‘Sea Badger RTI success
by Hyde Sails 18 Jul 2010 22:38 BST
19 June 2010
‘Sea Badger II’ is awarded the Discovery Trophy in the Round the Island race © Mike Brooke
‘Sea Badger II’ is awarded the Discovery Trophy for the second year in succession.
Mike Brooke’s Cape Cutter 19, ‘Sea Badger II’ took the Discovery Trophy for winning her class (Spirit of Modern Gaffers) for the second year running.
Despite a very early 0515hrs start, Mike tells the tale of a highly enjoyable race.
“It started with a wonderful gennaker leg from the start to the Needles during which we opened up a good lead. Then into the ‘car park’ beyond the Needles, before fetching all the way to St Cats, on the wind up to Bembridge and a very close tussle with the final Shrimper whilst dicing across Ryde Sands in not a lot of water… as two different RNLI Inshore Lifeboats tried to encourage us to tack
out. But I reckoned that we could cope, albeit well heeled over, in the same water that they were drawing with their engines fully down!” The tactic paid off and Mike was delighted to have successfully defended his title.
‘Sea Badger II’ is a Cape Cutter, a 2000 design by Dudley Dix. The first 50 boats were built
in South Africa with the licence being bought by Honnor Marine in Rochdale in 2004, which is
where they are now built, with their number up to 115. Mike says: “It’s a great, tough little boat
which I sailed round UK for charity in 2008 taking three months. Although now into their third
season (including the Round Britain trip), our Hyde Sails obviously played an important part in
defending our trophy.”
For more information on Hyde Sails or discuss how to adapt your sail configuration for
shorthanded sailing contact Paul Austin (T: +44 (0) 7801 907458) or see www.hydesails.com