(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The domestic season for the RORC
Season's Points Championship kicked off with a test of tactics and
endurance for the international fleet of yachts racing from Cowes to Le
Havre for the Cervantes Trophy. The main tactical conundrum was a
windless area in the middle of the Channel. After over 24 hours of
racing, a large number of the fleet were compressed in a tight pack,
flying spinnakers into the finish line with many yachts finishing within
minutes of each other.One of the skippers in the race commented, "The Cervantes Trophy Race was very light at the start and the tactic we used to make an advantage was to take a trajectory that was not in a straight line but to the east, curving below the other boats. We knew that our Code Zero is an excellent sail and this line would allow us to use it. In addition, with this position on the course, the predicted loss of wind mid-Channel would probably fill in from the east first and we would be closer to the new wind than the other boats. The Code Zero proved to be an excellent weapon and we took the advantage in the middle of the Channel."
With 21 entries, IRC Three was by far the largest and most competitive class in the Race. When the spinnakers all came down at the finish line, everyone knew the final tally was going to be close for the top five boats. Though first J/109 across the line on elapsed, Robert Stiles’s DIAMOND JEM had to settle for second in class; just 7 minutes shy of first on corrected time. Taking the IRC 3 Class win and 9th overall was fellow J/109 classmate JUMBUCK skippered by John Allison. Following them were Kevin Armstrong’s J/109 JAZZY JELLYFISH in 4th and David Aisher’s J/109 YEOMAN OF WIGHT, skippered by Richard Sheldon, taking 5th place. For more RORC Cervantes Trophy Race sailing information
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