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Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup 21. - 28. Juli 2012
http://commodorescup.rorc.org/ - Übersicht
22 July 2012
GBR Underdogs Take an Early Lead
Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup
Day 1: Sunday 22 July, Cowes, Isle of Wight
Much to the delight of competitors and organisers alike, Mediterranean conditions
prevailed on the Solent today as the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup leapt into action
with two windward-leeward races held between Hill head and Gilkicker Point in a
6-10 knot southeasterly.
Spectacular racing on day one of the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup
Credit: Rick Tomlinson/RORC
In relatively light conditions a significant factor today was the tide, which changed
direction between the races, but not equally across the course.
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Start an day 1
Foto: RORC/Rick Tomlinson
Yachthafen Cowes
Photo: James Boyd/thedailysail.com
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After two races it is not the British A team, but the supposed British underdog
team, GBR Black, that is leading after a consistent performance across their three
boats, all finishing within the top eight of the 21 boat fleet.
In GBR Black, Mike and Seb Blair's King 40 Cobra was the third best individual performer
of the day with a 10-2, a fine start in what is their Brewin Dolphin Commodores'
Cup debut. "We are over the moon obviously," said Mike Blair. "It has taken a
little while to get the boat going and I think new sails have made a lot of difference,
so we are very encouraged and hope to keep going like this." Cobra helmsman, Chris
Walmsley, added that their new sails, optimised for slightly lighter conditions
than they have experienced so far this season, had caused the boat to 'light up'.
Peter Morton, owner of the Corby 33 Salvo, the small boat in GBR Black, admitted
he was "slightly surprised", his team was leading. "Now that the wind is down a
bit, we feel a bit more comfortable with our boat relative to the others, otherwise
we struggle a bit to keep our handicap. In this sort of wind strength, flat water,
southeasterly breeze, we are quite happy, thank you. If we can keep this going all
week, we will be alright."
With the British Keelboat Academy crew on David Aisher's J/109 Yeoman of Wight rounding
out their team, GBR Black ends the day on 44.5 points, 3.5 ahead of British favourites,
GBR Red.
In the inter-Ker 40 championship (with four examples leading the fleet around the
course), Jonathan Goring's Keronimo in GBR Red came out on top, winning both races
on the water, despite being the lowest rated of the four alongside Andrew Pearce's
Magnum III.
"It was superb - we had a great day," said Goring. "We had our tussles with the
other Ker 40s which are sailed very similarly, but felt we found our pace and we
managed to get to the right place. It was a good day at the office and Dignity
had a good day also, so we feel that GBR Red has done okay."
As to the tight racing between the four near one-designs, Goring said it was "pretty
knarly. In the second race we had three Kers finishing within 20 seconds of each
other. It is fantastic racing."
Also in GBR Red, Andrew Williams' Plymouth team on the Mills 39 Dignity won today's
first race, but then got off to a bad start in the second, buried in the fleet at
the wrong end of the line, rounding the weather mark second last.
"We worked hard and in fact we sailed better in the second race because we had to
pull ourselves back up through the fleet," said Williams. "We're happy enough -
very pleased with winning the first race. It is a good way to start a regatta."
The best individual boat performance of the day came from the Hong Kong team's EFG
Bank Mandrake, better known in the UK as RORC Commodore Mike Greville's Erivale.
Chartered by Nick Burns and Fred Kinmonth, EFG Bank Mandrake posted a 3-5 today,
just beating Neil Kipling's J/122 Joopster, in GBR White, by a point.
"We did well, so I am very happy. I wanted two firsts but that was pure imagination
- the fleet is far too good for that," said Burns, back for his second crack after
Hong Kong finished second in 2010. "We had a very good start in the first race and
a terrible start in the second race." Despite this they managed to pull into the
lead (on handicap) but then lost it again tacking up the shore before the tide
had turned. Burns compliment his tactician Phil Lawrence and helmsman Laurence Mead
for their excellent work. "I just sit there on index sheet doing what I'm told!"
At the end of day one, France holds third place behind GBR Black and GBR Red, 14.5
points off the lead.
Olivier Pesci's Grand Soleil 40 Beelzebuth 3 had a mixed day, 18th in the first
race, when they suffered a problem with their spinnaker, but winning the second.
Conversely Hervé Borgoltz' Grand Soleil 44 R Eleuthera had a better day overall
with a 2-13. In the first race helmsman Jean-Philippe Cau said they spent most
of it hanging on to the coat tails of Dignity. They too suffered problems with their
spinnaker in this race, but for them it made little affect on their result. "We
made a big hole in our brand new spinnaker with the spinnaker pole, but fortunately
the wind was not too strong and the hole didn't increase, though it was big - about
1m. After that everything was good."
On race two Eleuthera were nailed when they too went up the wrong side of the first
beat.
After two races Benelux are bringing up the rear among the seven teams. John van
der Starre, skipper of the J/111 Xcentric Ripper admitted that they hadn't got
off to a good start in the first race and their problems were compounded when they
too ripped their genniker and for the next downwind leg had to use their smaller
sail. "And the second was even worse!" van der Starre said.
Tomorrow the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup fleet sets off on its offshore race,
likely to head east out of the Solent. This is due to be of 24-36 hours duration.
but the forecast is indicating very light winds overnight on Monday and into Tuesday
morning.
ENDS/...
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