Mini Ton Cup Regatta at the Island Sailing Club
by Matt Atkins 26 Aug 2010 12:02 BST
21 August 2010
The revived 2010 Mini Ton Cup Regatta was held on Saturday 21st August at the Island Sailing Club Cowes. The event was supported by Kemp Sails and Storm Force Ten.
Racing was conducted in the Solent alongside the final day’s racing of the Commodores Cup, in what were rather grim weather conditions, with rain and visibility down to less than a mile. By start time at 10:30am it was blowing around 20+ knots and as the day progressed, gusts in excess of 30+ knots were seen across the Solent.
Despite the tough conditions the little boats powered on through and held the first of four races, around the cans and just off the Bramble Bank. The fleet was split into two groups of results although starting together and racing on the same course. Eric Roberts and the crew of the Evolution Glass Onion Shallot took the first race win in the IRC fleet and Tiger Rag, a Sonata from Portchester, took the first race in the ISCRS fleet.
After dealing with a small medical drama involving a potential case of concussion, the ISC’s Race Officer Penny Carter sent the fleet into the shelter of Osborne Bay for another three races of a Windward/Leeward configuration. These courses suited the fleet perfectly and provided some close action starts and exciting downwind sailing. There was plenty of rolling and broaching as the boats battled against the gusty conditions which occasionally overpowered the plucky little boats.
In the end, the results were quite consistent with Shallot taking line honours in each race followed by the E-Boat, Energia.
The atmosphere back on the dock was superb as all the boats and excited crews gathered to exchange stories and make new friends. The Island Sailing then hosted an evening BBQ and prize giving on the Club Terrace. A beautiful Half Hull Trophy had very kindly been donated by Scott Kaczor of Offshore Art and an equally impressive Stainless Yacht Sculpture for the Solent ISCRS Trophy was donated by Mr Davies.
The consensus was that the Class had surpassed all expectations with such a successful first Cup Mini Ton Cup Regatta and there was much speculation about how big the fleet might grow to for the next year’s event (which has provisionally been booked for the same weekend in 2011). The word is certainly getting around now about how much fun these very affordable little Mini Ton yachts are with a fleet list already in excess of 60 boats in under a year.