North Sails June Regatta at the Royal Southern Yacht Club - Day 1
by Louay Habib 18 Jun 2016 22:12 BST
18-19 June 2016
A bumper entry of 74 boats for the North Sails June Regatta © RSrnYC / Louay Habib
Tricky start
With a bumper entry of 74 boats, racing at the North Sails June Regatta got under way with three races for all eight classes in the Eastern Solent. With a strong westerly going tide and a light shifting breeze, good starting technique and anticipating the oscillations in the breeze were the keys to achieving the best performance. In excess of three hundred sailors took to the two separate race courses in the Eastern Solent, and enjoyed the full hospitality of the Royal Southern's waterside Club House on the River Hamble.
IRC One
The 19-strong big boat fleet enjoyed three hotly contested races with Tony Mack's J/111 McFly's coming out on top. McFly's scoreline, of 1-1-2, does not reveal the intensity of the competition. McFly won the first race by just 26 seconds on corrected time from Sam Cox's King 40 Nifty and the second encounter by just 8 seconds from Mike Blair's King 40 Cobra. Two more J/111s made the podium in today's three races. McFly leads the big boat class by three points from Cobra, which won the last race of the day. Nifty finished the day in third place.
“We started well today and got most of the shifts right, so it really all fell into place for us.” commented North Sails Jeremy Smart, who was calling tactics on McFly. “The conditions really suited the J/111s today. With a lighter displacement than most of the competition, we accelerated quicker and got into clear air. It is a lot easier to tack and gybe on the shifts when there are not so many boats around you. All in all, we performed well, but we had to - after time correction the results were really close.”
IRC Two
Simon Perry's J/109 Jiraffe scored a 1-1-4 today to lead the class but only just. Paul Woodward's First 35 Stiletto, dramatically tied for the win in Race 3 with Malcolm Roberts Ker 9m Sunshine. The last race of the day, provided the closest encounter of the regatta so far; just 18 seconds separated the top four boats. Stiletto finished the day just one half of a point behind Jiraffe and Sunshine was just a point behind Stiletto. There were podium places for two other boats in IRC Two, Mike Moxley's HOD 35 Malice, and Lis and Robbie Robinson's First 35 Hot Rats.
IRC Three
Andy Howe and Annie Kelly's J/97 Black Jack II scored a 2-1-1 today to lead the class by a single point from John Allen's x-302 Antix. John Greenaway's J/92s Wizard finished the day in third. There were podium finishes for two other yachts; Brian Wilkinson's Corby 30 Wild Child, and Peter & Steve Bromley's A31 Aneet Djinn.
IRC Small Boat Championship
Nick Hance's Hunter Impala Imptish started the day with a third place but won Race 2 & 3, by five and twelve seconds respectively, to lead the class after the first day. The Danby family racing Mustang 30 Respect, won the first race of the day by 41 seconds, and narrowly missed a win in Race 2 to finish the day just one point behind Imptish. Richard Hollis' X-95 Crakajax finished Day One without a win, but two podium finishes were rewarded with third overall at the close of play.
Six Metre Class
Andy Short's Nancy scored a 1-2-1 today to retain the lead for the final round of the International 6mR British Open Championship. Fenton Burgin's Sioma showed great form, posting a 2-1-2. Veteran Six Metre sailor, Charles Street racing Stardust, scored tow podium places to finish the day in third place for the North Sails June Regatta.
XOD
Cordelia Ellis has been ranked in the World Match Racing top ten and her high calibre showed in today's three races. Cordelia's team, racing Myrtle, scored a 1-2-1 to lead the class by four points. Top dinghy sailor, Hamish Calder driving Caprice, scored a win in Race 2 and finished the day in second place. Highly experienced XOD sailor, Peter Nicholson had a consistent day, racing XOD Sunshine to third place.
Mixed Sportsboat Class
The racing was extremely close in the Mixed Sportsboat Class with seconds deciding the winners in two of today's three races. Chris Taylor's J/80 J.A.T. was in fine form scoring a 2-1-1 to lead the class after the first day. Alec and Clairy Russell scored a 3-2-2 to end the day three points behind the leader. Chris Body's J/80 Mockinjay started the day well with a win, but a bad start in the last race resulted in a third by the close of play.
J/70 Class
Soling Olympian Marshall King, steered Gill Race Team, is at the top of the leader board with a 1-2-1. Yannig Loyer's J out of the box misfired in the first race, scoring a fifth, but came back with a win and a second, to end the day four points behind Gill Race Team. Tor McLaren scored two podium finishes to take third. Tim Collins’ Velvet started well, but did not compete in Race 3, dropping the team down to fourth.
Gill Race Team is owned by Ian Wilson who commented after racing. “That was a lot of fun and far more competitive than we anticipated. With the conditions today, it was important to get in phase for the shifts and many of our competitors did that well. After getting into the top half of the fleet, it is very important to really nail the manoeuvres, gybing especially. You need the confidence to gybe when you want and that requires time on the water. The team is looking to peak next year at the J/70 Worlds in Sardinia, so this year is about having some fun and passing our knowledge on to younger sailors. We will be sailing with younger family members to pass the knowledge on.”
After racing, competitors enjoyed the full hospitality of the extensive facilities at the Royal Southern Yacht Club. The North U Regatta Service team held a video debrief, offering expert advice for all competitors. “Starts are always important but especially in light winds.” commented North Sails, Frank Gerber. “ Today's video debrief highlighted how to improve your starting technique, as well as advice on holding your lane after the start. Boat balance and fine adjustments to sail trim, can give you that extra fraction of speed, that makes a considerable difference in light winds.”
At the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Aston Martin Chichester exhibited a stunning array of their luxury range, and much to the delight of the competitors, provided complimentary Tom Collins Cocktails prior to the evening's 007 Themed party. Racing at the North Sails June Regatta will conclude tomorrow, with three races scheduled for all classes.
For photos and video of the North Sails June Regatta go to www.facebook.com/RoyalSouthernYC
For full results from the North Sails June Regatta visit www.royal-southern.co.uk