UBS Jersey Regatta - Overall

by Bill Harris on 22 Sep 2017 The nineteenth edition of the combined clubs’ Jersey Regatta, sponsored for the fifth year running by UBS AG, Jersey’s leading provider of wealth management solutions in the Channel Islands, was held over 15th to 17th September. Conditions were generally good allowing virtually the entire programme of three races per day per class to be run without a hitch.

Proceedings opened on the Thursday evening with a reception, briefing and collection of ‘goody bags’ at St Helier Yacht Club. Racing started, the following morning, with the first race for the cruiser classes taking the fleet, under threatening skies, to the Minquiers and back, a course of just over thirty miles. Following a short beat to the windward mark in St Aubin’s Bay, spinnakers were quickly hoisted for the long spinnaker run to the south. Alan Stevens’ long-legged First 44.7, Zanzibar, came home to take line honours in Class 1 in a little over five hours to win under the NHC system whilst the YC du Val André’s Jean-Philippe Tible’s Archambault A35, Canopée, followed shortly afterwards to win on IRC. (Jersey uses dual scoring for cruiser racing). Guernsey’s Matt Knowles’ and David Aslett’s HB31, Glory Days, took line honours in Class 2 but it was Chris Fritot’s Sonata, Rondo, that won under both systems after a six and a half hour sail.

Friday evening saw the dinghy, dayboat and sport catamaran classes in action in the Bay, sailing just one race each, essentially as a warm-up for the Regatta-proper. Ben Jones’ Cornish Coble, Baloo, carried the day in the dayboat class whilst Grant Neale’s Hobie 16, iGatto, won the small sport cat class. Victory in the dinghy classes went to Edward Poignand sailing his Laser, Samphire, in Class 8 and Tom Blackstone’s Optimist Slam in Class 9. This year saw the second edition of the Kona Windsurfer British Championship, following its inauguration in Guernsey in 2016. Jersey played host this year with Saturday and Sunday counting for the Championship. Sailing over the same trapezoidal course as the other ‘small boat’ classes, the honours went to James Leeming (Hampshire) on Friday.

Weather-wise, the following two days proved to be ‘interesting’ for competitors and race committees alike. Saturday saw a westerly breeze veering to the north over the course of the day, leading to a number of course adjustments by the two race committees on their respective committee boats. The truly memorable feature, however, were the threatening jet black clouds and torrential rain that greeted the fleet as it ventured out on Saturday. To their credit, the competitors and race officials stood their ground and racing got under way on schedule despite the one clap of thunder, the precursor to a deluge that caused flooding in the northwest of the Island. Happily, this bout of unpleasantness passed through to allow the sun to shine on the soaked beings below.

Racing to the south of St Aubin’s Bay over windward-leeward courses under Committee Boat A, Saturday produced wins for Darren Stower’s Project 762, Crumpet, in IRC 1 with Rhys Perkins’ A35, Abracadabra, winning on NHC. Julian Barber’s quarter tonner, Super Q, won IRC2 whilst Glory Days took the honours in NHC. Racing over the same course, Andy Hart and Michael Kinross won the F18 sport catamaran class sailing the Wildcat, Hobie 565.

Closer inshore, Committee Boat B had set a trapezoidal course for the dinghies, dayboats, sport catamarans and Konas. Tom Pollard won the coveted Howard trophy sailing his Laser Why Knot in Class 8 whilst Tom Blackstone added another win to his credit with Slam. Gordon and Elaine Burgis, on their Hobie 16, Pure Energy, sailed well to secure, yet again, the Gaiety Bowl in the small sport catamaran class whilst Gemma Newman and Will Dengate won the junior sport catamaran class on the Hobie Dragoon, KitKat. Bidding for the Kona championship title, Justin Horton beat off a strong challenge from James Leeming to win both races and take Day 1.

By Sunday, the wind had veered to the northeast and dropped light, backing very slowly to the north and increasing to force 2 with the occasional gust to 3. Happily, cloudy conditions and sunshine was a general feature of a dry day that produced the very unusual spectacle of a seal munching mackerel in the middle of the Bay. Although the fickle breeze presented a degree of frustration to all, the day’s racing programme was completed successfully.

