24 April 2012
First showing for Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup Triallists
Saturday 21st - Saturday 28th July 2012
Jonathan Goring's Ker 40 Keronimo in the Warsash Spring Series
Credit: Paul Wyeth/www.pwpictures.com
Although not an official trial for those wishing to compete for places in the teams
to represent England in the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup this summer, Warsash
Sailing Club created a class in their Spring Championship weekend series especially
for the England team triallists. And what perfect training conditions the competitors
enjoyed.
Three races on Saturday in 10-18 knots of wind and two races on Sunday starting
in 12 knots and increasing to 22 were sailed on perfect windward-leeward courses.
The Commodores' Cup fleet were split into two classes, but started together to replicate
what they would experience in this years Brewin Dolphin Commodore's Cup with all
boats on one start line, whereas in previous years the classes have been split
into three with separate starts.
Winner of the CC2 fleet and the most consistent of all the triallists was Jim Macgregor
in his Elan 410, Premier Flair. "It was a great weekend's practice and a good opportunity
to test our speed against our opposition in the upcoming Brewin Dolphin Commodores'
Cup trials," said Jim who is father to Lucy and Kate Macgregor, part of Team GBR's
Women's Match Racing team going to the London Olympics. "Congratulations must go
to Warsash Sailing Club for this initiative. We had great competition from Mike
West in Eaujet and Nicholas Gaumont-Prat in Philosophie IV and it was good to start
with the big Ker 40s, Keronimo and Magnum".
The two Ker 40s came out on top in CC1 with Jonathan Goring in Keronimo first ahead
of Andrew Pearce's Magnum III. It was windy enough for the Ker 40 to get up and
plane downwind and these two speed machines had a great match race all weekend.
On Saturday, the CC1 and CC2 classes were started together and raced the same course
and also scored together to give the teams an indication of the overall result.
Mike West's Eaujet was the best with a 1, 2, 6 just 1½ points ahead of Neil Kipling's
J/122 Joopster with a 2.5, 5, 3 and Keronimo third with an 8, 3, 2.
The Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup trials officially start with the RORC's Morgan
Cup offshore race on the 5th May followed by the Vice Admiral's Cup on the 18th
to 20th May.
ENDS/...
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