Connex Spring Regatta at Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club
by Bill Harris 29 Apr 2010 09:41 BST
24-25 April 2010
The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club’s annual Spring Regatta, sponsored by Jersey’s public transport company Connex, was held in St Aubin’s Bay over the weekend of 24th/25th April in fine but truly mixed sailing conditions.
True to forecast, Saturday proved to be very sunny with hardly a ripple or hint of a breeze. The cruiser classes waited patiently until mid afternoon when their race committee decided to call it a day and everyone went home. However, patience paid off for the dayboat, dinghy and sport catamaran classes for within an hour of the cut-off time, the slightest vestige of a breeze appeared in the east making its way slowly westwards across the Bay, spurring race committee B into action.
With barely five knots of southeasterly breeze, a much diminished fast dinghy fleet was sent on its way for just one windward/leeward circuit resulting in a win for Laser sailor Martin Speller’s Liquid Logic, relegating wife Heather sailing her Streaker Flasher to second place by eleven seconds. The day also resulted in wins for Harry Moisan, sailing his Optimist in the junior dinghy fleet, Gordon Burgis’ Hobie 16 Pure Energy in the open sport catamaran class and Mike Jackson’s Charity in the dayboat class.
The major highlight of the day, however, was the first appearance of a Hobie Wildcat on Jersey’s sailing scene, racing to victory in the eight-strong Formula 18 class, with Toby Orpin at the helm. Although only one of the three scheduled races was run, it provided something reasonably exciting to talk about at a very successful Regatta dinner that evening.
Sunday proved to be the better day for racing but not as good for lounging about in the sun! To the relief of the two committee boat crews, the breeze had veered to the southwest and built from light to moderate during the afternoon with fresh gusts. For the ‘small boat’ race committee major wind shifts saw the race committee having to adjust the course for each of the three races.
With two races scheduled for the cruiser classes over courses set to the south of the Bay, boats were started just after midday on their first ‘round the cans’ course. David Jones’ First 34.7, Jackana, won IRC class 1 convincingly beating Nigel Coxshall’s ILC30 Toybox by thirty minutes on corrected time. The second race also went to Jackana, once again with Toybox taking second place. Honours in IRC class 2 went to Jeff Speller’s Farr 727, 2Farr, narrowly beating Team Genie’s Farr 727, Genie, on countback, each boat having a first and second place to her name. Helen Barker’s Farr 727, Arbitrator, came third overall.
In the committee boat B fleet, Ben Jones won the dayboat class sailing his Cornish Coble, Baloo, beating Mike Harrison’s La Rocque OD, Jigsaw, in two of the three races. The seven-strong open sport-catamaran class provided some very consistent results with Gordon Burgis’ Hobie 16, Pure Energy, winning all three races, Grant Neale’ iCAT three seconds, and Luc Richard’s Ches la Vie three thirds. Darren Stower’s Hobie Tiger, Cross-eyed Moose, dominated the F18 class with two wins to the Wildcat’s one, the two boats finishing just one point apart for the day but with the Wildcat clinching the overall result over the two days. David Carter’s Knot-a-Clew took third in all three races.
The F18s certainly brought considerable spectacle and excitement to the event, promising much for the emerging class! In the ‘fast’ open dinghy class, Heather Speller’s Flasher turned the tables on husband Martin’s Laser winning all three races. Laura-Jane Carter’s Laser Radial, Deely Bopper, was third overall with two third places. Harry Moisan’s Optimist Ooh La La! ended the day first overall, having won two races to Lily Carter’s Optimist’s Funki Fly’s one, both otherwise coming second to finish the day just one point apart. George Moisan’s Topper, Topsy Turvy, was third overall.
The Connex Spring Regatta was brought to a close on Sunday evening at a lively prize-giving reception in the RCIYC attended by Connex’ John and Emily Moore who kindly presented the place prizes.
Overall Results:
Saturday 24th April
Class 4 – Dayboat
1 Charity, Mike Jackson (Tosher 20)
Class 5 – Open Sport-catamaran
1 Pure Energy, Gordon Burgis (Hobie 16)
2 iCAT, Grant Neale (Hobie 16)
3 Double Trouble, Jeremy Smith (Hobie 16)
Class 6 – Formula 18 Sport-catamaran
1 Wildcat, Toby Orpin (Hobie Wildcat)
2 Twodegreesnorth, James Read (Hobie Tiger)
3 1667, Benn Garnham (Hobie Tiger)
Class 7 – Open Dinghy
1 Liquid Logic, Martin Speller (Laser)
2 Flasher, Heather Speller (Streaker)
Class 8 – Open Dinghy
1 Ooh La La!, Harry Moisan (Optimist)
2 Red Rocket, Dylan Griffiths (Topper)
3 Topsy Turvy, George Moisan (Topper)
Sunday 25th April
Class 0 – IRC Sportsboat
1 The Dog’s ........!, Allen Brown & Ptnrs (Melges 24)
Class 1 – IRC cruiser/racer
1 Jackana, David Jones (First 34.7)
2 Toybox, Nigel Coxshall (ILC30)
3 Jubilee-G, Werner Toporis (J105)
Class 2 – IRC cruiser/racer
1 2Farr, Jeff Speller (Farr 727)
2 Genie, Charles Perkins (Farr 727)
3 Arbitrator, Helen Barker (Farr 727)
Class 4 – Dayboat
1 Baloo, Ben Jones (Cornish Coble)
2 Jigsaw, Mike Harrison (La Rocque OD)
Class 5 – Open Sport-catamaran
1 Pure Energy, Gordon Burgis (Hobie 16)
2 iCAT, Grant Neale (Hobie 16)
3 Ches la Vie, Luc Richard (Hobie 16)
Class 6 – Formula 18 Sport-catamaran
1 Cross-eyed Moose, Darren Stower (Hobie Tiger)
2 Wildcat, Toby Orpin (Hobie Wildcat)
3 Knot-a-Clew, David Carter (Hobie Tiger)
Class 7 – Open Dinghy
1 Flasher, Heather Speller (Streaker)
2 Liquid Logic, Martin Speller (Laser Standard)
3 Deeley Bopper, Laura-Jane Carter (Laser Radial)
Class 8 – Open Dinghy
1 Ooh La La!, Harry Moisan (Optimist)
2 Funki Fly, Lily Carter (Optimist)
3 Topsy Turvy, George Moisan
Full results have been posted in the RCIYC and on www.rciyc.je
A date for your diary! The Brewin Dolphin Jersey Regatta takes place from 3rd – 5th September. Visit www.jerseyregatta.com for the Notice of Race and other details.