Carey Olsen Jersey Regatta 2021
by Bill Harris 20 Sep 2021 18:42 AEST
10-12 September 2021
Class 3 at the Carey Olsen Jersey Regatta 2021 © Bill Harris
The twenty-third edition of the Jersey Regatta, sponsored for the second year running by offshore law firm Carey Olsen, ran very successfully in the beautiful arena of St Aubin's Bay from 10th to 12th September.
Organised jointly by the Royal Channel Islands YC, St Helier YC and St Catherine's SC, this three day sailing extravaganza, including the 8th GBR IRC Channel Islands Championship, attracted almost one hundred boats that, unlike the locked down 2020 version, saw the welcome return of competitors from Guernsey and France.
Weather conditions were fair, overall, with the best of the sunshine reserved for Saturday. With rain stopping just in time, the race programme opened on a dark and damp Friday morning accompanied by a fresh to strong westerly breeze as the cruiser classes came to the line for the 8.00 a.m. start of the customary coastal race. After a short beat in the Bay, a triangular course took the fleet eastwards to the Canger Rock buoy, south-westwards to the North Minquiers buoy, returning to the Bay to finish; a reportedly bumpy ride on lumpy seas. Conditions improved slightly, thereafter, but were still brisk for the start of the sport catamaran, dinghy, dayboat and windsurfer classes' programme that opened late in the afternoon.
Saturday was much brighter providing long sunny spells with fresh westerly winds remaining the order of the day but off the Bay sea conditions for the cruiser classes remained sloppy throughout. However, in line with the forecast, the situation changed dramatically on Sunday, the wind having dropped to zero overnight, with barely a ripple. With everyone primed to race through the morning it was decided to postpone for two hours despite there being little promise that things would improve. However, hope springs eternal and the wait proved to be well judged. Zephyrs faintly disturbed the calm just short of the two hours later accompanied by just enough puff to get racing under way. Unfortunately, many of the cruisers had gone home during the postponement so it was a somewhat smaller fleet that went on to have some great light airs racing. Operating independently, as ever, the 'small boat' race committee had also got its programme under way, competitors having waited patiently ashore.
With prizes and trophies in contention, each day, added to the lure of the Best-in-Class laurels, competition was predictably keen. Guernsey's Killing Time (Sunfast 3600) skippered by Alastair Bisson, took Cruiser Class 1 overall, including the IRC Channel Islands Championship, having faced stiff competition from Rhys Perkins and partners' Abracadabra (Archambault 35), and Alex Ohlsson and Neil Maclachlan's Jai Ho (J109). Racing with the Class 1 boats, Allen Brown and partners' sportsboat, The Dog's........! (Melges 24), had the accolade of returning the best time in every race.
Things were no less competitive in Class 2, with Tom Hill's White Magic (Albin Express) winning all but one race, ahead of Peter Crabb & Peter Williams' Paper Tiger (X95). Sailing in the NHC cruiser classes, Chris Fritot and Deborah Hutching's Mystique (Dehler 38) and Mike and Rachael Smith's Sombrero (Egythene 24) swept the board in the 'spinnaker' and 'whitesail' classes, respectively.
Close racing in the Dayboat class saw Malcolm Annan's Jamesina (Oysterman) taking the series with Laurence Curtis' venerable Moana (Cherbourg OD aged 100 +) second just one point ahead of Baloo (Cornish Coble) helmed by Katie Bennett-Jones.
Darren Stower and Graeme Monks won all three races in Class 5 (Hobie Wildcats), on Saturday, ahead of Adrian Jesson and Paul Martin. Ollie and Hannah Voak took the Class 6 (Hobie 16s) title, sailing Ships & Giggles, whilst Gordon Burgis and Kenny Snell were a close second with Purr Energy, just one point ahead of Grant Neale and Karen Larose on i-Gatto. Luke Paxton-Garnier and Thomas Allo won all six races in Class 7 (Hobie Dragoons) well clear of second placed Juliette Walton & Lucas McAllister. Archie and Jamie Willetts were third.
Fortunes were rather mixed in the fast dinghy class with only five of the six races run due to the collapse of the breeze by mid-afternoon on Sunday. Notwithstanding, Guernsey's Henrik and Georgina King's Surprise, Surprise (RS200), with three wins to her credit pipped Martin Speller's Liquid Impulse (Laser) to first place with Will Dengate's Laser Radial third. Olin Rogers, last year's winner in the slow dinghy class, retained his title after a nail biting tussle with Charlotte Boyle and Grace Sherrington's RS Feva XL. Tamsin Ingram sailing her Pico, also very well engaged in the contest, had to settle for a close third.
Having won the Friday race, Justin Horton went on to win all three races in the Kona Windsurfer class on Saturday. However, it was only Ollie Cadin who sailed on Sunday, winning the series by a very clear margin from Justin Horton and Andy Hart.
