(Cowes, IOW, England)- There are over 100 boats bound for Le Havre, France this coming weekend. Amongst them is Nial Dowling's J/111, ARABELLA making its offshore debut for The Cervantes Trophy. The race starts Saturday, April 30 from RYS is organised by RORC in association with the Société des Régates du Havre and the Royal Yacht Squadron. The Cervantes Trophy Race marks the start of the RORC European race circuit with eleven races scheduled for destinations in Northern France, Holland, Ireland and many ports of call in the United Kingdom.
The majority of the RORC fleet for the Cervantes Trophy is an eclectic mix of performance cruising boats. In IRC-2, it has no less than 20 types of yachts, including RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine's boat. The much travelled Nial Dowling will be racing his new J/111 ARABELLA for the first time offshore and could have a close battle for line honours in class with several other notable 39-42 footers. An impressive line up in IRC-3 has nine J/109s, including proven competitors such as Robin Taunt's JIBE and Paul Griffith's JAGERBOMB. The Two-Handed Class, an increasingly popular discipline, has attracted nine yachts for The Cervantes Trophy Race, including Rear Commodore Nick Martin's J/105, DIABLO-J, which won the Cherbourg Race at the end of the 2010 season. For more RORC Cervantes Trophy sailing information. Sailing Photo credits- Paul Wyeth- www.pwpictures.com