Round Jersey Race at Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club

The weather that greeted the fleet that turned out for the Royal Channel Islands Yachts Club’s recent annual British Airways Round Jersey Race on proved to be rather more challenging than that enjoyed by Jersey’s sailors in recent months.

Fourteen boats came to the line in St Aubin’s Bay for the early morning start with a strong westerly wind gusting to force 6, accompanied by rain, sweeping in from the north-west that promised a very quick run down to the eastern coast of the Island. The race committee opted for a downwind start from a line set off the Grune du Port buoy with the nearby Diamond Rock buoy as the first mark of the course.

With spinnaker quickly set, the Benest/Fellows Ker 11.3, Voodoo Doll, took up an early lead in the IRC cruiser/racer class, expertly circumnavigating the Island at an average speed of about eleven knots to take line honours after just four hours and sixteen minutes. The skipper subsequently reported that the boat had been touching 22 knots as it surfed its way across St Ouen’s Bay, on the Island’s west coast.

Whilst the Ker seemed to have escaped from the pack, last year’s winner, Nigel Guenier’s J-105 Jubilee G, was also enjoying the brisk if uncomfortable conditions, gybing her way down to the Violet Channel buoy to the southeast of the Island.

Spis were tidied away, on rounding the mark, to commence a dead beat north-westwards to St Catherine’s in very lumpy and stomach-churning seas. Conditions were not much improved as they headed westwards but boats made very good time along the north coast, albeit still on the wind. Spis started popping up again once boats were round Grosnez and running southwards but not without the odd bit of excitement as crews fought to control their sails in the strong gusts.

Voodoo Doll crossed the finish line thirty-six minutes ahead of Jubilee G but the margin was greatly reduced on corrected time with the Ker taking the race by just fifty-six seconds. Bob Milner’s X2C finished a close third, also having had a very good race though suffering a setback due to a problem with her spi.

Life was a little easier for the club handicap fleet, sailing a shorter eastwards leg to the Conchière beacon and not having to visit the notorious Violet Channel buoy. This meant that they were able to lay St Catherine’s before joining the IRC boats in the beat along the north coast.

Julian Barber’s Bénéteau 411, Never Dry, sailed a good race to take line honours in the class, finishing some seventeen minutes ahead of Chris Weeks’ Starlight 30, Cassiopeia.

However, the day went to several-times winner Nick Bailhache’s Moody 30, Filipene, sailing two-handed and well-reefed down, holding off the opposition until almost the very end of the race when both Never Dry and Cassiopeia squeezed past under spinnaker.

Werner Toporis’ Westerly Storm, Optimum, produced an excellent result also in taking second place on corrected time, some eight minutes ahead of Karl Vallois’ Stag, Loric.

The prize-giving was held in the clubroom that evening when Mr Bob Wickings of Airline Services Ltd presented the place prizes to the worthy winners. The RCIYC extends a sincere vote of thanks to the sponsors for their long-standing and continued support of the British Airways Round Jersey Race.

The next major event in the Club’s sailing programme is the combined clubs’ 8th Jersey Telecom Regatta, taking place over 1st to 3rd September. The Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions are available in the yacht clubs and on www.rciyc.org and www.shyc.je. Skippers should note that late entry fees apply after 10 p.m. on Tuesday 29th August.

Overall Results:

Class 1: IRC cruiser/racer
1 Voodoo Doll, S Benest 4.56.15
2 Jubilee G, N Guenier 4.57.11
3 X2C, B Milner 5.11.51
Jungle Fever, J Chinn DNF

Class 2: RCH cruiser/racer
1 Filipene, N Bailhache 5.42.02
2 Optimum, W Toporis 5.55.42
3 Loric, K Vallois 6.00.26
4 Never Dry, J Barber 6.06.55
5 Marota, P Robinson 6.07.04
6 Cassiopeia, C Weeks 6.08.28
7 Morgane, C Masterman 6.11.59
8 White Rose, J O’Connor 6.41.38
Lisia, M Tucker DNF
Oz.Pom, D De Carteret DNF

Visit www.rciyc.org for full details.