Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club Spring Regatta

by Bill Harris 25 Apr 2007 14:11 BST 21-22 April 2007

The catamaran fleet at the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club Spring Regatta © Bill Harris

Laurence Carter wins the Open dinghy B fleet at the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club Spring Regatta © Bill Harris

The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club’s annual Spring Regatta was held in St Aubin’s Bay over the weekend with the Laryngeal Mask Company making its debut on the Jersey racing scene as this ever-popular event’s sponsors.

With a high-pressure system having become well established over the Islands, the weather held no surprises and the sizeable fleet spent two days under blazing sunshine, with precious little breeze whilst the less well prepared gradually turned a subtle shade of pink. Unseasonable weather to be sure.

Racing started at 0930 on both days with the fleet being split between two committee boats, one taking care of the bigger boats, under race officer Ken Le Marquand, whilst the second, with race officer Bill Harris, lay well inshore to run the dinghy and sport-catamaran classes. Save for one major wind shift, the wind direction remained fairly stable in the south throughout Saturday morning, allowing the dinghies and cats to complete all three races within the expected time frame despite the very light airs. The cruiser/racer classes fared a little less well, racing to the south of the Bay. Whilst the first race was successfully completed the second had to be abandoned as the ebb tide built and even the fleetest boats were seen to be tracking backwards.

Sunday morning, similarly, produced very light airs from the south-east. The first of the sport-catamaran races got away after a forty-minute wait only to result in a general recall when the wind died completely. Once back in the starting area, however, the cats were sent on their way once again to sail a good, if short race consisting of just one triangle. Racing from that point on continued apace with feeble winds veering constantly westwards, giving rise to an unusually high volume of work for the ever-efficient mark-laying boats. With the cruiser courses laid somewhat closer inshore than on Saturday, the bigger boats had a better morning with both races being successfully completed.

Allen Brown and partners’ Melges 24, The Dog’s ……..!, racing in company with the IRC cruiser/racer class, took line honours in the first race on Saturday and the Class 0 title. Rhys Perkins and partners’ new Archambault 35, Abracadabra, was the boat to beat in the IRC cruiser/racer class and she certainly had to work for her two victories in the first two races, narrowly beating Team Micmac’s Farr 747 by a minute in the first race and fourteen seconds in the second. However, it was Micmac’s sister ship Genie, with John Le Maistre at the helm, that relegated Abracadabra to the ranks in the third and final race with Vince Smith’s Laser 28, Shasa coming a close second. The Archambault did, however, take the series, three points ahead of Micmac whilst Genie had ten.

Things were not quite so tight in the club handicap fleet with Kevin Holden’s UFO 27, Matchless’ winning two of the three races whilst Wally Battrick took the third, comfortably, with Miss Mischief. Matchless proved to be the overall winner with just four points whilst Chris Weeks’ and Chris Petra’s Starlight 30 came second with eight. Julian Rogers’ Canders was third with ten points.

Only two boats turned out in the traditional day-boat class, to sail just one race. Mike Harrison’s Jig-saw proved to be the victor on this occasion. The Jersey Sailing Trust fielded its three Etchells with Naqapan winning all three races.

Overall scores in the sport catamaran class were very close. Whilst Gordon Burgis and Ken Snell won three of the six races on their Hobie 16, Pure Energy, Darren Stower and Mike Winspear with just two wins to their credit took the title with thirteen points to Burgis’ fourteen. Grant Neale and Karen Larose came third with nineteen points, sailing their Hobie 16 iCAT.

Martin Speller proved to be unstoppable in the ‘fast’ dinghy class, Sailing his Laser Radial, Liquid Logic, Martin notched up four wins and two seconds to finish with eight points. David Carter, sailing his Laser Radial, Deelybopper, came second with fifteen, three points ahead of Dave Williams and son sailing their RS200 Express Train.

Competitors in the ‘slow’ dinghy class were evidently in high spirits throughout the Regatta, with much chattering and singing between races only settling down to the serious business of racing. Laurence Carter, sailing his Optimist, Funky Fly, proved to be the best performer over the weekend, taking the title with thirteen points, ahead of George Moisan, also sailing an Optimist, Ooh La La! with seventeen. Fleur Moisan sailing her Topper, Topsy Turvy, came a very close third with eighteen and a half.

The prize-giving followed on Sunday evening, in the newly-refurbished RCIYC, when Commodore Ken Jesson expressed the Club’s thanks to Mr Charles Reynolds, of the Laryngeal Mask Company, who presented the many prizes in a packed club-room. Many crews remained to enjoy the post-event supper.

Full results are available at www.rciyc.org

Overall Results:

Saturday 21st April

Class 0 – Sportsboat
Race 1 – 1st The Dog’s ……..!, A Brown & Ptnrs (Melges 24)

Class 1 - IRC cruiser/racer
Race 1 – 1st Abracadabra, R Perkins & Ptnrs (Archambault 35)

Class 2 - RCH cruiser/racer
Race 1 -1st Matchless, K Holden (UFO27)

Class 3 – Dayboat
Race 1 – 1st Jigsaw, M Harrison (La Rocque traditional)

Class 4 - Sport-catamaran
Races 1 & 2 – 1st D Stower & M Winspear (Hobie 16)
Race 3 - 1st Pure Energy, G Burgis & K Snell (Hobie 16)

Class 6 - Open dinghy – A fleet
Race 1 – 1st Liquid Logic, M Speller (Laser Radial)
Race 2 – 1st Deelybopper, D Carter (Laser Radial)
Race 3 - 1st Express Train, D Williams (RS200)

Class 7 - Open dinghy – B fleet
Race 1 – 1st Ooh La La!, George Moisan (Optimist)
Race 2 – 1st Funky Fly, Laurence Carter (Optimist)
Race 3 – 1st Y2K, Charles Perkins (Laser 4.7)

Sunday 22nd April

Class 1 - IRC cruiser/racer
Race 1 – 1st Abracadabra
Race 2 – 1st Genie, J Le Maistre (Farr 747)

Class 2 - RCH cruiser/racer
Race 1 - 1st Miss Mischief, W Battrick (Mischief 24)
Race 2 - 1st Matchless

Class 4 - Sport-catamaran
Races 1 & 2 – 1st Pure Energy
Race 3 – 1st Hobie 16 (Stower)

Class 6 - Open dinghy – A fleet
Races 1, 2 & 3 – 1st M Speller

Class 7 - Open dinghy – B fleet
Races 1 & 3 – 1st Funky Fly, Laurence Carter
Race 2 – 1st Y2K, Charles Perkins

Overall Winners:

Class 0 – Sportsboat
The Dog’s ……..!, A Brown

Class 1 - IRC cruiser/racer
Abracadabra, R Perkins & Ptnrs

Class 2 - RCH cruiser/racer
Matchless, K Holden

Class 3 – Dayboat
Jigsaw, M Harrison

Class 4 - Sport-catamaran
Hobie 16, D Stower & M Winspear