Socially, the whole shore side programme ran very well from the Commodore's welcome in St Helier YC on the Thursday evening through to the bumper prize-giving and award of trophies to close proceedings on Sunday. Mr Chris Carpenter, representing Carey Olsen, drew cheers and loud applause when he confirmed that Carey Olsen would be sponsoring Jersey Regatta 2022.
A diary date: The 24th Edition of the combined clubs' Jersey Regatta, the third under the Carey Olsen banner, is scheduled for 2nd - 4th September 2022. The Notice of Race will be posted on www.jerseyregatta.com in March.
Overall Results:
Friday (Pre-Regatta races)
IRC Cruiser Class 1
1 Killing Time - Alastair Bisson
2 Abracadabra - Rhys Perkins & partners
3 Jai Ho - Alex Ohlsson & Neil Maclachlan
IRC Sportsboat & Cruiser Class 1
1 The Dog's........! - Allen Brown & partners
IRC Cruiser Class 2
1 White Magic - Tom Hill
2 Gwez Gwern - Jacques Minet (France)
3 Paper Tiger - Peter Crabb & peter Williams
NHC Class 3a
1 Mystique - Chris Fritot & Deborah Hutchings
NHC Class 3b
1 Sombrero - Rachael & Mike Smith
2 Indigo - Clive Le Marquand
Dayboat Class 4
1 Baloo - Katie Bennett-Jones
2 Soda - Will Carnegie
3 Jamesina - Malcolm Annan
Sport Catamaran Class 6 (Open)
1 Ships & Giggles - Ollie & Hannah Voak
2 Nauti-cat - Tom Hunt & Else Blakeley
3 Sidewinder - Miguel Arraya & Chloë Mattock
Dinghy Class 8
1 Laser 4.7 - Olliver Boyle
2 Laser - Laurence Carter
3 Laser 4.7 - Tyler Horton
Dinghy Class 9
1 Optimist - Olin Rogers
2 RS Feva XL - Charlotte Boyle & Grace Sherrington
3 Optimist - Henry Lucas
Windsurfer Class W
1 Kona - Justin Horton
2 Kona - Balazs Denes
3 Kona - Andy Hart
Principal Regatta results: (all first places = Best-in-Class)
IRC Cruiser Class 1
1 Killing Time - Alastair Bisson (4) (Guernsey)
(IRC Channel Islands Champion - Class 1)
2 Abracadabra - Rhys Perkins & partners (6)
3 Jai Ho - Alex Ohlsson & Neil Maclachlan (6)
IRC Sportsboat and cruiser - Class 0+1
1 The Dog's........! - Allen Brown & Partners (3)
IRC Cruiser Class 2
1 White Magic - Tom Hill (3)
2 Paper Tiger - Peter Crabb & Peter Williams (5)
3 Gwez Gwern - Jacques Minet (7) (France)
IRC Quarter Ton - Class QT
1 Super Q - Julian Barber (3)
2 2Farr - Jeff Speller (6)
3 Juliana - John Smith (9)
NHC Cruiser Class 3a (spi)
1 Mystique - Chris Fritot & Deborah Hutchings (3)
2 Foxhound - Don Thompson (7)
3 Hamsa - Bernard Azuelos (10)
NHC Cruiser Class 3b (no spi)
1 Sombrero - Rachael & Mike Smith (3)
2 Jacamol - Karen Rowarth (10)
3 Indigo - Clive Le Marquand (12)
Dayboat Class 4
1 Jamesina - Malcolm Annan (6)
2 Moana - Laurence Curtis (9)
3 Baloo - Katie Bennett-Jones (9)
Sport catamaran Class 5 (F18)
1 Sonic - Darren Stower & Graeme Monks (3)
2 Wildcat - Adrian Jesson & Paul Martin (6)
3 Wildcat - James Fullerton & Perry Stone (9)
Sport Catamaran Class 6 (Open)
1 Ships & Giggles - Ollie & Hannah Voak (8)
2 Purr Energy - Gordon Burgis & Kenny Snell (10)
3 i-Gatto - Grant Neale & Karen Larose (11)
Sport catamaran Class 7
1 Usain Boat - Luke Paxton-Garnier & Thomas Allo (5)
2 Dragoon - Juliette Walters & Lucas McAllister (11)
3 St George & the Dragoon - Archie & Jamie Willetts (18)
Open Dinghy Class 8
1 Surprise Surprise - Henrik Asplund (11) (Guernsey)
2 Liquid Impulse - Martin Speller (14)
3 Laser Radial - Will Dengate (37)
Open Dinghy Class 9
1 Optimist - Olin Rogers (4.5)
2 Pico - Tamsin Ingram (8.5)
3 Optimist - Kirk Ingram (11)
Windsurfer Class W
1 Kona - Ollie Cadin (9)
2 Kona - Justin Horton (15)
3 Kona - Andy Hart (18)
For detailed results, go to www.jerseyregatta.com