Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club's Rossborough Round the Island Race 2022
by Bill Harris 24 Aug 2022 10:44 BST
7 August 2022
Jack Rabbit at the start of the RCIYC Rossborough Round the Island Race 2022 © Bill Harris
The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club's Rossborough Round the Island Race, held on Sunday 7th August, enjoyed sunshine and a moderate north-easterly breeze that endured throughout this tactically challenging forty-plus mile race. Whilst no records were broken, the wind and tide generally helped boats in all classes to return respectable finishing times.
Starting in St Aubin's Bay at eleven o'clock, the keelboats, most with spinnakers aloft, were quickly away for the short downwind leg to the Diamond Rock buoy. The Hobie F18 and Hobie 16 sport catamaran classes were sent on their way some ten minutes later, the leading boats quickly catching the keelboats as they dropped their spinnakers and rounded the mark for the reach eastwards to the distant Violet Channel buoy and the subsequent anticlockwise circumnavigation of the Island.
On rounding the Violet, boats hardened up for a long wet beat up the east coast towards Rozel, the wind having backed and the north-going tide having kicked up quite a chop as experienced, not least, by the safety boat crews. The reach across the north of the Island was far less energetic but, no less strategic in knowing where the tide was more favourable, in or out. Boats were able to bear away once past Grosnez and, clear of the Rigdon Bank, hoist spinnakers and set course for Corbiere. Once round Corbiere, with spinnakers dropped, boats hardened up for the reach on the penultimate leg to Noirmont Point. Here they ran into the ebbing tide and the need to hug the coast, responding to strong gusts along the way. Boats hardened up off Noirmont for a close-hauled finish on the final leg to the Diamond Rock buoy finish line.
Overall line honours went to Andy Hart and Michael Kinross' Hobie F18, Wildcat 517, finishing the race in a little under four hours following a long battle with Darren Stower and Graeme Monks' Wildcat AUS403. Ollie Voak and Megan Roworth's Hobie 16, Ships & Giggles won their class despite having Aaron Le Cornu and Phil Richardson in close contention throughout. Line honours in the sportsboat/cruiser class went to Allen Brown & partners' Melges 24 whilst Nigel Coxshall's Sunfast 3600, Solis Ortus, was less than a minute behind. Finishing three minutes later, Jeff Chinn's J105, Jewel won on corrected time with Robin Jenkins' First 31.7, Jack Rabbit, second. Justin Horton & partners' Farr 727 won the Quarter Ton Class, retuning the best corrected time in the combined IRC fleet. Nick Bailhache's Moody 31, Fillipene, sailed well to win the club handicap class.
The event drew to a close that Sunday evening, with the presentation of place prizes and supper in the Clubhouse. Commodore James Wilding congratulated all who had competed, especially those who had won prizes and trophies, and thanked the RIB crews for keeping watch overt the Hobie fleet. He concluded by thanking Rossborough Insurance for their generous sponsorship over the past six years and wished the company much success in the future.
Overall Results:
Class 0+1 - IRC
1 The Dog's - Allen Brown & ptnrs (5.24.21)
Class 1+2 - IRC
1 Jewel - Jeff Chinn (5.24.37)
2 Jack Rabbit (5.25.40)
3 Solis Ortus - Nigel Coxshall (5.34.49)
4 Zanzibar - Alan Stevens (5.58.01)
Class Quarter Ton - IRC
1 Fahrenheit - Justin Horton (5.08.54)
2 Super Q - Team Super Q (5.15.07)
Class 3 - NHC
1 Fillipene - Nick Bailhache (5.52.38)
2 Honkytonk - Nick O'Hare (6.13.36)
Class 4 (F18 (Hobie) Sport Catamaran)
1 Hobie 517 - Andy Hart (3.50.34)
2 AUS403 - Darren Stower (4.05.15)
3 Sinbad - Simon Martin (4.28.00)
Class 5 (Hobie 16)
1 Ships & Giggles - Ollie Voak & Megan Rowarth (4.40.00)
2 Top Kat - Aaron Le Cornu & Phil Richardson (4.48.00)
3 iCAT - Owen Harper & Lucy Dupre (4.55.00)
4 Fly-Bi - Luke Paxton-Garnier & Peter Washington (5.13.00)