Harken 29er Grand Prix 6 at Royal Torbay Yacht Club

29er Grand Prix at Torbay © Peter Newton Photography / peternewton.zenfolio.com

36 boats registered on Saturday morning for the sixth Harken Grand Prix event of the season. There was anticipation and angst in equal measure as an Easterly forecast for the weekend promised the famous Torbay swell would make itself felt.

With storm and rain forecast for Sunday, racing was started promptly on Saturday at 12.30pm, with a growing sea state, 12-14 knots of wind and sparkling sunshine. The fleet had many newcomers who made an excellent showing in challenging conditions, which disabled more than one of the committee boat crew with mal de mer!

Matt Venables and Will Alloway, newly crowned national champions, showed the way with 3 bullets and a 2nd, with the event ultimate hinging on the 3rd race where the first 4 boats crossed the line overlapped. Matt and Will caught the final wave perfectly to snatch the win, followed closely by Murray Hampshire and Chris Brewer, Owen Bowerman and Morgan Peach, and the newly formed but increasingly excellent crew of Ruth Allan and Alice Masterman, showing their national ladies title was no fluke. A huge final race win for Owen and Morgan was too little too late, as Sunday morning brought a massive sea driven by 30+ knots of easterly breeze. Bill Butcher, the RTYC race officer capped an excellent performance by cancelling sailing first thing, allowing an early prize giving and trip home through the downpour.

Honourable mentions to Josh Belben and Robert Masterman as first juniors, Ruth and Alice as first girls, the ever consistent Loveridges in 4th place, and to Emma Barnett and Eve Gadd who never stopped laughing as they swam after their boat, and managed one entire race without a capsize, and to those other newer members of the class who made a first class effort in the very lumpy conditions and looked to be enjoying it hugely.

Many thanks to Royal Torbay for another excellent event. The class next convenes in only two weeks at Hayling Island for what promises to be another big event in the Harken GP series.

Overall Results: