Round Jersey Race at Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club

Britih Airways Round Jersey Race © Bill Harris

The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club’s annual round Jersey race, held last Saturday, enjoyed near perfect conditions throughout. A steady force 3 to 4 north-westerly breeze coupled with bright autumnal sunshine, albeit with the threat of the odd shower, ensured that the oft time tricky tides on the Violet Channel buoy presented few problems for the twentyone-strong fleet as they set off for their anti-clockwise circumnavigation of the Island. Sea conditions, although generally fairly benign, gave a predictably sloppy and sometimes challenging beat along the north coast due to the strongly ebbing tide.

Starting in St Aubin’s Bay, seven boats set off in the IRC-rated sportsboat and cruiser/racer classes. Allen Brown and partners’ Melges 24, The Dog’s ........!, led the way in the keel boats to take line honours in the approaches to St Helier in a little over five hours with Julian Barber’s Elan 410, Chez Moi, second some sixteen minutes later. It was, however, Paul Treliving’s vintage quarter tonner, Odd Job, that emerged victorious and winner of the Club’s prestigious Jesse Boot trophy, winning its class by two minutes on corrected time from David Myatt’s IOD Marguerite with Chez Moi third.

Line honours in the six-strong Jersey Handicap cruiser/racer class went to Vince Smith’s newly-acquired Oceanis 37, Sula Bassana, sailing the course in just under six hours followed almost half an hour later by Bruce Harrison’s IOD, Aphros. Recovering impressively from a very late start, Aphros took the race by a clear five minutes on corrected time to win the Cabot Memorial trophy with Sula Bassana second. Last year’s winner, Nick Bailhache’s Moody 31 Filipene, came third.

Three Hobie Tigers, a 21 and four 16s sailed in the sport-catamaran class, starting nine minutes after the keelboats. This is undoubtedly the most challenging race in the Hobie Fleet’s busy racing programme; calling for a high degree of skill, tenacity and stamina, plenty of which were demonstrated on the day. Darren Stower, last year’s winner, sailing the Tiger Bin Bag with crew Paul Hayley, succeeded in clipping ten minutes off last year’s elapsed time to complete the course in just under four hours to secure the British Airways Speedbird trophy. Steve Longstaffe’s Father Jack was the first Hobie 16, finishing in just over five hours. This year saw a notable first with Yvonne Winspear and Jo Moss being the first ever all girl crew to take part, sailing their Hobie 16 Girls on Top, finishing fifth overall on corrected time.

The prize-giving was held in the RCIYC on Saturday evening when Vice Commodore Rodney Waller presented the place prizes.

Overall Results: