Cornwall Offshore Group Series prize giving at Royal Cornwall Yacht Club

COGS prize giving at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club © Andrew Laming

A prize giving at Royal Cornwall Yacht Club on Saturday celebrated the top yachts in a series of coastal and offshore races that attracted 35 boats and more than 100 competitors.

COGS (Cornwall Offshore Group Series) races consist of ten coastal races to Fowey, Helford and around Gull Rock and to Penzance, as well as offshore races to Roscoff and the Scillies and around the Eddystone and Wolf Rock lighthouses.

The series is a great chance for 'round the cans' sailors to challenge themselves, take the next step up and gain experience of going further, sailing at night, or crossing the channel for the first time with the reassurance of having others doing the same. All this year's races beat the weather and ran, with a total of eighteen boats competing under the IRC handicap system and seventeen in E class.

For the first time this year the Falmouth to Fowey and Fowey to Helford races were combined into a single weekend that made for a great start to the season in April. Good weather allowed the calendar to be completed in full, although only the beautiful Swan 47, Sarabande, took on the challenge of the long Trinity race before departing to the Swan Worlds in Sardinia.

Most races were very well supported with more than twenty taking part in the Gull Rock Manacles race in June.

The prize for the race requiring the most perseverance went to the cross Channel drag race to Roscoff. The start at Black Rock coincided with a patch of total calm that saw the fleet going backwards at the start, then forwards for a bit, then drift backwards over the line for more than seven hours before the wind finally arrived in the yearly hours. The night race round the Eddystone Lighthouse was sailed on one of the hottest days and evenings of the year giving more light winds in a year that was marked by odd variable conditions that tested crews' tactical skills.

The prize giving ceremony at RCYC saw COGS chair Christine Bloor stand down after a very successful time in the hot seat and sailors extended their warm thanks for her hard work and leadership that has helped to grow this important part of the Falmouth sailing calendar. The series returns in April.

Overall Results:

IRC
1st Scorpion
2nd Afrita
3rd Juno

E class
1st Aura
2nd Tai Mo Shan
3rd, Noon Hi

2 handed IRC
1st Juno
2nd Daring
3rd Afrita

2 handed E class
1st Aura
2nd Noon Hi
3rd Apotheosis

COGS would like to thank the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club for its hospitality and thank our sponsors of the prize giving: Mylor Chandlery, Premier Marina, South West Play, Henri Lloyd, Excel Marine, Penrose Sailmakers – Top Yacht Trophy.