RCIYC Commodore's Cup and Cook Salver overall

by Bill Harris on 25 Apr 2014 The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club’s annual race to St Malo was held on Good Friday. Coming to the line in bright sunshine for the 10 a.m. start, the ten-strong fleet found that conditions were ideal for this, the first passage race of the new season. Four of the boats, those in class one of the fledgling Island Handicap System, had signed up for the Commodore’s Cup whilst six class two boats were to contest the Cook Salver.

The race committee set the start line to the southwest of St Aubin’s Bay with a short windward leg to the northeast to challenge boats’ tacking skills before they set off on the forty mile downwind race to the Grand Jardin lighthouse at the entrance to the St Malo roads. This, arguably, gave an early edge to the fully crewed boats, five boats sailing two-handed.

True to forecast, the fleet sailed into a light to moderate northeasterly breeze at the start, a breeze that was to build steadily later in the afternoon.

Julian Barber’s Elan 410, Chez Moi, made a determined and impressive start to be well ahead on rounding the windward mark with Alan Stevens’ First 44.7, Zanzibar, in hot pursuit. Roger Leonard’s Sigma 36, Leapfrog led the field for the class two boats. The next mark was the Pignonet beacon to the southwest of the Bay, recognised as a mark of the course by all but one boat. With a fast-ebbing tide under them, boats had a swift broad reach to the Passage Rock buoy, south of St Brelade’s Bay. Following a gybe onto port tack, most hoisted their spinnakers and settled down for the run to the Northwest Minquiers buoy. This leg saw Chez Moi building on her lead over Zanzibar with Leapfrog still well ahead in class two whilst Trevor Beaton’s Starlight 35, Ocean Star, and Adrian Taylor’s Starlight 30, Starry Night, kept very close company throughout.

Arriving at the Northwest, boats hardened up for a broad reach to the Southwest Minquiers buoy but, hardening up further for the final leg to the Grand Jardin, and with both the breeze and tide building, Chez Moi decided to drop her spi and white sail to the finish. This was an opportunity for the faster Zanzibar to get past the leader but as she drew almost level Chez Moi, determined to take line honours, hoisted her asymmetric spi and sailed clear to finish just over four minutes ahead of the First. Charles and Louise Blampied, sailing two-handed, came home third. This was also the order in which the class one boats finished on corrected time.

Leapfrog sailed a consistent race in class two finishing well ahead of Starry Night that finished just thirty seconds ahead of Ocean Star. Some close quarter battles in both classes then, particularly at the end of the race. However, having sailed an excellent race it was James Wilding’s Pandora 22, Boy Blew, which proved to be the real threat in class two. Although bringing up the rear, Boy Blew was just over four minutes short of depriving Leapfrog of her win. Leapfrog took line honours in the class as well as the race on corrected time. Boy Blew was second and Starry Night third.

With racing completed, crews met in the bar of the Societe Nautique de la Baie de St Malo at les Bas Sablons marina for a welcome drink before heading off for supper.

The place prizegiving will be held in the RCIYC clubhouse on Thursday 1st May.

Results:

Class 1 - Commodore's Cup
1 Chez Moi - Julian Barber (6.14.42)
2 Zanzibar - Alan Stevens (6.36.33)
3 Minx - Charles and Louise Blampied (6.58.09)
5 Hamsa - Bernard Azuelos (7.11.39)

Class 2 - Cook Salver
1 Leapfrog - Roger Leonard (6.28.25)
2 Boy Blew - James Wilding (6.31.59)
3 Starry Night - Adrian Taylor (6.45.11)
4 Ocean Star - Trevor Beaton (7.07.37)
5 Fleur - Andrew and Angela Pearce (7.10.26)

Arrasy - Chris Deahl (retired)