical sight as the fleet
set off downwind under spinnaker towards The Needles. After a beat around
the south side of the Isle of Wight, the fleet rounded the Nab Tower to bear
away for a fast passage across the English Channel. The 2011 RORC Cervantes
Trophy Race provided some spectacular racing.
The majority of the fleet completed the 125-mile course in less than 20
hours. Gray and Laidlaw¹s Farr 52, Bob, took line honours by nearly three
hours and won the Cervantes Trophy for best yacht overall on corrected time.
³We had a great Cervantes,² explained Bob¹s trimmer and driver, John
Brinkers. ³The blast reach in fresh conditions was very exciting. We had 29
knots of breeze at one stage, blasting along under jib top and genoa
staysail on the leg from Nab Tower to the buoy off Le Havre. As we came off
one big wave, the boat accelerated to just under 22 knots with big whoops
from the crew. All credit to skipper Brett Aarons and the Bob team for
impressive crew work. They did a great job.²
Charles Ivill¹s Grand Soleil 54, John B corrected out as winner of IRC One.
Two First 44.7s had a close battle for second in class. John Stapleton¹s
Vespucci¹s Black Sheep eventually took the runner up spot in IRC One. Andrew
Arthur¹s Koko Kai was third. The class also contained four identical
Challenge 72s competing for the Tall Ships Youth Trust. Stephen Durkin¹s
Challenger 4 was first home in an elapsed time of just over 18 hours. The
Tall Ships Youth Trust is dedicated to the development of training young
people through sailing and the Cervantes Trophy Race was part of their
preparation for the Rolex Fastnet Race later this year.
RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine scored his first win of the season, taking
IRC Two in his First 40, La Réponse. Neil Kipling¹s J 122, Joopster enjoyed
the fresh conditions to claim second place in class but by less than two
minutes on corrected time from X 40, Exception, owned by Frenchman Patrick
Ponchelet.
Noel Racine¹s JPK 10.10, Foggy Dew, won class in the Cervantes Trophy for
the second year running. Enjoying the big breeze, the Le Havre based yacht
was the first boat home in IRC Three and class winner on corrected time.
William Hutchinson¹s Dutch Ff110, Fandango, had a high-speed surfing duel
with David Aisher¹s J/109, Yeoman of Wight, crewed by the British Keelboat
Academy. Fandango took second place by just 23 seconds on corrected time.
IRC Four was decided by just 30 seconds on corrected time with two French
yachts battling it out. Philippe Rios¹ Dufour 34, Gwaihir Ventur won the
class with Frederic Waniart¹s Aphrodite 101, Vim, second. Dorset-based Ian
Braham, at the helm of his MG 346, Enigma, was third.
19 yachts raced to Le Havre Two-Handed, nearly double the amount from last
year¹s Cervantes Trophy Race. Vim scored a memorable win, beating Rolex
Fastnet winner, the X 35 Exile/Mirabaud, skippered by Nicolas de la
Fourniere. Peter Olden¹s A 35, Solan Goose of Hamble, was third.
After enjoying the warm hospitality of Le Havre, competitors returning to
Cowes enjoyed a race back across The English Channel. The Trophée Guillaume
Le Conquérant is organised by the Société des Régates du Havre in
association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Island Sailing Club.
Racing resumes for the RORC Season¹s Points Championship on the 14th May
with the De Guingand Bowl Race. ENDS/
For more information including full results: http://www.rorc.org
Provisional Results:
IRC OVERALL
1. Bob, Farr 52, R Gray & S Laidlaw
2. John B, Grand Soleil 54, Charles Ivill
3. La Réponse, First 40, Andrew McIrvine
IRC ZERO:
1. Bob, Farr 52, R Gray & S Laidlaw
IRC ONE:
1. John B, Grand Soleil 54, Charles Ivill
2. Vespucci's Black Sheep, First 44.7, John Stapleton
3. Koko Kai, First 44.7, Andrew Arthur
4. Challenger 4, Challenge 72, Tall Ships/Stephen Durkin
IRC TWO:
1. La Réponse, First 40, Andrew McIrvine
2. Joopster, J 122, Neil Kipling
3. Exception, X 40, Patrick Ponchelet
4. Arabella ,J 111, Niall Dowling
IRC THREE:
1. Foggy Dew, JPK 10.10, Noel Racine
2. Fandango, Ff110, William Hutchinson
3. Yeoman of Wight, J 109, David Aisher/British Keelboat Academy
IRC FOUR:
1. Gwaihir Venturi, Dufour 34, Philippe Rios
2. Vim, Aphrodite 101, Frederic Waniart
3. Enigma, MG 346, Ian Braham
IRC TWO-HANDED:
1. Vim, Aphrodite 101, Frederic Waniart
2. Exile/Mirabaud, X 34, Nicolas de la Fourniere
3. Solan Goose of Hamble, A 35, Peter Olden
CLASS 40:
1. MAXVMG, Class 40, Mark Denton
2. Partouche, Class 40, Christophe Coatnoan
Caption: Noel Racine¹s Le Havre-based yacht Foggy Dew, JPK 10.10 was the
first boat home in IRC Three and class winner on corrected time. Please
Credit: Hamo Thornycroft /www.yacht-photos.co.uk
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