28th Waller-Harris Two-handed Triangle Race at the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club

St Aubin's Bay start with Gloriana hosting a kite - 28th Waller-Harris Two-handed Triangle Race © Bill Harris

Fair winds, in the main, were the order of the day for the 28th edition of the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club's Waller-Harris Two-handed Triangle Race held from Saturday 12th to Monday 14th July. Twelve boats came to the line, on Saturday, for this evergreen event that took the fleet from St Aubin's Bay, Jersey, to St Cast-le-Guildo westabout the Les Minquiers reef on the first leg of the race.

Starting at ten o'clock, boats set off on a shy reach under sunny skies to enjoy the light easterly breeze which strengthened towards the end of the race. Spinnakers were hoisted once boats were clear of the Bay and on their way to the Passage Rock buoy before heading south on the long reach to the Bourdinots finish line off St Cast.

Rhys Perkins and Bob De la Haye's Abracadabra (A35) was well away to take line honours and the race in the IRC fleet after a five and a half hours sail whilst the YTC honours went to Bob Milner and Bill Harris on Grace (Grand Soleil 46.3), both the committee boat and competitor.

However, it was the Nick Bailhache and Malcolm Coles on Fillipene (Moody 31), who sailed a great race to win on corrected time some five minutes ahead of Nick and Karen O'Hare's Honky Tonk (Westerly Fulmar).

With sunny north-easterly light conditions prevailing on Sunday morning, boats came to the line for an eleven o'clock start off the Bourdinots buoy for the race westwards to Binic. With the first mark, the Banchenou buoy, to the northeast, this was to be the only beat in the whole three days.

Spinnakers blossomed as boats eased sheets to round the mark. By now, conditions were changing with a threatening sky heralding squalls and gusty times ahead. The course took the fleet north of the Les Landas buoy, north of Val André, and the Rohein lighthouse before running down to the finish at the Caffa buoy off Binic. Although Abracadabra had established an extended lead for a good part of the way it was Darren Stower and Rachael Morris' Altair (First 36.7) that slipped past to take line honours and the IRC race.

The enjoyment of the spinnaker run began to pall as boats sailed past the Rohein with the breeze veering and picking up in the sudden squalls. The more judicious dropped their spinnakers in good time, the bolder ones hung on until it became rather more challenging. Whilst Grace took line honours, once more, it was Honky Tonk's day beating Fillipene by three minutes. Daniel and Sophia Le Marquand's Jabot (J35 C) was third.

Leg 2 start with Abracadabra and fleet off to Binic - 28th Waller-Harris Two-handed Triangle Race - photo © Bill Harris

Monday saw the fleet on the line for a nine o'clock start off the Binic pierhead. Conditions were fine, a shy south-westerly breeze and sunshine gave a gentle start to the day as boats set off for the Caffa buoy and the forty-five mile race home. The light conditions continued as the fleet skirted the south-eastern corner of the St Brieuc wind farm but the building quartering sea proved to give boats a rollercoaster ride on their way home.

Abracadabra, once more, showed the fleet a clean transom as she powered away under spinnaker to pass the north-west Minquiers buoy en route for the Hinguette buoy and the finish line at the entrance to the St Helier roads, finishing in seven hours dead, half an hour ahead of second placed Altair.

Once again, it was Fillipene and Honky Tonk who vied for victory in the YTC fleet. Grace had sailed home to finish twelve minutes behind Abracadabra with Jabot being the next YTC boat home. Honky Tonk, however, took the race some seven minutes ahead of Fillipene with Chris Deahl and Caroline Maffia's Stella Maris (Sadler 34BK) third.

The 2-handed Triangle Race is, also, a social event where crews come together for a pre-event supper and briefing in the RCIYC clubhouse, dining together in the destination ports and a prize-giving and supper back in the clubhouse. This year ticked every box with a great welcome in both St Cast and Binic where crews dined at the P'tit Mousse and Le Nord Sud restaurants, respectively. Great food at both restaurants, enhanced by the Triangle's very own troubadours in Binic.

The availability of the pré-avis arrival and departure facility at both ports was a boon, reducing immigration formalities to an absolute minimum. Overall, a classic year for this great racing experience.

For detailed results go to www.rciyc.je/racing

IRC results:

1. Abracadabra - Rhys Perkins & Bob De la Haye - 1+2+1 (4)
2. Altair - Darren Stower & Rachael Morris - 2+1+2 (5)
3. Arctic Tern - Philip Burton & David De Carteret (3+4+4) (11)

YTC results:

1. Honky Tonk - Nick & Karen O'Hare - 2+1+1 (4)
2. Fillipene - Nick Bailhache & Malcolm Coles - 1+2+2 (5)
3. Stella Maris - Chris Deahl & Caroline Maffia - 3+6+3 (12)
4. Aha ! - Clive Le Marquand & Rob Ayliffe - 4+4+6 (14)
5. Gloriana - Micheal Foreman & Nigel Palmer - 5+7+4 (16)
6. Jabot - Daniel & Sophia Le Marquand - 7+3+7 (17)
7. Grace - Bob Milner & Bill Harris - 8+5+5 (18)
8. Divergence - James Wilding & Elizabeth Stead 6+9+10 (25)
9. Ava - Mike Seguss & Andrew Jelley 10+8+10 (28)

Leg 2 with Honky Tonk and Fillipene - 28th Waller-Harris Two-handed Triangle Race - photo © Bill Harris