RCIYC Glenham Trophy Race overall

by William Harris on 23 May 2015 The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club’s annual Glenham Trophy race from Jersey to Dahouët was held on Saturday 16th May in conjunction, as ever, with the Yacht Club du Val André’s return leg of their three Jours D’Armor race. The thirty-strong French fleet had raced to Jersey on the Thursday in very wet and windy conditions and crews were undoubtedly pleased that Friday was a lay-day.

Conditions on the Saturday morning were not too bright either with fog shrouding St Aubin’s Bay to the extent that the cruise ship Serenissima, lying just to the south of the Bay, was almost hidden from view. Happily, the race committee could still see the pin end mark and managed to get the first French flight off at eight o’clock followed ten minutes later by the second flight. The seven-strong Jersey fleet followed on at eight thirty.

Boats were quickly away in the strong west-northwesterly breeze to face a dead beat and very sloppy conditions as they headed round Noirmont, on the ebb, to the Passage Rock buoy, off St Brelade, before bearing away for a sunless white sail reach to the finish line off the Les Landas buoy, some miles north of Val-André. Frustratingly for some, the wind was never amenable to merit hoisting a spinnaker, throughout the race.

Go-Sail’s Oceanis 41, Lady Catherine, with Mark Tucker at the helm, was the first class one boat off the line to be swiftly overtaken by Julian Barber’s Elan 410, Chez Moi. From that point on, Chez Moi led the Jersey fleet all the way to the finish to take line honours some twelve minutes ahead of Lady Catherine. That, however, proved to be her singular moment of glory as Lady Catherine had sailed well to beat her by seven minutes on corrected time. Brenden McGinley and Serena Tirel, racing their Najad 420, double-handed, were third.

Trevor Beaton’s Sadler Starlight 35, Ocean Star, the highest handicapped boat in class two, was first off the line to establish an early lead in her class. Steadily creeping away from the serious threat posed by the Sigma 33, Warrior, with Chris Fritot at the helm, Nick Bailhache’s Moody 31, Fillipene, and Karl Vallois’ Oceanis 343, No Worries, she went on to take line honours and the race, finishing seven minutes ahead of Warrior on corrected time. Whilst No Worries was third to finish, she had to give way to Fillipene in the final analysis to come fourth on corrected time.

The French fleet, meanwhile, had continued racing to finish off the beach off Val-André with, at last, an opportunity to get the spis out of their bags. Whether this would have changed the results for the Jersey boats remains a moot point but gives the race committee something to think about for next year.

On arriving in Dahouët, the Jersey crews were warmly welcomed by the YC du Val-André with whom they enjoyed a very lively and convivial evening. Whilst the results were announced that evening, the place prize-giving will take place in the RCIYC clubhouse whilst the presentation of the Glenham Trophy, a gift of past RCIYC Commodore T B Davis, will be presented at the Club’s annual dinner.

Results

Class 1
1 Lady Catherine – Mark Tucker – 4.26.18
2 Chez Moi – Julian Barber – 4.33.27
3 Baltic Dart – Brenden McGinley – 5.01.28

Class 2
1 Ocean Star – Trevor Beaton – 4.37.36
2 Warrior – Chris Fritot – 4.44.44
3 Fillipene – Nick Bailhache – 4.46.37
4 No Worries – Karl Vallois – 4.52.13

Diary dates:
4 – 6 July – 20th Waller Harris 2-Handed Triangle Race
8 August – British Airways Round Jersey Race
4 – 6 September – UBS Jersey Regatta