Lyver Trophy Race from Liverpool Yacht Club

When they say that the Lyver Trophy Race is a qualifier for the Fastnet race, they mean it is a preparation for dealing with heavy weather, as well as the sailing...

Out of the twelve boats which left Liverpool on Sunday 8th July 2001, only eight completed the race. A Sigma 38, Enigmatic, struggled back into Liverpool Marina only two hours after setting off, after its mast snapped in high winds off New Brighton. The crew were rescued by the local lifeboat, who escorted the boat back to the Marina.

Another two boats (Bare Necessity, and Young Eagle) retired due to the severe conditions along the North Wales Coast, and ‘Jackhammer’ suffered damage to her rigging. For the sake of contrast, Value at Risk retired off the Welsh coast due to the absence of wind, after 16 hours.

The bi-annual race was founded in 1997 by Gordon Dewar from Liverpool Yacht Club, as a joint initiative with the Royal Dee Yacht Club. The aim was to provide a Fastnet qualifying race for boats based in ports around North West, including Liverpool, Blackpool, Isle of Man, Fleetwood, Pwllheli, Holyhead and the Irish ports. The first race in 1997 started in Liverpool and ended in Pwllheli, and the race in 1999 went from Liverpool to Howth via Isle of Man.

The course for this year’s race took the boats to the Irish coast near to Dublin, before returning to Pwllheli, where the prize-giving was held on the Tuesday evening. The overall winner, Flash II (a Hunter Formula 28) completed the race in just over 37 hours (adjusted time), and the last boat crossed the finishing line 42 hours after the start. Second place went to Vixen, and Skukusa took third place overall. Vixen and Flash II also won their class races (class 2 and 3, respectively) and Jackhammer was the class 1 winner.

In a race of such length, it is incredible that the adjusted time difference between the first and second boats was only 94 seconds. According to the Skipper of ‘Flash II’, their secret was a combination of effective tactical manoeuvres (such as sailing close to the North Wales coast rather than the off-shore course that most boats took), good team spirit and good sailors. At times, only one out of the team of 6 went down below, to keep the boat as flat as possible. Speeds of up to 10-12 knots were reached, as boat planed on the last leg towards Pwllheli under spinnaker.

The Lyver Trophy itself is made of Waterford crystal glass, and it is kept by the overall winner for two years. Prizes of sculptured Scandinavian glassware were given to all finishers, who will also receive medallions from RORC. The glassware was provided by the main sponsors, Crew Clothing and other assistance towards the costs of the race was provided by Groves, John & Westrup (marine insurers), Mailspeed Marine (yachting chandlers) and Jaguar House.

Whether or not the Lyver Trophy competitors go on to take part in the Fastnet race, they all found it a challenging and satisfying venture.

More Information:

• Liverpool Yacht Club