MDL Royal Torbay Yacht Club Regatta 2000 Overall

A total of 84 boats took part in this year’s Marina Developments’ sponsored Torbay Royal Regatta, which involved 8 different classes racing on a combination of Olympic and windward/leeward style courses. Although the majority of entries were from local yachts, a handful of yachts from the Lymington, Poole and Weymouth headed down to enjoy three day’s racing in the open waters of Torbay. Other West Country clubs represented included Plymouth’s Royal Western YC, Saltash SC, Teignmouth CYC and Brixham YC.

Race Officer Peter Rumbelow commented on the conditions throughout the Regatta: “We’ve had a great three days’ racing here in Torbay. Although starts were delayed on Monday due to variable wind direction, we still got 2 races in and then Tuesday, we had sunshine and a steady easterly blowing force 3-4, which made for some excellent racing.”

For the final race on Wednesday 23rd August, the outer course race committee set a coastal course in view of the heavy easterly swell and winds forecast to get up to a force 6 later in the day. The IRC classes and PY yachts’ triangular course took them from a start line off the RTYC on a beat out to Ore Stone Rock, a spinnaker run to Brixham and then back to Torquay.

There was much still at stake as the fleet headed out from Torquay Marina on Wednesday, with several of the overall class trophies still to be decided on the results of the final race.

Local sailors ended up victorious in many of the classes, with Robert Barr’s Maverick’s first place in the final race enough to secure overall victory in Class 1 from Royal Western YC’s David Jesty aboard ‘Krush’. Roger & Sally Lean successfully defended their Class 2 trophy with places in the top 3 in all 5 races, although they faced stiff competition from Jim MacGregor of Poole YC, sailing his Elan 333, ‘Flair III’ who finished in second place overall.

Robert Barr won the Addison Gold Cup for the yacht with the best IRC result without a discard on board ‘Maverick’ having recorded three 1st places and two 2nd places in the five races sailed.

Class 3 was also fiercely contested with Royal Lymington’s J McKeon, skippering ‘Kandoo’ eventually taking the class trophy, one point ahead of ‘Xarifa’ sailed by Edmund & Teresa Whelan in 2nd place, who in turn were two points ahead of third place Tim Whitehead aboard ‘New Moon’ .

Torbay sailors took the first three places in the PY yachts class, Clive Comber (‘Athena’) winning overall from Richard Hutchings (‘Dans la Rouge’) in second and Derek Elliott (‘Imshi III’) in third.

On the inshore course, the final day’s heavy swell and forecast of strong winds led to the abandonment of racing for the Cadet dinghies, giving Simon McCarthy from Royal Corinthian YC in Burnham on Crouch overall victory from Torbay’s Matthew White in second and James Jaffa in third.

The Dragon Class champion for the second year running is Torbay’s Paul Patenall, sailing ‘Excalibur’ and Nancy Llewellyn (also RTYC) took the overall trophy in the Flying Fifteen class aboard ‘Miffy’. The PY Dinghy class was won by Torbay’s Mark Ellis.

Running alongside the individual competition is a team event for the Torbay Admiral’s Cup. Teams must contain one boat from each of the three IRC classes and the trophy was won for the second consecutive year by a local team called ‘The Defenders’, comprising Bob Barr’s ‘Maverick’, Roger & Sally Lean’s ‘Celavie’ and from Brixham, Tim Whitehead’s ‘New Moon’.

There was a hectic social programme ashore, including a Mount Gay Rum sponsored Commodore’s reception, a jazz band and a lively disco after the prize-giving. Matt Stone, Marina Developments’ Marketing Director presented the trophies. Club Commodore David Rayment thanked MDL for their generous sponsorship of this, the first Torbay Royal Regatta of the new millennium.

Competitor Report by Matt Curthoys:

The final day of the MDL Torbay Royal Regatta 2000 started in sunshine and 20-25 konts of breeze. Due to the wind and swell, the committe decided to start the 3 IRC Classes on the "Heavy Weather" course. This was a large triangle with 3 laps set.

