IRC Small Boat Regatta at Royal Air Force Yacht Club

IRC Small Boat Regatta © George Beevor

IRC Small Boat Regatta © George Beevor

For the third year in a row, the Saturday of the IRC Small Boat Regatta, hosted by the RAF Yacht Club, bought challenging conditions, though happily in an improvement on 2013. This year saw a full three races sailed for both classes, one windward/leeward, one triangle/sausage and one round the cans courses were used, all in 20 knots + from the SW.

In Class One, James Morland's quarter tonner Menace dominated proceedings as they handled the conditions best and bagged three bullets ahead of Tom Hill's beautiful quarter Runaway Bus who were second in each race. Oliver Love and Sam Flint headed the Impala challenge completing the top three on each occasion.

Class Two was harder fought. Bob Allen's Nordic Folkboat Fritha took the honours in the first race from the two smallest boats in the fleet, Tokoloshe II, the Hunter 19 (a Squib with a lid) of Harry Ellens got second and Ian Cooke's Hunter Medina 19 came third. Pat Stables' Trapper 300 Google-Eye got their first bullet in the second race with Tokoloshe II again defying the conditions for a second with Dog Tired, yet another Hunter, this time of the Sonata variety, coming third. The last race of the day saw Tokoloshe again in the mix bagging a well deserved win ahead of Google-Eye and Dog Tired.

A soaked fleet retired to the RAFYC, hosting this year's event, to dry off and exchange the stories of their day over supper.

In contrast, Sunday dawned bright with a light WNW breeze. Runaway Buss made the best of the conditions to take victory in Class One ahead of Two-Frank with Menace down in third, around a triangular/sausage course. Runaway Bus also took the fifth and final race around the cans, in a brisk SW breeze, and Menace held on for second shaking off a strong challenge from Graham Tullett and Barney Smith in their Impala Imptish to secure the title for a second time.

In class two, the day was dominated by Peter Smith's quarter tonner Needlework who having let discretion be the better part of valour on day one, took a brace of victories on the Sunday. Tudor Rose took second in the first race from Google-Eye in third but Google-Eye grabbed second in the fifth and final race of the regatta which was enough to give her the class victory from Tokoloshe II who finished with a third.

Once again the prizegiving at the RAFYC was well attended, with engraved glassware and wine being awarded. The Spinlock prize to mark the 30th anniversary of the IRC rating system was given to Kathy and Rupert Smalley for having the oldest continuous IRC handicap in the fleet for their famous Laser 28 The Flying Fish.