After the excellent conditions enjoyed for the Centenary Cowes St Malo/Dinard Race last month, the Cowes La Rochelle fleet could not have expected yet another such race, but that is exactly what happened.

Everyone, from the first boat home to the last, reported having a most enjoyable race, even if, as in first boat home Fidessa Fastwave’s case, the morning breeze brought up the chasing boats to cut into their lead at the finish.

Paul King on Serendip described it as “a nice race with fantastic weather”, the increasing wind bringing them home at 17.22.58 on Wednesday, when they had given an ETA of Thursday. Serendip had just caught the tide round Portand Bill, but to zero advantage, being almost becalmed in Lyme Bay. They met lots of boats at Start Point and Prawl Point and caught up with more at the Eddystone on Monday evening at 19.45. With a very light breeze from the west, there had been lot of close tacking with Hooligan, Meta Baron, Tiger and Simply the Best.

Serendip spent the early hours of Tuesday running under spinnaker in 16 knots from the north with a full moon through to dawn and clear skies - “Perfect!” They gybed at first light and with the wind remaining between 9-16 knots ENE, carried on past Ushant. The wind then went very light and tide was very bad off St Chaussee de Seine – with 4 other boats they had to gybe downwind to get round the headland.

The final 200 miles to the finish was the “loveliest leg”, with spinnakers to start with. Tuesday night was even better with smooth seas and NNE 11 knots to the finish. With spinnakers after the PA buoy to the penultimate mark some 5 miles from home, a final fetch brought Hooligan, Simply the Best, Meta Baron and Serendip in with half an hour of each other late on Wednesday afternoon.

Erivale reported a difficult leg down to Eddystone and then a “stonking” run across to Ushant in 20 knots, arriving at 08.00, missing the tide. A sea breeze filled in from NW, reaching 20 knots, and providing a “furious” reach. The wind had gone light by Wednesday morning, but an increasing breeze of 10-12 knots saw them arrive at 16 07 25 on Wednesday.

Last boat home was the 2-handed First 31.7 Idefix, finishing at 16 35 30 on Thursday, just in time for the prizegiving, where they picked up the Frank Guillet Challenge Trophy for Class 3.

The event was rounded off by a most enjoyable barbeque at the SRR, organised by Laurent Bonnet and Bernard Luce, whom we thank for their kind hospitality.