Please select your home edition
Edition
Sunstorm Marine - Mesh Bag - Sail

EAORA Buckley Goblets 2024 at West Mersea Yacht Club

by Paul Wood 24 Sep 14:23 BST 13-14 September 2024

On Friday 13th September it was the final race of the Offshore series for EAORA. It turned out to be lucky for some and not so lucky for others.

For Richard Matthews with his blue Carkeek 52, Oystercatcher XXXV it was a quick crossing from Mersea to Ostend in 6 hours and 2 minutes, he beat his own record from 2019 where in his Kerr 51, he managed the course in six hours and nine minutes. This year he could have completed the course in under six hours if it wasn't for a ship being in the way and having to slow down on the way to Ostend. Speeds exceeded 20 knots at times.

West Mersea Yacht club had two finishers on the podium with a second place for Micheal & Jason Wheeler with their Classic Sparkman & Stevens Golden Fleece. It was clear blue sky on the start line with 11 boats including a trimaran from the Royal Burnham Yacht Club owned by Jon McColl. EAORA are hoping to see an increase in the Mocra fleet as we know Jon has enjoyed racing EAORA with the camaraderie and post-race parties which everyone enjoys in the IRC division.

Third overall was the RHYC's Will & Jenny Taylor-Jones, in another lovely Classic Sunstone, the wooden Sparkman & Stevens 39 with varnished topsides. She was only 1 minute & 58 seconds behind Golden Fleece on corrected time and I am sure the debate went on late into the night about where that could have been found in this twelve hour race to get second overall.

William Sunnucks from HPYC with his Grand Soleil 46.3 Sweet Caroline was very keen for a good result after a great week back in July where he competed in Tour des Ports de la Manche regatta getting 6th in Class where there were over 80 yachts racing along the French coastline. His Buckley Goblets race stalled for a while with his code zero stuck up the mast, it seemed like a halyard that had jumped out the roller!

A new boat joined the EAORA fleet Geoff Kimber from the Stone Sailing Club with White Satin a Hanse 35, This was his first race of the season with us, although he retired from this race, he is very positive about racing EAORA 2025.

Mark Lyons from Burnham Sailing Club with Martinque his Dehler 34 has raced 9 races out of the 11 in our programme, his seasons overall results have been encouraging and he managed to turn up with one other crew member, completing the race as a double hander which was important for his overall position.

Another new boat to EAORA was Warrior, an Archambault 40 (A40). Simon Farron racing for the Colne Yacht Club isn't new to EAORA. His season 2025 will be an interesting one.

Spirit, owned by Paul Scott, a big supporter of EAORA for over 20 years now, had a good race and this made him the overall winner of the season.

The Royal North Sea Yacht Club made everyone welcome. Richard Matthews and his crew on Oystercatcher made a point of giving all the competitors a rapturous applause as they motored past the Yacht Club's balcony.

The prize-giving was attended by our Chairman Claire Scott & Principal race Officer Andy Wise. The trip home for many was a sunny event with warm winds now from the southwest, rather than the cold blast from the Northwest during the race.

Results can be found at www.eaora.org.uk/results/buckley-goblets-2024-results

Related Articles

EAORA End of Season Prizegiving and AGM
Celebrating 75 years The West Mersea Yacht club hosted the EAORA 75th year celebration party & AGM on the 9th November 2024. A good turn out for the AGM which is encouraging for the 2025 season. The programme was signed off by all those present. Posted on 21 Nov
EAORA Week
6 yachts enjoy everything that the Netherlands has to offer The second part of the week found us racing in the calm waters on the Veerse Meer, Oosterschelde and Grevelingenmeer and is still a hidden secret for so many. But this year six yachts enjoyed everything that the Netherlands had to offer. Posted on 19 Jul
RORC East Coast Race and EAORA Week
The weather forecast had predicted a possible force 9 for a while The start of the biannual East Anglian Week in southern Holland was thrown into turmoil with strong winds in the RORC feeder race from Harwich to Ostend. Posted on 8 Jul
EAORA Pattinson Cup & Ralph Herring Trophy
Double whammy for our Sigmas Race two for the EAORA season, the West Mersea YC's Pattinson Cup was won by a Sigma 33, Magic Moments and sailed two handed. Posted on 31 May
Extra Djinn wins RORC North Sea Race
The 2024 edition had 53 boats racing from Harwich to Scheveningen The Royal Ocean Racing Club's North Sea Race is hosted by the Royal Harwich Yacht Club in association with the East Anglian Offshore Racing Association, the Yacht Club Scheveningen and the North Sea Regatta. Posted on 12 May
RORC North Sea Race Preview
A fleet of over 50 boats will set off from Harwich to Scheveningen on Friday The Royal Ocean Racing Club's North Sea Race, hosted by the Royal Harwich Yacht Club, has attracted over 50 boats. The North Sea Race is one of the oldest in the RORC Racing Calendar dating back to 1931. Posted on 8 May
Sheltered racing in South Holland returns for 2024
The revived EAORA Week takes place 6-12 July Organised by the East Anglian Offshore Racing Association, the first EAORA Week was held in 1981. It set a new style of regatta: a week of sailing and socializing abroad during which skippers and crews live aboard, racing from port to port. Posted on 2 Jan
End of season report for EAORA
Magic Moments for everyone at the East Anglian Prize giving and AGM EAORA's end of season prize-giving took place on Saturday 11th November at Haven Ports Yacht Club. There was an impressive array of trophies to be divided up amongst the competitors. Posted on 15 Nov 2023
1,2 for S&S classics in WMYC Buckley Goblets
Annual EAORA 90 mile race from West Mersea to Ostend On Friday 22nd September at 7am, eight IRC yachts and one MOCRA Trimaran raced in the annual 90 mile race from West Mersea to Ostend. The Glass Goblets were first presented to the West Mersea Yacht Club in 1968 by J.C. Buckley. Posted on 26 Sep 2023
A magic weekend at Ramsgate for Magic Moments
Brave Trophy in Round the Goodwins after a retirement in the Fastnet! East Anglian Offshore Racing Association had 10 of their regular competitors race in this year's challenging Fastnet. Only three yachts completed the course. One being Woozle Hunter who was second in class IRC 4B. Posted on 10 Aug 2023