Illusion Ice Breaker Trophy at Bembridge Sailing Club

Close downwind racing during the Illusion Ice Breaker Trophy © Rudy Jurg

Illusion Ice Breaker Trophy winners (l to r) Mark Downer 2nd, Graham Sunderland 1st and Rudy Jurg 3rd © Rudy Jurg

For the first regatta weekend of this year 16 boats came out to sail for the Illusion Ice Breaker Trophy which has been sailed for continuously since 1982 and includes many names of the top Solent sailors. This weekend was no exception.

On Saturday race officer Mike Samuelson set a course in very changeable conditions which involved re-laying the marks for all three races. In race one it was busy on the middle of the start line but it was late starter Rudy Jurg who was next to the committee boat to round the top mark first and continue to build to build on his lead to take first place. Bruce Huber took second and Edmund Peel third.

In the second race the changeable wind conditions saw a lot of place changes at the top but it was the formidable Edmund Peel who used the rules and his familiarity with Bembridge Harbour to take first place.

In race 3 Graham Sunderland who so far had scored two sixth places started very fast on the pin end with Rudy Jurg and they would sail away from the fleet and to have their own race. Graham Sunderland would eventually take first place. Towards the back end of the fleet it is the 80+ years Philip Woodford who still gives the younger members of the fleet a good battle on the water and shows that age is not a limiting factor in this fleet.

On Sunday the wind was very light and the race office bravely decided to sail outside the harbour on an ebbing tide looking for wind. This eventually came from a West South Westerly direction varying in strength from 1-3 Beaufort.

With a number of sailors on equal points it was al to play for. in race one it was husband and wife Graham and Julia Bailey who sailed to the front of the fleet. It was noted that most of the fleet was sailing to apparent wind angles on the downwind legs whilst Julia Bailey sailed almost dead downwind gaining several places in the process.

In race 5 Graham Bailey finally found form again with a good start and boat speed and took first place and light weather specialist James Meaning second place and Julia Bailey in third.

In the last race of the day it was close call for overall victory but Graham Sunderland got away again cleanly together with James Meaning. Especially on the downwind legs there was plenty of place changing and frustration with sail trim could be heard all over the water. A final long upwind beat appeared to work best on the left hand side of the course but a shift and increasing wind strength on the right favoured especially Rudy Jurg and Mark Downer who took gained a number of places to secure a place in the top three overall.

This was a high scoring regatta showing the level of talent in the fleet. Graham Sunderland won the Ice Breaker Trophy with Rudy Jurg in second and Mark Downer in third. Graham Bailey would just beat his wife Julia on count back into 4th place.

Next regatta 14 & 15th January and the class is hoping for a big turnout.

Race 2 Start Video:

Overall Results: