Brewin Dolphin Commodores’ Cup - Action gathering pace

by Matt Carter on 24 Apr 2014 With around a month until the RYA look to announce its remaining teams for the 2014 Brewin Dolphin Commodores’ Cup, the action behind the scenes in supporting the entrants to the RYA Trials has been gathering pace.

With a Scottish team already announced and who are already training and preparing, the majority of the entrants into the RYA trials have been busy in action on the water over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend taking part in the RORC Easter Challenge (18th-20th April).

With a wide variety of conditions, the event looked to challenge those crews taking part and fell under the watchful eyes of Chris Mason, Chair of the RYA Selection Panel, and Jonathan Goring who is also a member of the Selection Panel and previous winner of the Brewin Dolphin Commodores’ Cup.

Mason noted: 'The level of competition was high over the weekend and it was promising to see some of our boats getting some good results on the water. As always at the beginning of the year there are areas of improvements across all of the teams and as Selectors we are keen to get stuck in and work with the teams in developing those areas both prior to and during the Selection events in May.'

The events which will determine the RYA teams comprise of two offshore races and an inshore series, which has been designed to replicate the Commodores’ Cup event format as well as remove some of the luck element when heading offshore.

This starts with the RORC Cervantes Trophy Race over the weekend of 3rd May before heading inshore to the Vice Admirals Cup from the ninth – 11th May, organised by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club. The final selection event is the RORC Myth of Malham Race which is on the 24th May and sees the boats once again head offshore.

Mason added: 'The trails are slightly longer with an additional event this year but it will allow us to hopefully see the trialists performing over a wider variety of conditions and gather a full perspective on their performance and capabilities, allowing us to select the team with the best possible chances of retaining the Brewin Dolphin Commodores’ Cup this summer.'

The RYA will look to announce the selected teams by Wednesday 28th May.

The Scottish team is comprised of:
Jamie McGarry; Swan 45 - Eala of Rhu
Rod Stuart; Corby 37 - Eos
Steve Cowie; Beneteau First 40 - Zephyr

The remaining RYA trialists are:
David Aisher; J109 - Yeoman of Wight
Ed Broadway; Ker 40 - Hooligan VII
Iain Kirkpatrick; X 37 - Fatjax
James Gair; Mills 39 - Zero II
James Neville; Corby 36 - INO
Mike Blair; King 40 - Cobra
Richard Patrick; Beneteau First 40 - Dusty P
Robert Lutener; Ker 40 - Cutting Edge on Baraka
Robert Stiles; J109 - Diamond Jem

The RYA Selection Criteria Document for the 2014 Brewin Dolphin Commodores’ Cup can be found here.
Event website