Pallot Windows Frostbite Series

by William Harris on 21 Nov 2008
A gentle northwesterly breeze and calm seas greeted the seventeen boats that turned out in a sunless St Aubin’s Bay for the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club’s annual Frostbite Series on Sunday morning, sponsored this year by Pallot Windows making a welcome debut on the Jersey sailing scene.

The nine o’clock start saw the tide well away and building, this coupled with just seven knots of breeze was bound to produce a very tactical race calling for serious concentration and keen awareness of where any tidal advantage lay. The wind direction allowed an olympic-type course to be set using the full extent of the Bay, with the St Aubin’s Race Mark to windward and the East Rock buoy, at the entrance to the St Helier roads, as the leeward mark.

With a twice round triangular course set, the seven IRC class one cruisers were first away with David Jones’ First 34.7, Jackana, first to the windward mark hotly pursued by Nigel Coxshall’s ILC30, Toybox, Alex Ohlsson and Neil Maclachlan’s J-92S, Jaya, Rhys Perkins and partners’ Archambault 35, Abracadabra. Abracadabra squeezed past to be first at the the East Rock with Jackana and Jaya vying neck-and-neck to be second.

It was to be Jackana, however, that dominated in the second circuit to take line honours and the race, finishing some three minutes ahead of Abracadabra. Jaya sailed to a well-earned second place on corrected time.

The IRC class two and RCH club handicap boats started together ten minutes after class one, sailing a windward-leeward and one triangle course. Equally keen competition was the order of the day in these classes, particularly so as three keen Farr 747s were racing in class two and three Starlight 30s in class 3.

Whilst Steve Pearl and partners very competitive X-79, Less Xpense, started strongly, it was to be the Farrs that dominated with all three staying in close contact throughout the race. Jeff Speller’s 2Farr held off a very strong challenge from Team Micmac’s Farr Micmac, skippered by David Sharp, to take line honours and the race. Julian Barber’s Farr was second on corrected time with the higher handicapped Micmac having to settle for third.

Chris Weeks and Chris Petra’s Starlight 30, Cassiopeia, took an early lead in class three whilst sister ships, Adrian Taylor’s Starry Night and Charles Norman’s Starbound had their own prolonged tussle for second place. Cassiopeia went on, comfortably, to take line honours and the race with Starry Night fighting off Starbound’s challenge to come second.

The second race in the Pallot Windows Frostbite Series takes place on Sunday 7th December. For the Notice of Race and full results see www.rciyc.org.

A diary date …
The 11th Jersey Regatta, sponsored by Brewin Dolphin, is scheduled to take place from 11th to 13th September 2009. Contact shyc@localdial.com for details.

Results

IRC Cruiser/racer
Class 1
1 Jackana D Jones 1.49.06
2 Jaya of Jersey A Ohlsson & N Maclachlan 1.52.12
3 Abracadabra R Perkins & Ptnrs 1.54.58
4 Jungle Fever J Chinn 1.59.18
5 Aurora N Guenier 2.00.21
6 Toybox N Coxshall 2.01.17
7 Jubilee G W Toporis 2.08.53

Class 2
1 2Farr J Speller 1.33.38
2 Super Q J Barber 1.35.00
3 Micmac Team Micmac 1.35.15
4 Less Expense S Pearl & Ptnrs 1.41.19
5 Canders J Rogers 1.47.57
Vamos D Hall DNF

RCH cruiser/racer
1 Cassiopeia C Weeks & C Petra 2.13.43
2 Starry Night A Taylor 2.20.08
3 Starbound C Norman 2.22.33
Jasine II D Le Marquand DNF