Victory class End of Season news
by Kim Taylor 1 Nov 2011 06:58 GMT
Another closely fought season of 72 races with overall turn outs averaging over 10 boats (12 for the evening races). There were a couple of new entrants to the fleet and two more boats are expected to be returned to the water next year.
The prizes were well spread amongst the fleet with Mark Dennington' s Z78 Ziva helmed by Jim Downing taking Cowes week and some local prizes. The main trophy winners among other boats were Janet Dee and Shaun Hopkins sailing Z 57 Variety, Geoff Dixon in Z 54 Zelia, Andy Thomas in Z72 Zingara, Tom Hartridge in Z74 Peregrine and Kim Taylor sailing Z76 Zest.
Jeremy Lear's Zinnia, Z69, helmed by John Tremlett also won a couple of trophies on its occasional outings but they were also campaigning an X boat during that Class's centenary year achieving an extremely creditable 4th during Cowes Week.
With a view to seeking to improve on that they will be concentrating on the X50 Xcitation next year and Zinnia the first of the iroko boats built in 1982 by John Perry is now, reluctantly, for sale.
Class Captain Kim Taylor said, “We are sad to see them go but understand, that after 11 Class wins at Cowes including overall winner of the White Group on two occasions, as well as many local trophies, the challenge of the XODs would be hard to resist having done so well in their first year. Operating full campaigns in two wooden boats would obviously be hard to contemplate. We wish them every success, and are assured we will still see them from time to time back in Victorys. It does however give someone a great opportunity to enter the Class with a well proven classic Victory in tip top condition.” - full details are on the Class website.