Cape 31 Race Circuit at the Royal Southern Yacht Club - Round 2
by Cape 31 Class 20 May 08:03 BST
'Jiraffe' in the Cape 31 Race Circuit at the Royal Southern YC - Round 2 © Victoria Tomlinson Cheney
Round Two of the Cape 31 Race Circuit took place this weekend at the Royal Southern Yacht Club's North Sails May Regatta, delivering three days of high-level racing despite challenging North-Easterly conditions.
Thanks to the impeccable work of Race Officer Peter Saxton and his team, the fleet completed a full schedule of nine races over three days, showcasing both the resilience of the race committee and the tactical skill of the teams in a notoriously difficult Solent breeze.
Taking top honours was Simon Perry and team Jiraffe, who claimed their first-ever Cape 31 circuit win — a hugely popular result within the fleet. As one of the founding members of the @cape31uk class, Simon's long-anticipated victory was celebrated across the dock.
The regatta went right to the wire, with Round One winners Akheilos finishing second overall after applying relentless pressure throughout the weekend — even pulling out match-racing tactics in the final race in a bid to split the points and regain the lead.
Rounding out the podium in third was Guy Gillon's Khumbu, another top performer who showed exceptional consistency across the event.
The weekend saw six different teams take race wins, with eight teams making it onto the podium — a reflection of the incredible depth and parity across the fleet.
A standout debut came from Swift Half, a brand-new team owned by Ben Ward and Anthony Wheatley, who impressed immediately with strong performances and a dominant victory in Race 8, finishing an eye-catching 93 seconds ahead of the next boat.
Another notable result came from David Cummins and team Flurg, who were the top Corinthian (1-pro) team, finishing fourth overall. After winning the opening race of the regatta, they maintained a strong position throughout the weekend, regularly placing in the top half of the fleet.
The Cape 31 Class extends a huge thank you to the Royal Southern Yacht Club, North Sails for their title sponsorship, and all our preferred suppliers for supporting the event and its media coverage.
Next up: Round Three and the Cape 31 UK National Championships, hosted by the prestigious Royal Yacht Squadron from 20-22 June. With momentum building and the competition tighter than ever, the Solent is set for another epic showdown.
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Overall Results:
| Pos | Name | Sail No | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | Jiraffe | 9 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | (UFD) | 6 | 3 | 23 |
| 2 | Akheilos | 53 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ‑9 | 1 | 24 |
| 3 | Khumbu | 42 | 5 | ‑6 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
| 4 | Flurg | 34 | 1 | 4 | ‑9 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 34 |
| 5 | Swift Half | 23 | 6 | ‑10 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 37 |
| 6 | Bullit | 45 | 8 | 1 | 4 | ‑9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 38 |
| 7 | Jubilee | 41 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ‑9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 41 |
| 8 | Katabatic | 49 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | ‑10 | 44 |
| 9 | Narwhal | 30 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | (UFD) | 4 | 9 | 64 |
| 10 | Squirrel | 48 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | (UFD) | 8 | 10 | 6 | 70 |