UBS Jersey Regatta at St Aubin’s Bay

by Bill Harris on 15 Sep 2016 The UBS Jersey Regatta, held in St Aubin’s Bay and southwards, from ninth to 11th September, enjoyed interesting sailing conditions throughout, some good, some not so good but, generally, producing good racing almost to the bitter end.

This was the 18th edition of the Island’s combined clubs’ Regatta, sponsored for the fourth year running by leading wealth management company UBS AG Jersey. The turnout was up on last year with 90 entries across the cruiser, quarter ton, dayboat, dinghy, sport catamaran and windsurfer classes. Guernsey was strongly represented, particularly in the fast dinghy fleet, with good attendance also from neighbouring French clubs.

The cruiser programme included the Spinlock IRC Channel Islands Championships with the cruiser classes being dual scored under both IRC and NHC. This latter feature produced a few interesting results!

Racing opened on Friday when the cruisers came to the line for the 9.30 start of the 40-mile round-the-Island race. Conditions were set fair with moderate southerly winds, overcast skies and just a slight to moderate sea. With two hours of the flood to go, boats were sent on a short beat to the Diamond Rock buoy where they bore away for the run, downtide, to commence the anticlockwise circumnavigation of this beautiful island.

In Class one, Guernsey’s Roger Martel, sailing his J-122, Kaya, was first to the mark with Philippe Lena’s JPK960, Paulick, (Val André) snapping at his heels. Kaya held her lead to take line honours five and a half hours later. However, it was David Myatt’s eight-metre, Erica, which took the top spot on IRC with Paulick just one minute behind on corrected time. Alex Ohlsson and Neil MacLachlan’s J-109, Jai Ho, was first in NHC with Kaya second.

In Class two, Chris Fritot’s Hunter Sonata, Rondo, won both IRC and NHC titles from strong contender Jacques Minet’s Symphonie, Gwez Gwern (St Malo). Julian Barber’s Farr 727, Super Q, chalked up a win in the Quarter Ton Class with a clear win over Jeff Speller’s Farr 727, 2Farr.

The dayboat class came to the line in mid-afternoon for the first of two races that produced wins for Laurence Curtis’ lovely centenarian bermudian sloop, Moana, and Mike Harrison’s tiny La Rocque OD, Jigsaw. Malcolm Annan’s Oysterman, Jamesina, with two second places to her name, won the day. Jeremy and Elsa Swetenham, sailing the Hobie 16, Rubicat were the overall victors in the ensuing pair of races for open sport catamarans with Yvonne Winspear and Ania Baraniak, sailing Girls-on-Top, second. The dinghy classes brought the afternoon’s proceedings to a close with just one race each.

Guernsey’s Martin Boyde’s Laser 200, Bit of Blue, set the scene for inter-island competition in the ‘fast’ dinghy class with a win over Jersey’s Tom Pollard’s Laser, Why Knot? Clemmie Carnegie, sailing her Optimist, Boom!, won the ‘slow’ dinghy class ahead of Ollie Cadin’s Topper, Mad Hatter.

Friday’s benign weather transformed overnight from being a beauty to a beast. The southerly wind had increased to strong, generating a short metre and a half swell accompanied by a thick overcast and occasional rain and mist. With the committee boats successfully anchored and with many hours to be spent imitating bucking broncos ahead of them, the race committee got things underway. The format for the day, as it would be for Sunday, was three back-to-back races in each class. Happily, Sunday’s weather reverted to lighter airs and sunshine. However, the wind died as the afternoon wore on leading to a number of races being abandoned.

In cruiser Class one (IRC), honours were split, Kaya took Saturday and Jai Ho Sunday whilst Paulick , Erica, Nigel Coxshall’s ILC30, Toybox and the A35, Abracadabra, skippered by Bob de la Haye, shared second and third places over the two days. The pattern was similar on Sunday with Kaya’s performance over the three days sufficient for her to clinch the Spinlock IRC CI Championship ahead of Jai Ho. However, under dual scoring, it was Jai Ho that took the Best Boat in Class prize under NHC, ahead of Kaya.

In Class two, Chris Fritot’s Hunter Sonata, Rondo, almost succeeded in completing the hat trick over the weekend, but was narrowly defeated by the very competitive Gwez Gwern on Saturday. James Wilding’s Pandora, Boy Blew, was third overall.

Competition in the Quarter Ton Class was very evident with Super Q just one point ahead of 2Farr on Saturday. The tables were turned on Sunday, however, with 2Farr winning both races whilst Q slipped to third in the first race, giving 2Farr overall victory. Helen Barker’s Farr 727, Arbitrator, was third.

Braving the lively conditions, Jigsaw took two wins in the Dayboat Class to win overall on Saturday whilst Moana, absent on Saturday, won all three races on Sunday. Ben Jones’ Baloo was third. Having sailed all seven races, Jigsaw and Baloo took first and second overall respectively. Moana was third.

Class five, the F18 sport catamaran class, featured some lively competition between Adrian Jesson and Paul Martin’s Wildcat 565 and Andy Hart and Michael Kinross’ Wildcat 517 with 565 taking Saturday and 517 Sunday. Each had two wins out of five races but a DNS in Saturday’s third race for 517 could not be discarded, giving 565 a clear win overall.

