(Poole, England)- The Poole Regatta is a huge bi-annual event held over
the 3 days of the late May Bank Holiday Weekend starting 24th May. In
addition to the IRC series, there are a number of national championships
being run as part of the regatta, including J/24s, J/70s and J/80s. At the top of the IRC 1 entries is Jackie and Rob Dobson’s J/133 Jeronimo, who will expect to lead this fleet around the course. Joining them are two J/109s, Steven Tapper’s STALKER and Alan & Lis Bennet’s BLUE JAY.
The one-design side of things is pretty remarkable, three International J one-designs are sailing their UK Nationals at this event! What is even more impressive is that all three fleets have excellent attendance, the J/24s have 19 boats registered, the J/70s have 13 and the J/80s have 16. Fun and games for all!
For
the J/70 UK Nationals it is a compulsory qualifying event for teams
that wish to go to the 2014 World Championship in Newport, RI. Many of
the top UK teams are attending, including Ian Atkins on BOATS.COM (top
finisher at Key West Race Week), Simon Ling skippering TEAM RAF SPITFIRE
Powered by SLAM and Marie-Claude Heys on JACOBS COAT. In addition,
participating is the American team of Jen & Ray Wulff from
Annapolis, MD; they are sailing a chartered J/70 called JOINT CUSTODY.The J/80s also have most of their top teams attending, including Patrick Liardet on AQUA-J, Andrew Dallas & Ben Richards on BOYSTEROUS, Gary Owens on JAMMY DODGER, Phil Taylor on J.A.T. and Team JUICY.
The J/24s have a number of familiar faces from the local fleet at Parkstone YC and from the fleet on the Solent; many sporting sail numbers of recent vintage, like 4000 and higher! Amongst the contenders may be Andy Taylor’s HITCHIKER, Bob Turner & Ian Brown’s SERCO, Nick Phillips’s CHAOTIC, Roger Morris’s JOLLY ROGER and Simon Hall’s SUSPICION. Like the J/70s, there is an American team participating- Paul Anstey’s team from Melbourne YC in Florida racing JOBS FOR THE BOYS. For more Poole Regatta sailing information
|