Following her earlier triumph, Crumpet took the second day, too, in IRC1, ahead of the YC du Val André’s Philippe Lena’s JPK960, Paulick. Allen Brown and ptnrs’ Melges 24, The Dog’s ……..! won under NHC with Canopée second. Steve Pearl’s X79, Less Xpense, won both IRC and NHC in Class 2 with Rondo and Glory Days second respectively. Adrian Jesson and Paul Martin won both races in the F18 class sailing Hobie 517 to seal their overall win.

Under Committee Boat B, James Tilley’s Laser won two of the three races to take the day and the Regatta overall in class 8. Jack Horton, sailing his Optimist, Little Dipper, with three wins, won in class 9, ahead of Slam. Regatta stalwart Mike Harrison sailed his tiny La Rocque beach boat to win the dayboat class. Stuart McCue and Sandra Coleman, sailing Hobie 16 Salty Bean won the small sport catamaran class with Pure Energy second, the latter having sailed well over the two days to win overall. The junior sport catamaran class was won by Declan Flambard and Megan McDonagh, with two wins to their credit, on Hobie Dragoon 220.

Day 2 of the Kona Championship went to James Leeming on Toothpik, just one point clear of Justin Horton. However, Horton clinched the Championship by two points ahead of Leeming. Charlie Journeaux was third overall.

The Regatta drew to a close on Sunday evening when competitors, sponsors and officials gathered at St Helier YC for supper and the prize-giving. Commodore Steve Pearl, speaking on behalf of Commodores James Wilding (Royal Channel Islands YC) and Justin Horton (St Catherine’s SC) welcomed Tom Hill, Group Country Head of UBS AG Jersey, and his wife, Lizi, visiting competitors from France, the UK and Guernsey and all who had competed in or organised the Regatta, the Island’s star event. Commodore Pearl thanked UBS for their keen and generous support over the past five years and introduced Regatta Chairman Bill Harris who invited Mr and Mrs Hill to join him in presenting the many place prizes and trophies.

With all presentations complete, the proceedings of this very successful event were brought to a close.

The organisers are delighted to announce that the 20th Jersey Regatta is scheduled for 14th to 16th September 2018 when UBS AG Jersey will be in their sixth year of sponsorship. Definitely a milestone and a date for the diary!

Principal results

Coastal Race – Friday 15th September
Class 1 IRC – Canopée – Jean-Philippe Tible
Class 1 NHC – Zanzibar – Alan Stevens
Class 2 IRC and NHC – Rondo – Chris Fritot

Overall Results - 16th and 17th September
Class 1 IRC Cruisers
1 Crumpet - Darren Stower (9)
2 Paulick - Philippe Lena (11)
3 Abracadabra - Rhys Perkins and Ptnrs (15)

Class 1 NHC Cruisers
1 Abracadabra (14)
2 The Dog's ........! - Allen Brown and Ptnrs (15)
3 Jai Ho - Alex Ohlsson and Neil Maclachlan (16)

Class 2 IRC Cruisers
1 Less Xpense - Steve Pearl (8)
2 Rondo(11)
3 Super Q - Julian Barber (12)

Class 2 NHC Cruisers
1 Less Xpense (5)
2 Glory Days - Matt Knowles and David Aslett (12)
3 Rondo (15)

Class 4 - Dayboats
1 Jigsaw - Mike Harrison (4)
2 Baloo - Ben Jones (5)
Jamesina - Malcolm Annan (9)

Class 5 Sport catamaran
1 Wildcat 517 - Andy Hart (7)
1 Wildcat 565 - Adrian Jesson (7)

Class 6 Sport catamaran
1 Pure Energy - Gordon Burgis (7)
2 iGatto - Grant Neale (12)
3 Matou - Malin Nilsson (12.5)

Class 7 Sport catamaran
1 Wild Child - Declan Flambard (5)
2 KitKat - Gemma Newman (6)
3 1077 - Elsa Blakely (7)

Class 8 Fast dinghies
1 Laser - James Tilley (7)
2 Why Knot - Tom Pollard (9)
3 Mrs Norris - Henrik Asplund (14)

Class 9 Dinghies
1 Slam - Tom Blackstone (7)
2 Little Dipper- Jack Horton (8)
3 Boom - Clemmie Carnegie (12)

Class W Kona Windsurfer
1 Kona - Justin Horton (5)
2 Toothpick - James Leeming (7)
3 JER1 - Charlie Journeaux (11)