Please select your home edition
Edition
Zhik 2024 December

Cervantes Trophy - Double Artemis success in Le Havre

by Artemis Offshore Academy on 9 May 2013
A great start to the season for the Artemis double-handed skippers Artemis Offshore Academy www.artemisonline.co.uk
Sailing across the Cervantes Trophy finish line early evening in Le Harve, France on Saturday 4th May, Artemis Offshore Academy double-handed Figarists Sam Matson and Robin Elsey (Artemis 21) and Alex Garder and Dyfrig Mon (Artemis 43) finished the 110 mile race, their first race of the 2013 season, first and second in the 19 boat double-handed class, second and fourth in the IRC 2 class and sixth and 10th out of 104 boats overall.

After what turned into a fairly brisk drag race from the RYS line Cowes to Le Harve via the A5 mark, Sam and Robin only discovered that they’d topped the class leaderboard when the congratulatory Facebook notifications started rolling in: 'On crossing the finish line at around 20:47, happy without race we turned the boat around and started back for the UK straightaway' Robin explained. 'Only when we hit the UK 3G somewhere in the channel did we realise we’d done so well!'

'I don’t think we could ask for a better result for the first race of the season,' Sam continued. 'I’m incredibly happy. The conditions were in our favour, but I certainly felt that all of our hard work over the winter had paid off.

Setting off from the RYS start line in Cowes, UK at 10:20 BST that day, the wind whipped across the Solent, blowing between 20-28 knots with gusts of up to 37 knots – slightly different to the forecast 10 knots for the start. However, the Academy skippers used the stronger winds to their advantage, having been training in similar conditions all winter.

'The start was undoubtedly a high point for me,' continued Sam, 'as everything seemed to fall into place allowing us to cross the line at full pace, big spinnaker flying, only seconds after the gun had gone.'


'We’re pleased with our performance and we outdid our expectations with our result,' Artemis 43 skipper Dyfrig reported. 'But comparing our race to Sam and Robin’s, we still need to work on how far we can push the boat without making mistakes. I think this confidence is something that will come as we gain more racing experience.'


Once clear of Solent, the 104 boat Cervantes Trophy fleet converged into one long line, as the boats started on the 85 mile drag race to Le Harve, sailing at an average boat speed of around 10 knots. At this point in the race, the boats were not the only things reaching, with Sam getting caught in a bought of seasickness down below due to Robin’s abstract helming technique. Meanwhile, Alex and Dyfrig were enjoying the chase of their first ever race.

'Cutting past other boats up the fleet was a great feeling' Alex recalled. 'We’d been following a boat, Foggy Due (JPK 10.10), the whole way and as we rounded the last mark ahead of the finish, we popped the kite, I pushed Dyfrig off the helm and we just overtook them on the line. A small victory, and stolen from Dyfrig, but it was a highlight for me!'


'The first race of the season for all four Artemis double-handers and the first race since joining the Academy for Alex and Dyfrig, this weekend’s results against a tough Cervantes Trophy fleet were a promising start for the sailors and gratification for the hard work both pairs have put in this winter. The skippers have set the bar now, let’s hope their success will continue,' concluded Academy Performance director John Thorn.

Next on the calendar for the Artemis Offshore Academy double-handed duos is the RORC Myth of Malham over the 25th and 26th of May. In the meantime, you can catch up with Sam, Robin, Alex and Dyfrig in their post-race blogs here and via the Artemis Offshore Academy Facebook and Twitter.

Top three Double Handed class results (19 boats):

Boat name/Boat type/Elapsed time/Handi-cap

1. Artemis 21/Figaro Beneteau II/10:27:07/1.087
2. Artemis 43/Figaro Beneteau/10:41:28/1.087
3. Tusen Takk II/JPK 9.60/11:53:43/0.979

Top three and Academy IRC 2 Class overall results (19 boats):

Boat name/Boat type/Elapsed time/Handi-cap

1. Courrier Vintage/MC34 Patton/9:54:35/1.053
2. Artemis 21/Figaro Beneteau II/10:27:07/1.087
3. La Réponse/ First 40/10:38:14/1.086
4. Artemis 43/Figaro Beneteau/10:41:28/1.087

Top three and Academy overall results (104 boats):

Boat name/Boat type/Elapsed time/Handi-cap

1. Courrier Vintage/MC34 Patton/9:54:35/1.053
2. Magnum III/Ker 40/8:55:05/1.193
3. Tonerre de Bresken/Ker 46/8:31:24/1.272
6. Artemis 21/Figaro Beneteau II/10:27:07/1.087
10. Artemis 43/Figaro Artemis Offshore Academy website

Zhik 2024 DecemberRooster 2025Doyle_SailWorld_728X90px_GP BOTTOM

Related Articles

29er Europeans at Lake Garda overall
Record-breaking event closes in style More than 250 teams, 29 nations, six days of varied racing, and a fleet of young athletes pushing high-performance sailing to the next level. The 2025 29er European Championship, hosted by Fraglia Vela Riva, has officially wrapped.
Posted today at 8:14 am
Dragon Edinburgh Cup in Torbay Day 1
Sunshine, lighter airs, and no shortage of high-calibre racing Tuesday 8th July welcomed the opening day of the 2025 Edinburgh Cup in Torquay with sunshine, lighter airs, and no shortage of high-calibre racing.
Posted today at 7:14 am
Meet the CYCA's Admiral's Cup Team
Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique.
Posted today at 6:59 am
Who made the right call to get to the breeze?
And how technology is changing the Transpac Race to Hawaii Boats racing in the 2025 Transpac continue to reel in the offshore miles toward the finish line off Honolulu, Hawaii, in the 53rd edition of this historic 2,225-nautical-mile race.
Posted today at 12:54 am
Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race Finish
Temptation takes line honours in record time! The 2025 Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race launched under blue skies and a steady southwesterly breeze—an ideal start that stood in sharp contrast to the wild weather of 2023.
Posted today at 12:45 am
British Classic Week Day 2
An early start for Classes 1-3 as they prepared to race around the Isle of Wight It was an early start for the British Classic Week fleet on day two, as Classes 1-3 prepared to race around the Isle of Wight.
Posted on 8 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 3
The leaderboard tightens at the halfway mark after today's racing in a building breeze After a frustrating day of waiting ashore on Monday, Day 3 brought back the action in Aarhus Bay with spectacular foiling conditions and a full day of intense racing.
Posted on 8 Jul
Fleet advances to the last half of the AEGEAN 600
In contrast to yesterday's slow pace, the rate of progress has been much improved Most of the fleet of 59 Monohulls and Multihulls who are sailing in this year's AEGEAN 600 have either already entered the second half of the race at the island of Rhodes or are well on their way to reaching this important milestone.
Posted on 8 Jul
Mediterranean Regatta season in full swing
A+T instruments seen all over Europe delivering high-level performance for racing fleets As regatta season gathers speed, A+T instruments were seen all over Europe delivering high-level performance for the racing fleets.
Posted on 8 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 1
Storm cells circling Lake Garda lead to atypical and tricky conditions The 137 sailors representing 25 nations faced the first day of racing in conditions that were anything but typical for Malcesine, with unstable weather creating a complex, yet exciting, opening.
Posted on 8 Jul