Spring Series 2026 at Royal Temple Yacht Club - Overall
by Peter Jackson 30 Jun 18:57 BST
The RTYC 15 boat fleet had a busy seven-race Spring Series on short courses in the area between the North and South Forelands, or between Broadstairs and Sandwich Bay as far as Deal. Conditions varied from a full gale to a flat calm.
In IRC classes 1 & 2 wins for the Melges 24 Lock Stock (Simon Northrop and Paul Thomas) then the X-36 Stiletto (Paul Woodward & John Barrett) held off consistent performances from the HOD 35 Buccaneer of Peter Pearson et al, and the Pronavia Sport 42 Assassin of Peter Jackson, with second and third in each race. Resplendent with new wheel steering Buccaneer then took over to win the next two races, from Stiletto and Assassin then from Martin Law's modified Cork 1720 Flying Pig second and Mike & Jo Brand's X-40 Fox out' the Box third.
The First 34.7 Warrior of Nick Rawbone kept the leaders honest with fourths and fifths, often by a few seconds. Deborah Thomas's X-99 Expedite also showed well with a fourth then second in the light airs last race. Assassin got away here but hit the doldrums off Broadstairs, as did Stiletto and Lock Stock causing them to retire. Flying Pig came through for the win, but Buccaneer only needed her third place ahead of Assassin to sew up a comfortable series win from Flying Pig with Assassin third.
Only 1 point separated third from fourth (Warrior) and fifth equal (Stiletto and Lock Stock).
Classes 3 & 4 had eight boats, sailing under a local handicap system. The fight for the win was between the J97 Jura of Gary Walters, and the Corby 26 Bad Boys of Anthony and Peter Dale, modified for navigator Anthony's wheelchair. John & Michelle Stoneley's Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37 Pippy took a second in her only race, and James Bradley's beautiful varnished 23' Monarch got two thirds. In the end Jura dominated, only dropping one win to Bad Boys and finishing 4 points ahead, with Monarch fourth.
IRC - Spring Series overall:
1st Buccaneer II
2nd Flying Pig
3rd Assassin
4th Warrior
5th = Stiletto
5th = Lock Stock.
7th Expedite
8th Fox out the Box.
YTC - Spring Series overall:
1st Jura
2nd Bad Boys
3rd Monarch
4th Pippy
Summer Series so far - Class 3 & 4
The first two races started the same way as the spring series but now with Pippy just ahead of Bad Boys with two 2nd and one 3rd place. Putting her 1 point ahead in the chase of Jura's 3 bullets. A new fleet member is Zorra, a Link 30, (Lawrence Mayne et al.) lying in 4th ahead of Monarch and Alan Lucas's fractional E boat Zigge.
Summer Series so far - IRC 1 & 2
Wins for Flying Pig then Stiletto, after a retirement for the X-36, in more light airs, put the 1720 in the drivers seat as the other fancied runners missed one race each. Lock Stock then Buccaneer got a 2nd each. In the light air Windward Leeward race 2 another good early lead for the 42' Assassin fell to an increasing breeze, slipping to another 3rd. Fox out' the Box had to retire from race 2 with a snagged snuffer.
With the Ramsgate Week buoys now all out they were all used in a tight race 3, also in an increasing breeze. Buccaneer led for most of the race but let Stiletto slip past when not hoisting her kite on the last reach. Nick Rawbone's 34.7 finally hit the podium correcting less than a minute ahead of Assassin, who'd unnecessarily returned & re-started and was also training youngsters. She line honours, but corrected in 4th a few seconds ahead of Flying Pig. Very little separates the top 6 boats so far overall.