Jersey Regatta at Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club

Fun at the Jersey Telecom Regatta © Tim Feak / www.timfeak.com

Fun at the Jersey Telecom Regatta © Tim Feak / www.timfeak.com

Fun at the Jersey Telecom Regatta © Tim Feak / www.timfeak.com

For the past few years, the Jersey Telecom Regatta has enjoyed fine weather coupled with light and fickle winds. This year was in stark contrast with dire warnings of severe weather over the entire weekend. A small, but very keen fleet of nine boats came to the starting line in St Aubin’s Bay, on Friday, for the Round-the-Island race. Despite the miserable forecast, it was sunny and there was a light southerly breeze heralding a fairly slow circumnavigation of this picturesque island.

Julian Rogers’ Sigma 33, Canders, led the fleet out of St Aubin’s Bay, just beating Mike Seguss and Andrew Jelley’s Bénéteau 317, Jack Rabbit, to the windward mark, with Alex Ohlsson’s J-92s, Jaya, coming up fast. Once round the mark, boats bore away on the flood tide for a reach to the 8-mile-distant Violet Channel buoy. The southerly breeze proved to be too shy for most, but suited the assymetric J boat. She quickly overhauled the two leading boats from which point on she was unassailable, going on to take line honours and the race in the IRC class after seven hours.

With the recent British Airways Round-Jersey race to his credit, Nick Bailhache, sailing two-up, navigated his Moody 30, Filipene, to yet another victory in the club handicap class. Friday evening saw all classes racing over Olympic courses in St Aubin’s Bay, in a south-south-westerly breeze that had built to twelve knots producing excellent competitive racing and a super spectacle for those ashore. Last year’s overall winner, John Baines and Andrew and Richard Sugden’s formidable ILC30 Toybox, notched up her first victory in the IRC class, well ahead of her arch-rival, Guy Pipon and Peter Williams’ J92, Jammin’. The evening also saw the first appearance of Team Micmac’s Farr 727, Micmac, winning the club handicap race by a very narrow margin from Canders, freshly arrived from the Round-the-Island race.

First blood in the sport-catamaran class went to Peter Scriven and Yvonne Winspear’s Hobie 16, beating Grant Neale and Karen Larose’s Hobie 16, iCAT. David Carter, sailing the Musto Skiff, Boris, won the first open dinghy race whilst the 100+ year-old gaffer, Jesse, with Cath and Rodney Challinor aboard, won the day-boat class. Last year’s overall winner in the junior dinghy class, Lydia Carter sailed her Laser 4.7, Hi Fly, to win the Junior Dinghy Prize. Fleur Moisan, sailing Ooh La La!, won the Optimist prize.

Saturday saw a massive change in the weather, a shift to the south and an increase to an average 17 knots, gusting to 23, under leaden skies. Full oilies and a steady stomach were to be ‘de rigueur’ for the next two days, as the swell ran into the Bay providing everyone with the opportunity to take their boats surfing. Toybox, again, proved to be the boat to beat, winning all three races in the IRC class. The second race was eventful for the boat’s crew as a sudden gust destroyed her brand new three-quarter ounce spinnaker. Happily, the half ounce was ready to go and survived the throughout the remaining races. Simon Benest and Sean Fellows’ Ker 11.3, Voodoo Doll, took line honours and second place in the first race but sustained damage caused by a rogue wave in the second race forced her to retire.

Rhys Perkins and his young crew drove their newly-acquired Farr 727, Genie, to victory in the first two races in the club handicap class. Jacques Morvan and Patrick Carcaillet’s Sun Legend Moustique, from Binic, kept the pressure on Genie to come a close second in both races, robbing Genie of victory in the third.

Conditions were superb for the sport-catamaran class, although not without some spectacular spills and thrills. Veterans Gordon Burgis and Ken Snell sailed their Hobie 16 Pure Energy to win two races outright and to tie the third with Guernseymen Paul Harris and Ben Creasey’s Hobie 16, Hobie Wan Kenobie of pitch-pole fame. Jeff Speller and Malcolm Le Couteur’s Fireball, Ndoto, won all three races in the Open Dinghy class whilst Martin Speller had to be content with three second places. Similarly, Lydia Carter swept the board in the Junior Dinghy class whilst 11-year old Laurence Carter notched up three second places, sailing his Optimist Funky Fly, to take the Optimist prize. It was certainly a day for consistent performances. The Hobie Dragoon class saw three firsts for Laura-Jane Carter and Tom Harris whose enjoyment of the boisterous conditions was clearly evident on their return to the beach.

After an evening spent partying in St Helier YC, crews awoke on Sunday to find no real improvement in the weather. The average wind had maybe dropped a knot or two but had become less predictable with the occasional 30-knot gust causing more than a little excitement. This only spurred the racing crews on, accustomed as they were to the lively conditions and the adrenaline-pumping racing. Toybox maintained her winning streak in the first race but Jammin’ had found her form and was a bare forty seconds behind on corrected time. The final race saw Jammin’ turn the tables, relegating Toybox to second place by twenty-four seconds.

Genie was also on form, winning the first race in the club handicap class, comfortably ahead of Moustique and Loic Gourio’s Malouine from St Quay-Portrieux. Moustique, however, snatched victory in the final race, relegating Genie to second spot. An exploding spinnaker as she approached the final mark and the turn up to the finish line was rather unhelpful!

Sunday saw the first appearance of Darren Stower and Mike Winspear’s Hobie 16, Suma’s, in the sport-catamaran class. Bad news for those who raced on Saturday with the newcomers winning all three races. Pure Energy raced well to take two seconds and a third to ensure her ‘best in class’ placing. Jeff Speller’s Ndoto also maintained her winning streak in the open dinghy class to take all three races with brother Martin’s Laser, Liquid Logic, consistently second.

Sunday also saw the return of the day-boats, having stayed at home on Saturday out of due respect for the boats’ ages and the generally stronger conditions. Jesse again proved to be the better boat notching up two wins and a second with equally-aged Florence, helmed by Bob Asplet, and Malcolm Annan’s Cornish Crabber, Jamesina, each taking a second but the latter boat coming second overall. With the breeze somewhat on the limit these small boats headed for home, avoiding the rigours of the third race.

Despite the trials of the previous day, the Junior Dinghy class turned out in force. This time it was Laurence Carter’s turn to shine, winning the first race in Funky Fly from Ooh La La!. Lydia Carter found her form in the next two races securing two wins. Once again, Laura-Jane Carter and Tom Harris swept the board in the Hobie Dragoon class whilst Emilie Harris and Bianca Kempster narrowly beat Alex Winchester and Rachel Wijsmuller to clinch second place.

There is little doubt that the 8th Jersey Telecom Regatta will remembered for its boisterous weather but there were few grumblings about a wind that provided some of the best racing that the Island’s sailors have seen this year. The prize-giving was held on Sunday evening in a packed RCIYC club-house when Lieutenant-General Andrew Ridgway, the Island’s new Lieutenant-Governor, and Mrs Ridgway very kindly presented the many trophies and prizes. Jersey Telecom’s Mr Tim Ringsdore closed proceedings with the presentation of the Best Boat in Class prizes. Trant Construction, Jersey Tourism and Jersey Harbours also sponsored the Regatta.