The Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta
by Oliver Dewar 16 Aug 2010 19:41 BST
14-15 August 2010
Record numbers and hard racing
Once again, expectations were exceeded at The Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta 2010 with a record number of entries and increased attendance to the shore side activities. Held over the weekend of 14th-15th August, the regatta, based in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, included two days of racing in the Western Solent for 150 keelboats and dayboats with a hectic choice of onshore entertainment. The regatta opened in the early evening of Friday 13th August and any fears of cursing the event with an inauspicious date were swiftly dispelled at the official Taittinger Reception held in a marquee on the lawns of the Royal Solent Yacht Club (RSYC) with 600 crew and guests enjoying the limitless hospitality of the French champagne house from sundown and into the mid-evening.
The racing fleet was split into two groups: the White Group including International 6 Metres, International Dragons, Folkboat, X One Design (XOD) and Yarmouth One Design (YOD) starting from a line inshore off Yarmouth Green just to the east of the RSYC clubhouse and Black Group with IRC 1, IRC 2, Swan Classic Class, Classic Cruisers and – for the first time at the regatta – a class specifically for Old Gaffers, starting from a line just further offshore. The first race on Saturday proved a wake-up call for many crews and illustrated quite how intense the competition would be throughout the regatta with IRC 2 provoking two General Recalls in the Black Group and the 32 boats in the White Group’s XOD division crossed the line over one minute early meriting a Black Flag in a persistent drizzle and ten knots of NNW breeze. By mid-afternoon, the rain had disappeared, but the breeze followed suit leaving the entire XOD fleet kedged off Yarmouth and the three pilot cutters - Polly Agatha, Annabel J and Amelie Rose - similarly anchored and static in the foul tide. Those who kedged successfully and were patient were rewarded when the northerly breeze filled in and all yachts finished within the time limit.
Saturday evening featured the keynote social event of the regatta held at John Caulcutt’s waterfront property, The Towers, located adjacent to the RSYC with a record number of 1,500 guests passing through the gate into the lawned garden of this landmark house. This year, The Towers Party featured Caulcutt’s rock and roll band, Step on the Gas, supported by the Simon Cowell prodigy, Natalie Chua, and performances by four X Factor finalists including an extremely convincing Robbie Williams lookalike. “I’m really so happy that The Towers Party continues to be a popular part of the Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta,” commented Caulcutt, whose YOD Puffin took second place overall in class during the weekend. The party’s success has raised funds for Prostate UK, the charity founded by the late Kit Hobday, a World Champion dinghy sailor whose involvement with inshore and offshore youth sailing programmes included the Cowes-based Bear of Britain Sailing Academy. “Many years ago, I promised Kit that I would support this charity,” continues Caulcutt. “I’m really proud that our party is able to contribute financially to this essential charity and raise awareness about prostate cancer.”
Initially, the final day of racing on Sunday started with grey skies and a cloud ceiling that barley seemed above masthead-height as the fleet were sent off in 15 knots of NNW breeze and competition became just as intense as the previous day with some close-quarters incidents at the Black Group start. However, unlike the first day of racing, the breeze held and as the weather cleared to a fine, sunny afternoon, all classes finished racing in time to return to the clubhouse for lunch and drinks prior to the prize giving. For Patrick Green, owner of the Swan Galiana the regatta was a triumph: “Without doubt, this is the best event in The Solent,” says Green, who was racing his 1970 Swan yawl with 14 crew. The yacht came 4th place overall and was awarded the Charles Stanley Trophy by the regatta’s co-sponsors - the personal investment company Charles Stanley - for an outstanding display of sailing. “The regatta is just the right length and has a superb mix of classes,” added Green shortly after receiving his award at the prize giving on the RSYC lawn in the mid-afternoon on Sunday.
Bob Fisher whose Solent One Design, Rosenn, took first place in the Old Gaffers class was delighted by the outcome: “It was a hard win for us,” admits the yachting journalist and broadcaster. “I wasn’t there on Saturday, but Windflower beat us,” explains Fisher, who returned from covering the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth late on Saturday night. “The race on Sunday was made for us. It was beating with the tide and running against it and long runs against the tide is when Rosenn takes-off,” he explains. “Sadly I missed The Towers Party, but any party at Johnny’s place is good fun and we will certainly be back next year for the regatta and the party,” says Fisher who will be defending his title on Rosenn in the RSYC’s Turkey Cup later in the year. Overall winner of the regatta, Jeremy Austin, owner the Folkboat Tak with a 1-1-1-3 scorecard for four races, was also very pleased with the racing: “It’s been a perfect regatta,” reported Austin who has raced at the regatta for the previous two years. “There were great starts and perfect courses. We’ll most definitely be back next year.”
For Jeremy Willcock, Commodore of the RSYC and Principal Race Officer for the regatta, the event continues to prove a successful formula: “The entries this year are up by 20 percent,” he confirms. “It’s great to see yachts like Galiana barrelling along with two spinnakers flying on the same course as the YODs,” Willcock continues. “The regatta is held in the true Corinthian spirit and it’s also fairly unique that you can watch the yachts start and finish from the town’s green and from the grounds of the RSYC,” he observes. “It’s also an event where competitors come and thank you personally for organising the racing and the onshore entertainment: I really don’t think that happens at many other regattas,” adds Willcock.
At the prize giving on Sunday afternoon Dick Dawson, Rear Commodore Sailing at the RSYC expressed his thanks to all the entrants, club staff, volunteers and sponsors who made the event such a success. “It’s always tense in the run up to the event,” Dawson admitted. “Many people work very hard for the regatta’s success and we were initially concerned that entries would be down on 2009 as a result of current economic uncertainty,” he explains. “Not a bit of it, though!” he adds. “The poor weather on Friday gave us some cause for concern too, but it improved through the weekend and everybody enjoyed good racing and a full social calendar.”
While Champagne Taittinger has been involved with the event for the past two editions of the regatta, 2010 was the first year for co-sponsors, Charles Stanley, as Mike Lilwall, Director at Charles Stanley, explains: “This has been our first opportunity to co-sponsor The Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta at Yarmouth and we were delighted with the professionalism and atmosphere of the whole occasion,” says Lilwell. “We have had a long association with the Island and we look forward to a continued involvement in this event."
The RSYC and the harbour town of Yarmouth have now moved straight on to hosting Folkboat Week, although the enjoyment of the past weekend still lingers as the successful, understated and increasingly appealing Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta continues to present an irresistible lure for South Coast yachtsmen.
Overall Results:
IRC 1 (15 boats)
1. Jahmali
2. Jambhala
3. Jelly Baby
IRC 2 (22 boats)
1. Induljence
2. Just in Time
3. Jika-Jika
Swan Classic (10 boats)
1. Jacobite
2. Kuutar
3. Cecille
Classic Cruisers (28 boats)
1. Stren
2. Leonora
3. Growler
Old Gaffers (9 boats)
1. Rosenn
2. Windflower
3. Charmina
6 Metre (3 boats)
1. Valhalla
2. Georgia
3. Wildcat II
International Dragon (7 boats)
1. Ecstatic
2. Njord
3. Virago
Folkboat (19 boats)
1. Tak
2. Boomerang
3. Crackerjack
XOD (32 boats)
1. Lucrezia
2. Arrow
3. Lizz Whizz
YOD (6 boats)
1. Genista
2. Puffin
3. Blandina