Lisa wins the Morgan Cup Race

by Louay Habib on 11 Jun 2017 British First 44.7, Lisa, is the overall winner of the 2017 Morgan Cup Race. Owned by Nick and Suzy Jones and skippered by RORC Commodore, Michael Boyd. The Corinthian team scored a memorable victory after IRC time correction. 94 yachts completing the 125 mile course across the English Channel in blustery conditions. The crucial part of Lisa's victory came right at the end of the race.

“You need a good slice of luck to win a RORC offshore overall, as the conditions really need to suite your particular class” smiled RORC Commodore, Michael Boyd. “For Lisa, the tide changed near the end, which slowed the boats down behind us. We stayed inshore for a bit of rock hopping in the final few miles and it paid off. I would like to praise all the team racing Lisa, especially Suzi and Nick (Jones). We would like to dedicate the win to our absent navigator, who has a knee injury. Neil Morton, this win was for you.”

Five time Figaro competitor, Jacques Pelletier, racing Milon 41, L'Ange De Milon, finished the Morgan Cup just over a minute behind Lisa, to claim second overall. About 15 minutes later, Gilles Fournier and Corinne Migraine, J/133 Pintia, crossed the line. After IRC time correction Pintia was third by just two seconds.

Windward Sailing's CM60, Venomous skippered by Derek Saunders, took Line Honours and victory in IRC Zero, in an elapsed time of just over 17 hours. L'Ange De Milon was the winner of IRC 1, ahead of Maxime de Mareuil's French xp-44 Orange Mecanix2. Mike Greville's British Ker 39, Erivale III was third in class. In IRC Two Lisa was the winner with Pintia second. Stephen Hopson's JPK 10.80 Blue Note was third in IRC 2, racing Two Handed.

A tremendous battle in IRC 3 was played out by two French JPK 1080s. Marc Alperovitch's Timeline took Line Honours for the class and after IRC time correction, won by just 26 seconds, ahead of Delamare and Mordret's Dream Pearls. Rob Craigie's Sunfast 3600 Bellino was third in class racing Two Handed. In IRC 4, Marc Noel racing French Norlin 37 China Girl, corrected out to win the class, ahead of two British teams; David Cooper racing Dehler 38 Longue Pierre and David Gough's Elan 333 Aventurera.

In the Class40 Division, Halvard Mabire's Campagne de France continued their fine for this season, winning their class by over one hour.

In IRC Two Handed, the top seven places all went to British boats, the top three separated by just two minutes 17 seconds after IRC time correction. It was Rob Craigie and Deb Fish sailing Rob’s Sunfast 3600, Bellino that was the winner, just under ten minutes ahead of Ed Fishwick's Sunfast 3600 Redshift Reloaded.

Charles Emmett's superbly sailed Sigma 36, British Beagle was third. Charles was leading the Two Handed Class, IRC 4 and the race overall for long periods of the race, however the tide and a softening breeze robbed them of victory on the South Coast of Guernsey. Fair respect should to the smaller yachts in the race completing Two Handed. Blackburn and Dipple's Sunfast 3200, All or Nothing, along with Jonty Layfield's J/11s, Sleeper and Alan Thornewill's JOD 35, Ginger.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club's Season's Points Championship consists of a testing series of races which attracts an international and varied fleet. For the serious offshore sailor, trying to win the Season's Points Championship is a real challenge. The Season's Points Championship this year includes the tactically and physically challenging Rolex Fastnet Race, one of the oldest and most prestigious offshore yacht races in the world.