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CERVANTES TROPHY, 30 April 2005 Bear of Britain wins the first RORC offshore race of the season. Racing for just about everyone in Cowes was postponed on Saturday morning while race committees waited for the thick fog to lift. The RORC Race Committee at the Royal Yacht Squadron had no choice but to postpone until it was possible to see the line. This resulted in nearly a five hour delay so instead of the 0830 expected start the first boats set of to Le Havre at 1310 with the last class finally away at 1345. With the postponement, lack of wind and fog the Race Committee was made to send the fleet on the 95 mile course direct to Le Havre. Of the 105 entries 97 boats started, many of these were using the race as part of their qualification for the Rolex Fastnet Race which will start from Cowes on Sunday 7 August. IRC3 boats were first away at 1310 followed by IRC 2 at 1320 but following a General Recall IRC SZ, Z and 1 did not get away until 1345.
Off to a good start were Chris Brown and Peter Harding’s DK46 Fidessa-Fastwave, Shaun Frohlich’s IMX45 Exabyte 111 and Cutting Edge, Robert Lutener and Martin Elwood’s Farr 45. Heading out to the east through the Forts in thick fog was an uneasy experience for some and this together with some gear failure resulted in half a dozen boats retiring either before or shortly after leaving the Solent. Tales at the end of the race highlighted the care which needs to be taken is such conditions. Other competitors, ferries and shipping traffic especially around the Portsmouth area had resulted in a few scares. Once at the Nab Tower the fleet were freed by a breeze of 18kts from the north east which would hold in the main, making for a quick crossing. Not quite so quick for Exabyte III who were stopped in their tracks by 2 lobster pots which wrapped both the keel and the rudder 20 miles from the finish just after a sail change. First to reach the finish at Le Havre was Kit Hobday’s Farr 52 Bear of Britain at 01:27 on Sunday morning, followed by Gerard Cok’s Second Love a Standfast 64. Racing double handed in his HOD35, Psipsina, John Loden, finished third in class 2 on corrected time. Double handed racing is becoming more and more popular in RORC racing with John setting a very high standard to beat. Also in Class 2 Peter Rutter’s, Quokka (Elan 37) was piped at the post for the Vashti Goblet by Mark Jephcott’s Swan 44 Selene. Longbow (Army Sailing Association) was sailed by Stuart Smith and Paul Andersen had a great start after the General Recall but once they came out of the fog at the Forts they found themselves behind Born Slippy, Oz Privateer and Mostly Harmless. The crew set themselves a target of 1600 to be through the Forts or the temptation was to retire to Gosport. Arriving at the Forts at 1555 they continued the race keeping to the right of the course and picking up speed for what they called “a cracking race”. Winning the Noreyma VII Cup for Class 1 had made it all worthwhile. In Class 3 Nicholas de la Fourniere’s X312 Exile took the Kinross Trophy for the fourth year running with Festina Lente (Sigma 38 – Meakins family) coming second with Leo Lady (Sigma 362 Graham Nixon) third. Anxious to log their miles for Rolex Fastnet qualification boats were still finishing on Sunday afternoon. The usual warm welcome awaited the fleet from the Societe des Regates du Havre who assisted with the finish by providing a committee boat for the RORC race officers and much to everyone’s delight kept the bar open all night. The new President of the Club, Jean-Louis Chaix had taken part in the race in his J109 L’Adjame in Class 3. An excellent way to get home was to take part in the Coupe Guillaume Le Conquerant. Organised by Societe des Regates du Havre in co-operation with the Royal London YC, the race sent off for the Solent on Sunday afternoon.
1st in Seahorse Division Selene (Mark Jephcott) Two classes with enough entries to receive extra prizes Sigma 38 Festina Lente (Meakins family) Sigma 33 Iskareen (David Stow) SRH Cup – BCT IRM Bear of Britain (Farr 52 - Kit Hobday) RORC Prize – 2 Handed Division Psipsina (HOD35 - John Loden)
5 Vitesse (Sigma 38 - Simcox/Taunt/England) 4 Iskareen (Sigma 33 - David Stow) 3 Leo Lady (Sigma 362 - Graham Nixon) 2 Festina Lente (Sigma 38 - Meakins family) 1st in IRC 3 winning Kinross Trophy – IRC 3 Exile (X312 - Nicholas de la Fourniere (represented by one of the crew) IRC 2 5 Doris J (J109 - Sean Muskett) 4 Foggy Dew (JPK960 - Noel Racine) 3 Psipsina (HOD35 - John Loden) sailing 2 handed 2 Quokka (Elan 37 - Peter Rutter) 1st IRC winning the Vashti Goblet Selene (Swan 44 - Mark Jephcott)
3 Maverick 2 (IMX40 - Dominic Chappell) 2 Oz Privateer (Prima 38 - Don Kennedy)
4 Cutting Edge (Farr 45 -Robert Lutener/Martin Elwood) 3 Fidessa Fastwave (DK46 -Chris Brown/Peter Harding) 2 Exabyte 111 (IMX 45 - Shaun Frohlich) 1st in IRC SZ & Z winning the Thalassa Cup Bear of Britain (Farr 52 -Kit Hobday)
BEAR OF BRITAIN (Farr 52 – Kit Hobday)
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