After a beat, there was a long spinnaker run with the large swell allowing some great surfing for the yachts, with some of the lighter sports boats such as the Freemantle 8 seeing speeds in excess of 16 knots. With 25 knots of breeze at times, there were some broaches and damaged spinnakers and a few of the competitors decided to retire.

In Class 1, Maverick 2 won, with Hi Expectations second and Krush third. Overall, Maverick 2, the IMX 40 owned by Robert Barr won both Class 1 overall and best IRC yacht for the overall regatta, with Krush, the HOD 35 owned by David Jesty second and Quick Brew, the Dehler 39 owned by Allan Meridth in third place.

The class 2 winner for the day was Celavie, who cemented her victory in Class 2 for the regatta. Second today was J-String followed by Richardsons Seat. Overall, it was Cleavie, the X 332 owned by Roger and Sally Lean, followed by Flair III, the Elan 333 owned by Jim MacGregor with the Freemantle 8, Claphamomnibus of Davina Clapham in third.

In class 3, Italian Job, the J 24 won today, with New Moon second and Xarifa third. Overall this left Kandoo, the Albin Ballad of C W McKeon having won, with Xarifa, the X 342 owned by Edmund and Teresa Whelan second and New Moon, the OOD34 owned by Tim Whitehead third

REGATTA OVERALL PRIZES:

Addison Gold Cup (best result in IRC without a discard):

     Maverick 2     Robert Barr        RTYC

IRC CLASS 1: Anniversary Cup

1st: Maverick 2     Robert Barr        Royal Torbay YC (RTYC)
2nd: Krush          David Jesty        Royal Western YC 
3rd: Quick Brew     Allan Meredith     RWYC

IRC CLASS 2: Century Cup

1st: Celavie        Roger & Sally Lean RTYC	
2nd: Flair III      Jim MacGregor      Poole YC
3rd: Claphamomnibus A Thorpe/D Clapham RTYC

IRC CLASS 3: Marina Developments Dartside Cup

1st: Kandoo         C McKeon           Royal Lymington YC
2nd: Xarifa         E & T Whelan       JOG	
3rd: New Moon       Tim Whitehead      RTYC

PY YACHTS: Behar Cup

1st: Athena         Clive Comber       RTYC	
2nd: Dans La Rouge  Richard Hutchings  RTYC		
3rd: Imshi III      Derek Elliott      RTYC		

DRAGONS: West of England Challenge Cup
SW area champion:
1st: Excalibur      Paul Patenall      RTYC
2nd: Nimrod         Aubrey Denton      RTYC
3rd: Basilisk       Graham Jenkins     RTYC

FLYING FIFTEENS: Vintage Salver

1st: Miffy          Nancy Llewellyn    RTYC
2nd: Her Outdoors   Bill Butcher       RTYC
3rd: Effervescense  Andy Maskell       RTYC	

PY DINGHIES: John Sanders Cup

1st: Grey Matter    Mark Ellis         RTYC
2nd: Laser 167842   Bob Cudmore        Paignton SC
3rd: Laser 160633   Ross Birbeck       RTYC

INTERNATIONAL CADETS: Goodson Trophy

1st: Get a Grip     Simon McCarthy     Corinthian Otters	
2nd: No Mercy       Matthew White      RTYC
3rd: Unique         James Jaffa        RTYC

Torbay Admiral’s Cup: (3 boat team)

1st: 'The Defenders' comprising:
     Maverick       R Barr
     Celavie        R & S Lean
     New Moon       T Whitehead        all RTYC
2nd: 'Eastern Raiders' comprising:
     Reet Petite
     Flair III
     Xarifa
3rd: 'Royal Western YC' comprising:
     Krush
     Richardson Seat
     Langage I-Scream

More Information:

• Royal Torbay Yacht Club