Jeremy Rogers Contessa 26 wins the Gold Roman Bowl
by Loretta Spridgeon 22 Jun 2002 23:55 BST
GOLD ROMAN BOWL WINNER ANNOUNCED FOR ROUND THE ISLAND RACE 2002
Rosina of Beaulieu, a Contessa 26 owned by Jeremy Rogers MBE, has today won the highly coveted Gold Roman Bowl, the top accolade for the Round the Island Race 2002. The yacht, one of the smaller boats in the impressive 1,641-strong fleet, crossed the Round the Island Race finish line after 9
hours 15 mins and 48 seconds.
Bear of Britain took the Vaphio Cup for the IRC Class One division in this
year's Round the Island Race 2002, and for a while seemed to be firm
favourite to clinch the Gold Roman Bowl, hotly contested by yachts sailing
under the IRC rating system. The student-crewed Farr 52 Bear of Britain
owned by Kit Hobday and Tim Louis, crossed the finish line at 15:32 (BST),
after 5 hours 22 minutes and 53 seconds. The handicap system used by race
organisers, the Island Sailing Club, to level out the playing field, has now
revealed Rosina of Beaulieu to have beaten Bear of Britain to the race's top
trophy by a mere 17 seconds on handicap.
With over 800 finishers at 20:30, event organisers are now confident that
Rosina of Beaulieu will not be beaten on handicap and that the bulk of the
fleet will complete the race before the time limit at 22:00 (BST).
The 66th Round the Island Race got underway at 08:30 today, Saturday, 22
June, in a 12-13 knots south westerly breeze off the Royal Yacht Squadron
starting line, off Cowes, Isle of Wight. Rodney Pattisson's course record,
set in June 2001 aboard Francis Joyon's trimaran, Dexia Eure et Loir, had
looked within reach at the race outset, but today's wind direction did not
prove conducive to record-breaking at this year's event.
Maiden II, Tracy Edward's 110-foot maxi catamaran co-skippered by Brian
Thompson and Helena Darvelid, took multihull line honours earlier today,
finishing in 3 hrs 21 minutes and 16 seconds and falling just 13 minutes
short of the Round the Island Race course record. As first multihull to
cross the finish line, Maiden II will collect this year's Freedom Challenge
Bowl.
Alex Cooper powered 'Sunergy' into the monohull lead for today's Round the
Island Race 2002, finishing the race in 5 hrs 47 mins and 57 seconds to
clinch this year's Observer Trophy. The yellow-hulled Whitbread 60 competed
in the ISC Handicap Class A and was chartered for the prestigious Round the
Island Race by Morgan Stanley for the third consecutive year.
For this year's event, race partners supporting the event include Ocean
World, Red Funnel, Champagne Mumm and MDL. Commenting on today's race,
David Atkinson, Chief Race Officer summarised, "Another memorable Round the
Island Race is nearing conclusion and the celebrations are now underway here
in Cowes. We look forward to welcoming competitors to the Island Sailing
Club prize giving taking place tomorrow at midday."
Next year's Round the Island Race is scheduled for Saturday, 21 June 2003.
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