(Le Havre, France)- The 133nm Cervantes Trophy Race is traditionally the
first English Channel Race of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Season's
Points Championship and this year's race from Cowes to Le Havre
attracted a variety of yachts from Belgium, Britain, France, Germany and
the Netherlands. The majority of the teams are passionate Corinthians,
but make no mistake, the RORC Season's Points Championship is arguably
the toughest offshore series of races in the world.After a stunning performance over the Bank Holiday weekend, local Le Havre boat PINTIA was declared overall winner of the Cervantes Trophy Race. The French J/133, racing in IRC Two, was skippered by Gilles Fournier and crewed by the creator of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Bruno Trouble and past Commodore of the Société des Régates du Havre, Corraine Migraine.
PINTIA’s big win was set up right from the start when the French team chose the north shore of the Solent and led overall into the English Channel. Squally conditions prevailed south of the Isle of Wight with several yachts damaging sails in the 30-knot gusts. Lighter conditions prevailed for the majority of the fleet as they crossed the English Channel but PINTIA managed to stay in good breeze to claim overall victory. Notably, PINTIA was second overall last year, surely evidence this crew has this particular race “wired for sound”! PINTIA’s owner was delighted with their win.
"Corraine Migraine is my daughter and Bruno Trouble is my very old friend, we sailed 505s in the 60s, Quarter Tonners in the 70s and Admiral's Cups in the 80s, so we have a good understanding in the team. At the start, we had the current with us and although we had to sail more miles, we were first overall at No Man's Land Fort, to the south the current was against the boats that went that way, so that was very good for us, very valuable. When we left the Solent, we did not have much wind, which was expected! But, then the wind picked up again after Bembridge Ledge and we tacked very close to the shore up to St. Catherine's Point. We had a big squall and tacked at the right moment. For the Channel crossing and finish at Le Havre, we managed to stay in 10 knots of wind all the way, while the wind died behind us. We are very happy to win in our home port!” They should be jumping for joy- they won by 1 hr 18 min!!
In the IRC Two-handed Division, Nick Martin’s J/105 DIABLO-J continues there steady performance that often ends up giving them the class win, taking fifth place in class, 6th in IRC 3, and 16th overall for their initial outing for the RORC offshore season.
The RORC Season's Points Championship continues with the North Sea Race, which is weighted at 1.2 for the championship. The North Sea Race is scheduled to start on Friday May 6th from Harwich bound for Scheveningen; approximate race length is 180 nautical miles across the North Sea. For more RORC Cervantes Trophy sailing information
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