Peter and Kate Scriven, sailing their Hobie 16, Sidewinder, sailed very well to win all three races on Saturday. However, they did not sail on Sunday. Each of Sunday’s three races had a different winner but it was Ollie Voak and Thomas Harris, sailing Hobie 16 Zig Zag, who won with Aaron Le Cornu’s 16, Topcat, second and Gordon Burgis’ 16, Pure Energy, third on the day. Best in Class, however, went to Tom Newman and Bart Wijsmuller’s Tom Cat, just one point ahead of Girls-on-Top.

Junior Sport Catamaran Class seven sailed on Sunday only. Elsa Swetenham and Finlay Arenz sailing Hobie Dragoon 1026 won the day, beating Theodora and Wilfred Kemberey in all three races.

There was no shortage of competition in the ‘fast’ dinghy class, by far the largest class in the Regatta. With two wins to her name Why Knot was a clear winner of the coveted Howard Trophy on Saturday with William Holden’s Laser, Maverick, in second place just half a point ahead of previous winner Martin Speller’s Laser, Liquid Impulse. Sunday went to Guernsey’s Henrik Asplund’s RS200, Mrs Norris, ahead of Liquid Impulse and Bit of Blue. Overall, Bit of Blue clinched the Best in Class award just one point ahead of Liquid Impulse who, in turn, was one point ahead of Why Knot? Close racing indeed.

Saturday’s honours in ‘slow’ dinghy Class nine, went to Tom Blackstone’s Optimist, Slam, having won all three races ahead of Boom! with three second places. Crazy Madhatter was third. Jack Horton, sailing his Optimist, Little Dipper, won both races on Sunday to carry the day ahead of Slam with two second places. Leo Jeune’s Topper, Karaboudjan was third.

Making their debut in the Jersey Regatta, the Kona Windsurfer Class raced on both days. Tim Laine, Justin Horton and Robert McAllistair each had a first place on Saturday but it was Laine who won the day ahead of McAllistair and Horton. This was the class that suffered most from the dearth of wind on Sunday afternoon with just one race being completed. Tim Laine chalked up a second win to take the Best in Class award clear ahead of McAllistair and Horton.

This brought the three days of racing to a close. After a short break competitors and organisers, alike, headed for home, St Helier Yacht Club, some well-earned refreshment and the prize-giving. In a packed clubhouse, St Helier YC Commodore, Bob de la Haye, welcomed everyone to the proceedings, with a special welcome to the visiting boats, warmly thanking UBS AG Jersey for their keen support over the past four years and for this Regatta in particular. He went on to thank all those who had organised and participated in the event and, especially the competitors, committee boats and RIB crews. Regatta Chairman, Bill Harris, added his thanks and welcome and invited Mr Tom Hill, UBS AG Group Country Head Jersey, to present the impressive array of trophies and place prizes. The presentations being completed, the evening drew to a close on a very high note.

A date for the diary - the combined clubs’ 19th Jersey Regatta is scheduled for 15th–17th September 2017.

Overall results (three days)
Cruiser Class one IRC - Spinlock IRC CI Regional Championship
1 Jaya - Roger Martel (8)
2 Jai Ho - Alex Ohlsson and Neil MacLachlan (9.5)
3 Paulick - Philippe Lena (12)

Cruiser Class 1 (NHC)
1 Jai Ho (6.5)
2 Jaya (7)
3 Paulick (14.5)

Cruiser Class two IRC - Spinlock IRC CI Regional Championship
1 Rondo - Chris Fritot (5.5)
2 Gwez Jacques - Minet Gwern (7)

Cruiser Class two (NHC)
1 Rondo (6.5)
2 Gwez Gwern (7)
3 Boy Blew – James Wilding (12)

Quarter Ton Class
1 2Farr – Jeff Speller (6)
2 Super Q – Julian Barber (6.5)
3 Arbitrator – Helen Barker (13.5)

Class four - Dayboat
1 Jigsaw – Mike Harrison (14)
2 Baloo – Ben Jones (18)
3 Moana – Laurence Curtis (20)

Class five – Open Sport Catamaran
1 Wildcat 565 – Adrian Jesson and Paul Martin (8)
2 Wildcat 517 – Andy Hart and Michael Kinross (11)
3 Roar Edge – Rob Moy and Mick Doleman (21)

Class six – Open Sport Catamaran
1 TomCat – Tom Newman and Bart Wijsmuller (27)
2 Girls on Top – Yvonne Winspear and Ania Baraniak (28)
3 Zig Zag – Ollie Voak and Thomas Harris (33)

Class seven – Open Sport Catamaran
1 Dragoon 1076 – Elsa Swetenham and Finlay Arenz
2 Dragoon 218 – Theodora and Wilfred Kemberey

Class eight – Open Dinghy
1 Bit of Blue – Martin Boyde (12)
2 Liquid Impulse – Martin Speller (13)
3 Why Knot? – Tom Pollard (14)

Class nine – Open Dinghy
1 Slam – Tom Blackstone (7)
2 Boom! – Clemmie Carnegie (11)
3 Little Dipper – Jack Horton (17)

Class W – Kona Windsurfer
1 Speedy - Tim Laine (10)
2 Kona - Robert McAllistair (15)
3 2866 - Justin Horton (15)