2015 Jackson Yacht Services Bay Race Series overall

by RCIYC on 26 Oct 2015 Conditions were set fair for the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club’s annual Jackson Yacht Services Bay Race Series held in St Aubin’s Bay on Sunday 18th October. Historically, this last regatta in Jersey’s sailing calendar has suffered ‘extremes’ of conditions, sometimes gales, sometimes zero wind. This year proved to be exceptionally good with a pleasant north north easterly breeze throughout, albeit veering as the morning wore on. Consequently seas were slight; little was seen of the sun and the lone shower passing through the Bay did nothing to dampen anyone’s enjoyment of the event.

Racing started shortly after 8.30 with the first of two back-to-back races ‘round the cans’ for the cruiser classes, David Myatt’s beautiful eight-metre, Erica, was the sole representative in class one but combined starts with boats in class two gave her a good morning’s racing, nevertheless. Very close racing between Julian Barber’s Farr 727, Super Q, and Malcolm Le Couteur’s Farr 727, Mic Mac, saw Super Q take the first race and Mic Mac the second to take the series on count-back. Erica was a close ‘third’ in both races.

A combined start saw the class three cruisers off on the first of their two back-to-back races, sailing the same course as classes one and two. This proved to be a little ambitious on the part of the race committee (still recovering from having to get up in the dark) who sent a guard boat to shorten course less than half way round after an hour’s racing. The second race for class three was around an Olympic course, using laid marks. Chris Fritot’s Hunter Sonata, Rondo, was a clear winner in both races with Tom Vallois’ Sonata, Moonlight Sonata, second and Sean Scarsbrook’s Mischief, Miss Mischief third.

Once the cruiser classes were away, the race committee turned its attention to getting the dayboat class off on the first of three back-to-back races around the Olympic course. Laurence Curtis, sailing the 100 plus years old Bermudan sloop, Moana, took races one and three ahead of Malcolm Annan’s Oysterman, Jamesina, with sponsor Mike Jackson’s Tosher 20, Charity third overall. Jamesina nudged Moana into second place in race two. Competition is always stiff in what, otherwise, looks to be a very graceful class!

Racing for the sport catamaran classes started at 11.00 with, class five, five F18s coming to the line for the first of three back to back races. Competition was particularly stiff between Darren Stower and Graham Monks’ Wildcat, Flying Smurf, and Phil Sharp and Andy Hart’s Wildcat. Although Stower and Smurf won all three races, the margins were very narrow, none more so than in race two when Flying Smurf crossed the line with a split second to spare ahead of Wildcat. A very exciting spectacle for the race committee as the boats sailed past, neck and neck, at fifteen knots or so. Adrian Jesson and James Linder’s Wildcat, Hobie 565, was third in all three races.

Fifteen Hobie 16s turned out to sail in the open handicap class, again with three back to back races to complete. Competition within the Hobie fleet, arguably the largest in the British Isles, is very stiff both at the top and at the ‘B’ fleet level. Peter and Kate Scriven sailing Hobie 107494 took races one and two whilst arch-rivals Gordon Burgis and Kenny Snell won race three. Yvonne Winspear and Anna Baraniak sailing Girls on Top clinched second place in race two, finishing neck and neck with Pure Energy, just pipping her over the line. The 107494, thus, won overall with Pure Energy a close second. Stuart McCue and Sandra Coleman, sailing Salty Bean were third.

Honours were spread a little wider in sport catamaran class seven, all Hobie Dragoons. Ollie Voak and Tom Hunt, sail 1077, won the first race, following up with two seconds. Chloe Swetenham and Emma Blake, sail 1076, won race two whilst Declan Flambard and Megan McDonagh, sail 220, won race three. With just one point in it, 1077 took the series with 220 second and 1076 third.

The prize-giving was held in the RCIYC clubhouse, that evening when Mike Jackson and Wendy Dalton, representing the sponsor, presented the place prizes. On behalf of the Club, Commodore Darren Stower thanked Jackson Yacht Services, most sincerely, for their highly valued long-standing and continued support of the last multiple class regatta of the year.

Principal results

Cruisers Class two
Race one

1 Mic Mac – Malcolm Le Couteur
2 Super Q – Julian Barber

Race two

1 Super Q
2 Mic Mac

Overall

1 Mic Mac (3)
2 Super Q (3)

Cruisers Class three
Races one and two

1 Rondo – Chris Fritot
2 Moonlight Sonata – Tom Vallois
3 Miss Mischief – Sean Scarsbrrok

Overall
1 Rondo (2)
2 Moonlight Sonata (4)
3 Miss Mischief (6)

Day Boats
Races one and three

Moana – Laurence Curtis
Jamesina – Malcolm Annan
Charity – Mike Jackson

Race two

1 Jamesina
2 Moana
3 Charity

Overall

1 Moana (4)
2 Jamesina (5)
3 Charity (9)

Sport Catamaran Class five
Races one, two and three

1 Flying Smurf – Darren Stower and Graham Monks
2 Wildcat – Phil Sharp and Andrew Hart
3 Hobie 565 – Adrian Jesson and J Linder

Overall

1 Flying Smurf – Darren Stower
2 Wildcat – Phil Sharp
3 Hobie 565 – Adrian Jesson

Sport Catamaran Class six
Race one

1 Hobie 107494 – Peter and Kate Scriven
2 Pure Energy – Gordon Burgis and Kenny Snell
3 Salty Bean – Stuart McCue and Sandra Coleman

Race two
1 Hobie 107494
2 Girls on Top – Yvonne Winspear and Anna
3 Pure Energy

Race three
1 Pure Energy – Gordon Burgis
2 Hobie 16 107494 – Peter Scriven
3 Salty Bean – Stuart McCue

Overall
1 Hobie 107494 – Peter Scriven (4)
2 Pure Energy – Gordon Burgis (6)
3 Salty Bean – Stuart McCue (10)

Sport Catamaran Class seven
Race one

1 Dragoon 1077 – Ollie Voak and Tom Hunt
2 Dragoon 220 – Declan Flambard and Megan McDonagh
3 Dragoon 1078 – Gemma Newman and Alice Newstead

Race two
1 1076 – Chloe Swetenham and Emma Blake
2 1077
3 220

Race three
1 220
2 1077
3 1076

Overall
1 1077 (5)
2 220 (6)
3 1076 (8)