EAORA Round the Goodwins Race - Royal Temple Yacht Club Ramsgate Week 2025 Opener

EAORA Round the Goodwins Race © Andy Ketteringham

EAORA Round the Goodwins Race © Andy Ketteringham

With a gusty southerly wind forecast a slightly controversial clockwise course was set, starting north to Goodwin Knoll after a short initial beat, so most boats had a foul tide for most of the race. Of five classes IRC 1/2 was largest with 12 entries including Sportsboats.

First round Goodwin Knoll on to the long beat to the East Goodwin light ship after a tight kite reach was Mike and Jo Brands class 4 X-40 Fox out of the Box. Leading class 1 round was Peter & son Alex Jackson's Pronavia 42 Assassin, closely followed by Simon Farren's A-40 'Warrior', the ex 'British Soldier', prepping for the Fastnet. Assassin had hauled in the X-40 by the lightship, but John Barrett and Paul Woodwards X-336 Stilletto and the Peter Pearson et al HOD 35 Buccaneer, leading class 2, were holding their time on handicap in IRC overall.

After the lightship the beat south became a fetch and the tide turned to run south just as the lead boats reached the SW Goodwin buoy near Dover. The tide turn helped the smaller boats, and in the lower classes the X-40's lead was munched up by Nick Moulton's Sunfast 3200 Dabtoe from Norfolk & Suffolk Y.C., Gary Waters locally based J97 Jura and Bruce James Long's Colne Y.C. based MG38 Pinocchio.

Simon Northrop and crew, overall winners - EAORA Round the Goodwins Race - photo © Chris Cox

From the S.W Goodwin buoy it was a boisterous run back past Walmer and Deal then via the South Brake buoy to the finish off Ramsgate. The wind veered to force a gybe as the foul tide built up. Here the sportsboats, which the tide turn had kept in the game on the beat, came into their own picking up their skirts and flying up on the leaders at over 16 knots, led by Matt Green et al's Far East 31 Sidewinder and Simon Northrop and Paul Thomas's Melges 24 Lock Stock. Assassin crossed first and asked for the wind to die but a 33 knot squall then came through causing carnage for most but well controlled by Simon Northrop on the Melges. The Cork 1720 Flying Pig failed to take advantage when her kite ripped in half.

Warrior had held her time on Assassin, as had Stiletto until the boat got out from under the rig in 34 knots. Buccaneer slid past the x362, who dropped to exactly 5th equal with Assassin, behind Sidewinder, who largely kept upright, closely beating Warrior over the line. In the EAORA results Pelham Etherington's Sigma 33 Magic Moments from Haven Port's Y.C. corrected second to Warrior.

'Warrior', winner - EAORA Round the Goodwins Race - photo © Chris Cox

Overall Results:

'Jura's class-winning crew - EAORA Round the Goodwins Race - photo © Chris Cox