Round Jersey Race at Royal Channel Islands YC overall

by William Harris on 26 Aug 2011 British Airways Round Jersey Race was hosted by the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club on Sunday, 21st August. The annual event saw twenty six boats coming to the start line in St Aubin’s Bay.

With a good westerly breeze forecast, conditions were set fair for an enjoyable and competitive sail around the Island despite the somewhat dull outlook.

The sportsboat and cruiser classes were first away at nine o’clock on a beat westward to the laid windward mark. Allen Brown and partners, sailing the Melges 24, The Dog’s ……..!, the sole sportsboat representative, established an early lead with David Jones’ First 34.7, Jackana, heading up the cruiser contingent. On rounding, boats bore away for the Diamond Rock buoy and the spinnaker hoist as they commenced the long run down to the tricky Violet Channel buoy lying off the southeast corner of the Island.

French entrant Jan Legallet’s A40, Banque Populaire (Karibario) and Nigel Coxshall’s ILC30, Toybox, stayed in contact with Jackana throughout the circumnavigation despite the vagaries of both wind and current. It was at the Violet that the fleet met its first real challenge with the wind dying and the tide turning to carry boats northwards. Once round the mark boats headed off under white sails or a shy spinnaker reach to the next parking spot, north of St Catherine’s breakwater. Once clear of this hole, the leg along the north coast provided a very tactical beat, some boats choosing to stay well inshore with others sailing well offshore. Spinnakers were hoisted again as the fleet rounded Grosnez and set off for La Corbiére. With the wind dead aft and the tide still ebbing, the run along the south coast proved to be equally tactical as boats gybed their way to the Platte Beacon, the penultimate mark before turning for the white sail reach for the finish line off St Helier Harbour.

Banque Populaire sailed home to take line honours in cruiser class one after six and a quarter hours. She had not, however, managed to shake off either Jackana or Toybox and had to be content with third place. Jackana, a previous winner, was well clear on corrected time to take class one and the prestigious Jesse Boot Trophy. Toybox was second.

Life in cruiser class two was no less exciting, particularly during the rounding of the Violet Channel buoy. Last year’s winner, Bruce Harrison’s IOD Aphros, was first to arrive hotly pursued by Julian Barber’s Farr 727, Super Q and Geoffrey Fisher’s X-95, Paper Tiger. These three boats kept company throughout the race but the real contest was between Aphros and Super Q with Aphros maintaining her lead despite constant challenges from the Farr. Aphros held onto her lead to take class line honours after nearly seven and a half hours, having managed to keep Super Q off sufficiently to win the race, and the Cabot Memorial trophy, by two seconds on corrected time. David Myatt’s IOD Marguerite was third.

Three Hobie Tigers, two Wildcats and three Hobie 16s made up the sport catamaran fleet that started ten minutes after the cruisers. Unfortunately for David and Laurence Carter, a capsize shortly after the start put them out of the race as a powered up 16 shot over their Tiger’s mainsail, shredding it in the process. Clocking up to twenty knots downwind, it took very little time for the surviving Tigers to overall the leaders in the cruiser classes. Only El T’s, the 16 of Dave Howell and Paul Francombe, persevered to round the Violet Channel buoy and finish the race. Toby Orpin and Lewis Crawford, paying a flying visit to the Island, raced home on their Wildcat in five and a quarter hours to take overall line honours, the race and the British Airways Speedbird trophy. Darren Stower’s Wildcat, Smurf, followed in under thirty minutes whilst Andy Hart’s Tiger pipped Adrian Jesson’s Tiger by seven minutes to take third.

The day was rounded off in the RCIYC clubhouse when Mrs Denise Waller presented the place prizes. Commodore Rodney Waller gave a speech of thanks to all concerned in organising what had been an excellent event and expressed the Club’s sincere appreciation for British Airways long-standing support of the Club’s Round Jersey race.

Diary note: The Brewin Dolphin Jersey Regatta takes place from second to 4th September. The Notice of Race and Entry form are available online. Call 01534 732229 or e-mail info@jerseyregatta.com for further details.

Results:
Cruiser Class 1
1 Jackana - David Jones (6.44.32)
2 Toybox - Nigel Coxshall (7.03.14)
3 Banque Populaire (Karibario) - Jan Legallet (7.08.31)
4 Jubilee G - Werner Toporis (7.16.10)
5 Silver Paws - Huw Bolle-Jones (7.53.04)
6 Morrina IV - Peter Funk (8.13.45)

Cruiser Class 2
1 Aphros - Bruce Harrison (6.28.56)
2 Super Q - Julian Barber (6.28.58)
3 Marguerite - David Myatt (6.48.02)
4 2Farr - Jeff Speller (7.01.59)
5 Paper Tiger - Geoffrey Fisher (7.08.36)
6 Fillipene - Nick Bailhache (7.19.23)
7 Jack Rabbit - Andrew Jelley/Mike Seguss (7.31.17)
8 Trewyn - Hugh Gill (7.33.04)
9 Dogcockle – Myles Winchester (DNF)

Sport catamaran Class 3
1 Wildcat - Toby Orpin and Lewis Crawford (5.15.10)
2 Smurf - Darren Stower and Peter Longstaffe (5.39.20)
3 Breaching 69 - Andy Hart and Michael Kinross (5.42.25)
4 1268 - Adrian Jesson and Steve Troy (5.49.00)
5 El T's - David Howell and Paul Francombe (6.26.01)

Sportsboat
The Dog’s ……..! – Allen Brown and partners RCIYC website