Royal Ocean Racing Club - Iromiguy takes Channel Challenge Cup

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Iromiguy takes Channel Challenge Cup

CHANNEL RACE Friday 1st August 2003.

A damp drizzly evening saw the RORC fleet head off from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line on the 110 mile Channel Race. First to start at 19:00 were IRC Super Zero, Zero and 1, with the French yacht ‘Solune’, Jean-Philippe Chomette’s Nacira 60 showing the way. IRC 2 & 3 started at 19:10 with all the yacht shy of the line for the ‘down hill’ first leg, the breeze of around 10kts coming from the West.

Course ‘A’ had been chosen by the Race Committee, sending the fleet to the East between the Forts and on to Nab Tower round to port, then to Outer Owers before the leeward mark at Rustington. Turning to the West, the fleet then headed back to Outer Owers and Nab Tower leaving them to starboard, and on to Poole No1 Lt Buoy, passing to the South of the Isle of Wight, before the final leg to the finish at North Head.

The breeze held during the night with the boats hard on the wind for the leg from the Owers to St Catherine’s Point, although for a time large shifts were experienced. It was as the leading yachts rounded Rustington that Piet Vroon, in ‘Tonnerre’ managed to slip away from ‘Solune’. As the sun came up in the early hours of Saturday morning the breeze began to fade making the need to round Poole No 1 buoy and catch the fair tide to the finish a must.

First to cross the finish at 08:21 on Saturday morning was Piet Vroon’s Lutra 52 ‘Tonnerre de Breskens’, taking the Hugh Astor Trophy for First Yacht Home, one minute ahead of ‘Solune’. ‘Venom’, Windward Sailing’s Volvo 60, sailed by Derek Saunders was 3rd home at 08:48, just ahead of the battle for supremacy between the two J145’s. Chris Bull’s, ‘Jazz’ and Robert Davies’ ‘Roxy 9’. ‘Jazz’ won the fight on the water by 46 seconds, giving them a 6 second victory on corrected time. They were both however beaten in class Zero by Nick Hartshorn’s Ker 11.3 ‘El Gringo’ who also took the Assagai Bowl for BCT IRM. IRC 1 was headed by ‘Axelle’, Hubert Wargny’s X442, finishing at 09:30, ahead of Charles Ivill’s J120 ‘Charley J’ by 28 minutes, enough time for ‘Axelle’ to take IRC 1.

In IRC 2 only 30 seconds divided the first two home, ‘Energies’, Philippe Bourgeois’ First 36.7 holding off the challenge of Simon Curwen’s J105 ‘Voador’. It was not to be their day however, as once the correction factor had been applied Harry Heijst’s S&S 41 ‘Winsome’ would do enough to take 1st, with ‘Voador’ taking 2nd ahead of ‘Energies’. The closest contest was to be in IRC 3 where 1 minute 10 seconds split the first four finishers. Leading the charge was ‘Dolfijn’ a Swan 38 owned by Richard Bamford with ‘Exile’ Nicholas de la Fourniere’s X312 and Jan van den Bossche’s First 31.7 ‘Garce’ in hot pursuit, ‘Exile’ and ‘Garce’ crossing the line together with the same time and the last of the quartet ‘Iromiguy’, Jean-Yves Chateau Nicholson 33 only 15 seconds later, close enough for ‘Iromiguy’ to take IRC 3 on corrected time and to win the Channel Challenge Cup for BCT IRC.

Trophies will be presented at the RORC Cocktail Party to be held on at the RYS Pavilion on Wednesday 6 August – tickets from the RORC office in Cowes.

Channel Challenge Cup – BCT IRC Iromiguy Jean-Yves Chateau

Stetson Plate – IRC 0 El Gringo Nick Hartshorn

2nd Jazz Chris Bull

3rd Roxy 9 Robert Davies

Royal Albert Yacht Club Trophy – IRC 1 Axelle Hubert Wargny

Royal Albert Yacht Club Trophy – IRC 2 Winsome Harry Heijst

2nd Voador Simon Curwen

3rd Energies Philippe Bourgeois

Royal Albert Yacht Club Trophy – IRC 3 Iromiguy Jean-Yves Chateau

2nd Exile Nicholas de la Fourniere

3rd Sigress David & Fiona Crawforth

Assegai Bowl – BCT IRM El Gringo Nick Hartshorn

Inter Services Trophy – Service Yacht with BCT Not Awarded

Hugh Astor Trophy – 1st Yacht Home ‘Tonnerre de Breskens’ Piet Vroon

RORC Prize – 2 Handed Division Voador Simon Curwen

RORC Prize – Seahorse Division Voador Simon Curwen

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