JOG Offshore Week 2014
by Fiona Cloke 15 Jul 2014 10:48 BST
5-7 July 2014
JOG Offshore Week Race start at Cowes © Rupert Holmes
J Fever & Xara win JOG Offshore Week 2014
27 boats evenly distributed across classes 3, 4, 5 & 6 took part in a 4 leg regatta taking JOG (Junior Offshore Group) racers not just offshore but on tour along the south coast, over to Brittany and finishing in Guernsey for a week of competitive summer racing & great fun après racing too.
Leg 1: Saturday 5th July - Cowes - Dartmouth; saw the fleet set off under foreboding clouds and reduced sail into a lively SW Force 6 which calmed down later allowing boats to shake out their reefs before Portland.
Sunday evening saw a race briefing for the subsequent legs from JOG Secretary Peter Chartres, followed by a BBQ & great hospitality at The Royal Dart Yacht Club.
Class 3 & 4 winner: JIBE (J 109) Robin Taunt
Class 5 & 6 winner: Xara (Swan 38) Jonathan & Anne Rolls
Leg 2: Monday 7th July - Dartmouth - St Quay Portrieux; leaving under glorious sunshine that would set the tone for the rest of the week, the fleet headed for Brittany into a SW Force 3-4, dropping to a Force 2 or less for some around SW Minquiers, meaning the fleet finished early on Tuesday morning providing time for some sleep before a packed pontoon party later in the day.
Class 3 & 4 winner: Just So (J 109) David & Mary McGough
Class 5 & 6 winner: Xara (Swan 38) Jonathan & Anne Rolls
Leg 3: Wednesday 9th July - St Quay Portrieux - St Cast le Guildo; A short (30 mile) fast fetch in a sunny but fresh F5 gave the fleet a chance to deploy their shorts and their spinnakers in a race to the next post race pontoon party, followed by a day off to rest, repair and explore the charms of St Cast and its beaches.
Class 3 & 4 winner: J Fever (J 120) Tim & Frances Lester
Class 5 & 6 winner: Moondog (Laser 28), Peter & Andy Pickett
Leg 4: Friday 11th July - St Cast le Guido - St Peter Port; another glorious sunny day with a NW F4 meant champagne sailing conditions for the final leg with the early finishers almost beating the race officers to the finish line off Castle Cornet.
Class 3 & 4 winner: J Fever (J 120) Tim & Frances Lester
Class 5 & 6 winner: Xara (Swan 38) Jonathan & Anne Rolls
Prizegiving took place at the Guernsey Yacht Club on Saturday 12th July.
JOG Captain, Nick Barlow summed up the week saying "Great weather, great racing, great management, great organisation, great company and great to see both regular JOGgers and new faces too".
JOG wishes to thank RPL Construction for its race sponsorship.
The next JOG race is Cowes – Fécamp, Friday 25/07/14, first start at 07:30 BST.
Entry Forms, full race programme & crew available/boats looking for crew information all now available online at www.jog.org.uk
JOG Offshore Week 2014 Overall Results
Class 3 & 4:
1st J Fever (J 120) Tim & Frances Lester
2nd Just So (J 109) David & Mary McGough
3rd JIBE (J 109) Robin Taunt
Class 5 & 6:
1st Xara (Swan 38) Jonathan & Anne Rolls
2nd Raffles (Elan 295) Peter Cover & Matt Stiles
3rd Rapscallion (Sigma 38) Jamie Diamond
Double Handed Overall:
1st Rapscallion (Sigma 38) Jamie Diamond