Jackson Yacht Services Bay Race Series 2022 at Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club
by Bill Harris 22 Oct 2022 10:06 PDT
16 October 2022
Jackson Yacht Services Bay Race Series © Bill Harris
Having been rescheduled due to poor weather at the beginning of the month, the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club's annual Jackson Yacht Services Bay Race Series was successfully completed in St Aubin's Bay on Sunday 16th October.
Conditions were generally good despite the thick blanket of cloud that continually threatened rain that never arrived, nor did the sun. The light southerly breeze that greeted the cruiser fleet, as boats came to the line, soon freshened and backed as the morning wore on, accompanied by building seas.
The programme opened, with just five knots of breeze, shortly after 9.00 a.m. with a massed start for the first of two races for the sportsboat and cruiser classes. Allen Brown and partners Melges 24, The Dog's........!, was quickly away with Jeff Chinn's J105, Jewel, hot on her heels on a circumnavigation of the Bay. Despite sterling efforts, Jewel succumbed to the fleet-footed sportsboat by two minutes in race one.
With the benefit of a building breeze, boats were sent on a longer course for race two but it was, again, The Dog's that prevailed by three minutes to take the IRC combined class overall whilst Jewel took Class 1.
Racing in the IRC fleet, Team Mic Mac's Farr 727, Mic Mac, was clear ahead of Team Super Q's Farr 727, Super Q, in the first race. The tables were turned in the second race, however, with Super Q finishing well clear of Mic Mac in the second race to take the Quarter Ton Class on count back.
Racing in the RYA NHC class, Jason Baker & partners' Golden Shamrock, Arc-en-Ciel, clinched both races ahead of Don Thompson's graceful gaff cutter, Foxhound, by just two minutes in each race. Karen Roworth's First 21.7, Jacamol, sailed well to a creditable third, in both.
Conditions changed as the cruisers headed for home and the sport catamarans arrived from the Gun Site beach. The wind quickly backed thirty degrees and increased, promising some lively racing. Following a short postponement whilst the race committee adjusted the course the F18s were sent on the first of three back-to-back races over a windward/leeward - triangular course.
Andy Hart and Michael Kinross' Hobie Wildcat 517 sailed well in the face of stiff opposition from Adrian Jesson and Paul Martin's Wildcat 618 to win races 1 and 3. 618 took race 2. Leo Marshall and Chloë Swetenham's Hobie Tiger was a close third in the first two races but retired following a capsize in the third.
The Hobie 16 fleet's programme followed shortly after the F18s were away on their first race. Having recently returned from the Hobie World Championships, Ollie Voak and Megan Roworth sailed their newly acquired Hobie 16, Ships & Giggles, to win all three races in the face of stiff competition. Grant Neale and Karen Larose's iGatto was only twelve seconds adrift in the first race whilst, also fresh from the Hobie Worlds, Luke Paxton-Garnier and Jamie Washington's Time2Spare was a close second in races 2 and 3.
Time2Spare was second overall after Ships & Giggles with iGatto third. Gordon Burgis and Kenny Snell, with a fourth place in race 1, clinched a third in race 2 before retiring before the final race.
Conditions were, certainly, no less exhilarating for the Hobie Dragoon fleet. Oliver Hunt and Ilya McCarthy sailed faultlessly to victory in races 1 and 2 to take the overall result despite a retirement in race 3. Alf Barrowcliffe and Henry Lucas clinched two second places before, also, retiring from the final race. However, despite having come third in the first two races, Lucas McAllister and Thomas Allo were second overall having been the sole finisher in the final race.
Following a brilliant recovery from a pitch pole half way round the course in race 3, the pair finished the race under mainsail only, the jib sheet having disappeared during the course of righting the boat. This impressive exhibition of tenacity and skill truly merited the round of applause from the race committee and guard boat crews as the boat set course for the sprint back to the beach.
Proceedings concluded with a prize-giving and supper in the RCIYC clubhouse, on Thursday, when sponsor Mike Jackson, Jackson Yacht Services, congratulated all who had competed before presenting the place prizes to the worthy winners. Rear Commodore Jeremy Swetenham thanked Jackson Yacht Services for their long-standing sponsorship and all those afloat and ashore who had helped make this such a successful event.
2023 Regatta diary dates:
13th & 14th May - RCIYC Spring Regatta
10th & 11th June - RCIYC Savills Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships
8th to 10th September - Combined Clubs' Carey Olsen 25th Jersey Regatta & GBR IRC CI Championship.
Class 0 + 1 results (IRC Cruiser/racer & sportsboat):
1st - The Dog's........! - Allen Brown & partners
Class 1 results (IRC Cruiser/racer):
1st - Jewel - Jeff Chinn
Class 3 results (NHC cruiser):
1st Arc-en-Ciel - Jason Baker & partners
2nd Foxhound - Don Thompson
3rd Jacamol - Karen Roworth
Class 5 results (F18 Sport Catamaran):
1st Andy Hart (4)
2nd Adrian Jesson (5)
3rd Leo Marshall (10)
Class 6 results (Open Sport Catamaran - Hobie 16):
1st Ships & Giggles - Ollie Voak (3)
2nd Time 2 Spare - Luke Paxton-Garnier (7)
3rd iGatto - Grant Neale (9)
Class 7 results (Open Sport Catamaran - Hobie Dragoon):
1st Dragoon 1369 - Oliver Hunt & Ilya McCarthy (6)
2nd Dragoon 1370 - Lucas McAllister & Thomas Allo (7)
3rd Dragoon 1078 - Alf Barrowcliffe & Henry Lucas (8)
Go to www.rciyc.je/sailing for detailed results.