2009 Dartmouth Regatta at the Royal Dart Yacht Club

The 2009 Dartmouth Regatta sailing events attracted 313 craft within 18 classes for a total of over 122 races over the week. The 4 days of racing were reduced to 3 when racing was called off on Friday due to strong winds. Fortunately conditions on Saturday were ideal with a strong breeze and brilliant sunshine but by Sunday the weather had deteriorated and constant drizzle coupled with an 18 knot wind meant poor visibility.

The marquee on Darthaven Marina on Sunday night was packed with contestants as Hugh Conway, chairman of the Joint Regatta Sailing Committee, thanked the Marina owners and staff, Dartmouth Yacht Club, Dittisham Sailing Club and Royal Dart Yacht Club (RDYC) for their support giving particular thanks to the RDYC who had allowed them to use their facilities and premises over the week. RDYC Commodore, Mike Moody, presented the prizes – a glittering array of cups, plates, and trophies, some dating back to the last century.

Class 0, the class for the largest boats competing - the Farr 45s - was won by Jerry Otter’s Werewolf which had an impressive win at the Royal Southern Yacht Club Regatta in July and in the Farr 45 Nationals in Weymouth earlier this year.

“It’s been great racing with pretty good winds each day,” said Nick Butt, Werewolf’s skipper of 4 years. “But this course has twenty degree wind shifts as Start Bay faces east, the prevailing winds are south-westerly and the hills make the wind go in different directions. It makes it very hard for our tactician.” Evidently their tactician, a competitor in the Beijing and Athens Olympics, got it right.

The story emerging from the winners is one of perseverance in the face of adversity. Werewolf had an engine fire on Thursday before the first race when the starter motor broke, setting fire to the electric cables. Nick put it out with the fire extinguisher but had to drive back to their base in the Hamble on the Solent to pick up a spare motor so they were ready for the following day’s racing.

IRC 1 was won by Peter Rutter’s Quokka 7 from Royal Southampton Yacht Club, IRC 2 by David and Kirsty Apthorp’s J-Dream and IRC3 was won by Sean Semmens and John Pollard of Brixham Yacht Club (BYC) in Xcellent which has won the last 3 Dartmouth Regatta series in their class.

“The secret of today (Sunday) was to get around the course without breaking anything,” said Sean who went on to praise the hospitality and entertainment organised by the RDYC.

IRC 5 was won by another Brixham boat, Fearnought, owned by Matt and Michelle Dodd since 2005 and which also won its class in the Torquay Regatta.

“Today was really rough but we went out and survived. We broke a winch on the last race so we had to retire.” They had to discard this race but had excellent results in previous races.

IRC 4 was won by Rennie and Ruth Miller’s Dignity. Ruth praised their crew of 8 who dealt well with the different challenges presented each day.

PY1 was won by Brixham Yacht club member Christopher Thorpe in Firefox, and PY2 by David and Nicky Bomby’s Meyia which also won best local and RDYC boat.

“As we made our way out to the course this morning the visibility was so poor that we couldn’t see the leeward or windward mark,” said David. “We just followed the boats ahead and used the bearings the committee boat had given us.” But the crew, Nicky, Nikki King and Nick Hayworth, reefed down and sailed to victory with Tracey and Stephen Kilpatrick’s Tancree close behind.

PY3 was won by Matthew Shaw’s Odalisque and PY4 by newcomer Ben Rhode’s Lisette.

“I really didn’t know what to expect,” said Ben as this was the first time he had raced outside of his home club, Exe Sailing Club, and one of the crew, his girlfriend, has only been sailing for a year. “But everyone here’s been brilliant. Being new to things I had a bit of a problem sorting out my handicap when I arrived, but the ladies at the RDYC sorted it out for me even though they had so many queries to deal with!”

The squib racing, dominated by the RDYC fleet, was won by Mike Mackie and Roger Nuttall in Tearaway with Mike’s daughter, Tina, not far behind in Atom, closely followed by Clive Bennett in Baby Hippo.

The Sportsboat series was one by Steve Mittler’s J80, Team Baltic, which has turned in some excellent results this season. Steve praised his young crew. One of them, Ryan Gerrish, explained how a piece of string helped them win.

“On Thursday, the first day, the mainsheet traveller broke so I had to tie it up with a piece of string which frayed during the course of the three days but somehow held together!”

Peter Wanstall’s Jasmine was second. Third was the Round-Smith’s Jezebel helmed by Simon Bower, who also won the Laser series at the dinghy Regatta held at Dittisham. Also competing was the Dewing’s Jackinabox with 4 family members on board. Their daughter Annabel, 10, was probably the youngest competitor this year.

Matthew and Thomas Reed won the Scimitar race in Bandido, Timothy Petit won the Devon Yawl class in Mistletoe and Peter Lucas won the Gaffer race in Ripple, with David Dimbleby’s Rocket coming second.

The passage race from Brixham to Dartmouth on Wednesday had a record 91 entrants but only 20 boats arrived at the start line due to the rough conditions. The Harrington’s Vortex (RTYC), Christopher Thorpe’s Firefox (BYC) and Leslie English’s Hotwatch of Hamble won their classes.

Mike Moody concluded the prize giving by thanking Hugh Conway and the JRSC, the race officers Tony Blachford and Steve Parry, the many volunteers and all the competitors saying he hoped to see them on the start line next year.

More information on the event website.