JOG End of Season Round-up 2017

JOG celebrates its 2017 season © Paul Cook

Saturday 11th November saw the end of the 2017 season marked in its usual style as the Junior Offshore Group held their annual Prizegiving Ball, this year at the University of Winchester in Hampshire. Winners of each of the classes will be found at the end of this article - congratulations to all.

The year started with the retirement of Peter Chartres, JOG Secretary for over 20 years. His sea boots have been ably filled by Nick Barlow, previously Club Captain and Peter Cover in turn stepped into Nick's boots. Both have had a full on year, with little opportunity to ease themselves in gently. Jo Chugg has also chosen to step down as Treasurer, and the Committee and President have recognised her many years of service to the club with honourary membership. Thank you (again) Peter and Jo.

As usual the season started with the Cowes - Cherbourg - Cowes race at Easter, which being late in the year this year was a certainly lot warmer than some in the past. The weather didn't always cooperate, and the Race Committee had some tough calls to make. The ever popular Cowes - Poole - Cowes weekend was changed to two shorter, but no less challenging, races in the Solent, finishing just in time before the forecast storms arrived on the Sunday afternoon. Both Cowes - Dartmouth and Cowes - St Peter Port did start as planned, although both encountered somewhat less than ideal conditions. For Dartmouth only one boat, Felix (2H), finished in an ever increasing breeze whilst for St Peter Port the light airs made it a very long night, and day for some, including those that anchored within moule / steak smelling distance of the finish in order to catch the final tide. Sadly, and unusually, the numbers for the St Quay Portrieux race were not high enough to make it viable although the Race Officers were able to set an alternative course South of the IoW, attracting a number of entries in what turned out to be some tough conditions.

Total entries for the season were 658, split approximately 33% for the offshore Cat 3 races and 66% for the inshore - but not necessarily shorter - Cat 4 series. The club is and will continue to place its emphasis on the Cat 3 offshore races, at the same time it recognises that many owners, skippers and crews have busy lives and sometimes a shorter weekend is what is preferred.

The 2018 programme was published in October and so far interest is very positive. New for next year is a 140nm race to Dielette in May, which the club hopes will attract a high entry and later in the year, JOG Week, to be held in partnership with the Royal Dart Yacht Club and Dean & Reddyhoff, who will sponsoring the feeder race to Portland. All details will be found on the website as usual. The website too is being updated in 2018, allowing amongst other things on-line race entry and secure payment.

Overall Winners:

Class 3
Cat 3 'Assassin' Mark Brown & Justin Leese
Cat 4 'Bellino' Rob Craigie

Class 4
Cat 3 'Just So' David & Will McGough Cat 4 'Elaine' Mike Bridges

Class 5
Cat 3 'Longe Pierre' David Cooper & Paul England
Cat 4 'Shades of Blue' Ed Holton

Class 6
Cat 3 'Raffles' Peter Cover & Mat Stiles
Cat 4 'Two Frank' Olly Love & Sam Flint

Double Handed
Cat 3 'Double Trouble' David Thompson
Cat 4 'Bellino' Rob Craigie

Next JOG Race: Cowes – Cherbourg Friday 30th March 2018, first start at 07:00.

The full 2018 programme can be seen on the JOG website.

Entry Forms, full race programme & crew available/boats looking for crew information all now available online at www.jog.org.uk