RORC Summer Series - Race 3 Preview
by Louay Habib 21 Aug 2020 11:36 BST
22 August 2020
MOD 70 PowerPlay © Mark Lloyd / Lloyd Images
The Royal Ocean Racing Club's Summer Series continues this weekend with Race 3 of the four-race series. The long day race is scheduled to start from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, Cowes on Saturday 22 August.
The best places to watch the start will be along Cowes Green and Egypt Esplanade. The RORC fleet should be off Cowes, before the first start, scheduled for 9.30 am.
Teams will be racing in IRC Classes, an IRC Two-Handed Class plus Multihulls. Storm Ellen, which caused gale force winds in the UK this week, is expected to have passed north-west of Scotland by Saturday. However, weather forecasts for the start of the RORC race predict a fresh to strong south-westerly breeze.
In the Multihull Class, a David vs Goliath battle is expected between MOD70 PowerPlay, with Peter Cunningham at the helm, and Ross Hobson's Sea Cart 30 Buzz. PowerPlay, skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield, is far quicker and over twice the size of Buzz, but after MOCRA time correction, Buzz has every chance of victory.
The fastest yachts in the race will be sailing in IRC One. RORC Vice Commodore James Neville racing his HH42 Ino XXX is favourite for monohull line honours. In IRC Two, Ross Applebey's Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster will be favourite.
Nine teams will be racing in IRC Two-Handed bristling with talent. Henry Bomby & Shirley Robertson will be racing Sun Fast 3300 Fastrak XII and James Harayda & Dee Caffari will be racing Sunfast 3300 Gentoo.
Race the Wight class winner, Richard Palmer's JPK 10.10 Jangada, will be raced double handed by Jeremy Waitt & Paul Wood. Well suited to the forecast lively conditions will be the classic Swan 36 Finola, raced by Chris Frost & Elin Haf Davies. Gavin Howe's Sun Fast 3600 Tigris is no stranger to strong winds, having completed the 2018 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race.
Late entry is still available for the race. Full details can be found in the Notice of Race, but in summary: permitted crew can be up to a maximum of six people from any household or two-thirds of a boat's IRC crew number whichever is the least. Competitors are also reminded of the government guidance on social distancing and other Covid-19 measures.
For more information: www.rorc.org