(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club's 110.0nm race to Dieppe for the Morgan Cup started in the Solent on a midsummer's day in superb conditions. The RORC fleet enjoyed a spectacular downwind start off the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, heading east for the English Channel. During the night, the wind evaporated and as high pressure enveloped the race course, competitors were searching for the best of the breeze and tidal conditions. By morning, clear skies and an early sunrise conspired to enhance sea breeze conditions, giving a fantastic downwind finish for the fleet into Dieppe. The slow-down during the night meant that the race to the finish was a close one, with many classes being decided by minutes, even seconds. The 2019 Morgan Cup Race was notable for British yachts which won all seven classes.
William McGough and Christian Jeffrey, racing their J/109 JUST SO in IRC Two Handed, won the 2019 Morgan Cup Race, winning overall in a fleet of 86 yachts racing under the IRC Rating System. McGough and Jeffrey are both corinthian sailors in their 30s, and this is their first season racing Two-Handed.
“We have been sailing together for 11 years with fully crewed teams in RORC races but this is the first time we have won a RORC trophy so we are absolutely delighted,” agreed McGough and Jeffrey, the Two-Handed team racing on JUST SO. “We got one of the best starts along with Bellino and we were going well out of the Solent. Probably the biggest tactical decision that paid off was to go east. If you look at the results of the pack of boats that went that way, they have all done well. When we finished the race, we looked at the boats around us and knew we had done well, but to win overall is amazing! JUST SO will be competing in the Cowes-Dinard-St Malo Race fully crewed, but this was the last race before we take on the Rolex Fastnet Race Two-Handed.”
In IRC One Class, Sam & Andrew Hall’s J/121 JACKHAMMER missed the podium by a mere 50 seconds, settling for fourth place.
In IRC Two, the 2017 IRC Two Overall Series Champion, Gilles Fournier's J/133 PINTIA took the bronze. Meanwhile, Chris Daniels’ J/122E JUNO placed fifth and Clive Miles J/122 JANGLE was seventh.
The podium for IRC Three was all British yachts, the Royal Navy Association's J/109 JOLLY JACK TAR, skippered by Tom Thicknesse, was third in class for the Morgan Cup.
In IRC Four, the J/109 JUST SO also won against all fully-crewed teams! For more RORC Morgan Cup sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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