Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

2022 RORC Vice Admiral's Cup Overall

by Rupert Holmes 22 May 2022 18:03 PDT 20-22 May 2022

Today had a change in wind direction to an east-southeasterly that progressively strengthened to 10-11 knots, along with more glorious sunshine for the 50 teams competing at the RORC Vice Admiral's Cup.

The Quarter Tonners enjoyed close competition, with much place changing and just 7.5 points separating the five boats in places four to eight. However, at the front of the fleet the overall lead of Sam Laidlaw's BLT was never threatened and he won the eight-race series counting seven points, having discarded his sole second place. Victory for Julian Metherell's Bullit in the penultimate race saw him take second overall on 13 points, while Louise Morton Bullet took third on 21 points.

The new Grand Prix Zero class was one of the three dominated by one boat, in this case Niklas Zennström's FAST40+ Ràn, which won every race, despite being pushed hard at times by Ian Atkins' GP42 Dark N Stormy.

"We had great weekend, with a better forecast than expected," says Joy Fitzgerald, a long-standing team member who runs the pit this weekend. "We thought we were coming to a light wind regatta, so to have the conditions we've had over the past few days has been really beneficial for us."

Despite two disappointing results today, RORC Commodore James Neville's HH42 Ino XXX held onto third overall on count back, having finished the regatta tied on points with Harmen Jan de Graaf's Ker 43 Baraka Gp.

In the J/109 class David Richards' Jumping Jellyfish won all but the final race, a result he was able to discard. However, the fight for second place could not have been closer, with John Smart's Jukebox and Mike Yates' Jago tied on 12 points at the end of the regatta. The tie break was resolved in Jukebox's favour thanks to their win in the final race.

By contrast, the Cape 31 fleet was one of three classes that went to the wire. A win for Russell Peters' Squirt in today's first race left him as a strong contender against Michael Bartholomew's Tokoloshe 4 for the overall title.

However, Squirt had a disappointing third race, finishing eighth, while two consistent third places for Tokoloshe 4 were enough for her to take an overall win with a six point margin, while Tony Dickin's Jubilee took third overall, a further three points adrift. For most this was a high scoring regatta, yet there were many closely-fought individual battles throughout the fleet, including three pairs of boats that finished the regatta tied on points.

"It was awesome," says Tokoloshe 4 helm Dave Bartholomew, "brutal and stressful but fun and really, really hard work. The race management was brilliant - we were lucky with conditions, which combined with good race management to make eight absolutely amazing windward leeward races over the three days. It was hard work, with lots of position changes and lots of fun."

In the HP30s Jerry Hill and Richard Faulkner's Farr 280 Moral Compass held an overall lead at the end of each of the first two days of racing. However, Chris Townsend and Richard Powell's Gweilo got faster and faster during the regatta, finishing with three consecutive race wins.

"We had the joy of Graham Bailey driving for us in the windy conditions on Friday," says Powell, "when Jerry Hill's boat handling was superb and for us sailing downwind at 16-17 knots with water cascading across the deck was spectacular." Other team members on board include Sophie Heritage, recently returned from working with the British SailGP team in Bermuda, Ben Vines who was driving on Saturday, plus America's Cup and SailGP chief umpire Craig Mitchell.

Powell also echoed the thoughts of many competitors in saying: "...it was marvellous to see PRO Stuart Childerley back on the water - he and Paul Jackson (who ran the second committee boat) gave us eight cracking races in three days."

The J/111 class produced some of the most intense racing, despite being one of the smaller fleets. The final results were decided in the final race, which Tony Mack's McFly and Chris Jones / Louise Makin's Journeymaker ll started the race on five and six points respectively.

Both boats circling repeatedly in match-race style in the pre-start. Journeymaker then made the dash for the line first, followed by McFly on her windward quarter, and was first to tack onto port, heading towards the stronger favourable tide south of the Hill Head plateau. Unsurprisingly, McFly was quick to cover, but both boats were still almost neck and neck at the windward mark. They arrived at the leeward gate almost simultaneously, rounding opposite marks just three seconds apart.

However, McFly was on the advantaged side of the gate and therefore reached the stronger stream first, helping her pull ahead into a lead at the final windward mark that proved unassailable. She went on to cross the finish with an 18 second advantage at the end of a full-on 41-minute race.

For more action-packed and intensive close, short course racing, come to the IRC Nationals, hosted by RORC on June 10-12, 2022.

Full results available here www.rorc.org/racing/race-results

Related Articles

The perfect launchpad for RORC Transatlantic Race
Since 2014, Marina Lanzarote has consistently welcomed the fleet as the chosen departure point The RORC Transatlantic Race in association with the International Maxi Association and Yacht Club de France, will start from Marina Lanzarote on 11th January 2026. Posted on 31 Aug
Cowes Week 2025 Delivers Spectacular Racing
199th event completed in fine style The 199th Cowes Week annual regatta was completed in fine style with over 400 boats finishing the last race off the famous Royal Yacht Squadron line under multi coloured spinnakers. Posted on 19 Aug
Contessa 32 class at Cowes Week 2025
49th year of class racing at Cowes sees fleet secure several trophies The 199th year of Cowes Week is fast slipping astern as the Contessa fleet spreads its summer wings for cruising in and beyond the Solent before returning in September for more closely contested one design class racing. Posted on 18 Aug
A+T Wind Sensors lead Admiral's Cup results
The top four teams were using A+T wind sensors and parts The top four teams in the Admiral's Cup were using A+T wind sensors and parts. Together with victory in this year's Vendée Globe on Macif, this is proving A+T's reputation as the toughest and the best wind sensor available. Posted on 11 Aug
Double Down
Rahan, Léon, and Toucan - all great efforts, all winners, and all oceans apart Still blown away by the incredible efforts of Rahan in the Transpac, and now there is Léon in the Fastnet, and here in Australia, Toucan scores int he Sydney to Gold Coast race Posted on 10 Aug
Cowes Week 2025 overall
Fabulous, flying finish With the spectacle of many of the fleets finishing in the sunshine, downwind under spinnaker, this year's Cowes Week concluded in style. Posted on 8 Aug
Cowes Week 2025 day 6
Breeze and competition ramps up The penultimate day of Cowes Week 2025 delivered great winds with some fruity gusts and choppy seas to challenge competitors as the competition for the top prizes heats up. Posted on 7 Aug
Youth Day at Cowes Week gallery from Ingrid Abery
Photos from Wednesday's racing in the Solent We have a great gallery of gratuitous transom shots from Ingrid Abery, who was working tirelessly on the Solent on Wednesday to record the action. Posted on 7 Aug
Amarris crowned IRC Two-Handed European Champion
Combined results from RORC Cowes Dinard St Malo and the Rolex Fastnet Race After a season of adversity and determination, French sailor Achille Nebout has claimed the 2025 IRC Two-Handed European Championship, rounding off an extraordinary campaign racing with two teammates; Gildas Mahé and Tanguy Bouroullec. Posted on 7 Aug
Cowes Week 2025 day 5
Flying Jenny wins the Britannia Cup The biggest boats in Class Zero today were joined today by Tony Langley's Gladiator, which will be racing for the rest of the week. The battle for the Britannia Cup was between these giants, IRC1 and the Cape 31s. Posted on 6 Aug
RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERSwitch One DesignHyde Sails 2024 - One Design