Ramsgate Autumn Series at Royal Temple Yacht Club - Race 5
by Peter Jackson 14 Oct 2025 13:53 BST
12 October 2025
First leg - Ramsgate Autumn Series race 5 © Bailey Fox-Wallace
With two races to go the Royal Temple Yacht Club Ramsgate's Autumn series and 2025 Club Championships are hotting up, with a number of boats still in contention. After a postponement for wind the forecast 8-12 knots set in with very hazy sunshine. The cruiser class went first with course round the Brake sands to Deal and back through Sandwich Bay. The IRC fleet did a tight multi-leg Windward-Leeward course a mile off the Harbour.
Two boats were OCS in IRC and Peter & Alex Jackson's 42ft Assassin, still training very junior new future crew members, led away but with Simon Northrop & Paul Thomas's Melges 24 'Lock Stock' in very close company down the kite reach for the first rounding of NFU. John Barratt & Paul Woodwards X362 'Stiletto' lead the pack close behind. Martin Law's 1720 'Flying Pig' got a poor start, hurting her chances of overall chocolates, but another contender. Peter Pearson et al's Hod 35 Buccaneer II, was well in the frame.
With beats against the tide the 24ft Melges faded badly. The 42ft Assassin revelled in the lightish conditions, holding her time by the end of lap 1, but then retired to do some testing of a new No.2 and get the kiddies home for Sunday lunch. Stiletto, sporting a new S3 kite, now had a good lead and built it up to the finish, but with Buccaneer, which normally likes more wind, keeping her honest. The Poupard family's X99 'Expedite' also remained in the chase, scrapping with 'Lock Stock' on corrected time.
But now Stilletto was showboating with multiple gybes on the short down-tide run to train up her own new crew, up from Solent J111 assy racing. She finished over 2 minutes ahead of Buccaneer, who corrected 3 minutes up on Lock Stock and Xpedite, who were separated by only 35 seconds, 2 minutes ahead of Flying Pig.in 5th. The 1720 still leads the series but the first two and Lock Stock now also lead her in the Club Championship.
In the cruiser class John & Michelle Stoneley's Jeanneau 37 Pippy led the way to win by 4 minutes from Alan Lucas's modified Eboat Ziggy, now recovered from her capsize on the M25. The Club Championship leader Corby 25 Bad Boys of Peter and wheelchair bound Anthony Dale corrected just 24 seconds behind Ziggy, but still looks good for the class trophy.
IRC Class 1-2 podium:
1st Stiletto. John Barratt & Paul Woodward
2nd Buccaneer, Peter Pearson et al
3rd 'Lock Stock' Simon Northrop & Paul Thomas
IRC Class 3-4 podium:
1st Pippy, John & Michelle Stoneley
2nd Ziggy. Alan Lucas
3rd Bad Boys. Anthony & Peter Dale