Royal Ocean Racing Club - Chartering International IRC Championship Day 2

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Chartering International IRC Championship Day 2

Promising sunshine, soon gave way to cloudy weather again; but on this second day of the Chartering International IRC Championships, the rain did not appear and did not bring the wind strength that the competitors had enjoyed on the previous day. The wind, out of the SSW maintained a consistent 8 to 10 knots until mid-way through the second race.

The start line was laid near the Champagne Mumm racing mark and a windward mark opposite the entrance to the Newtown River. With the Z flag flying for all starts, the boats were cautious in their approach to the line, using the east-going flood tide to hold themselves back from the course side of the line. Across the Classes, the leading boats had even starts, with starboard tack boats holding their course only briefly before heading for the North shore and shallow water.

On the downwind leg Aera maintained her familiar lead, but Bear of Britain (Kit Hobday/Tim Louis) found herself in second place, ahead of Volvo for Life Team Tonic (Nick Hewson), with Chernikeeff 2 (Peter Harrison) following close behind. In the second race, Volvo For Life Team Tonic took back a place in the Super Zero Class, as the big boats lead the field home. By the end of the race Bear of Britain and Chernikeeff 2 had the better of Volvo for Life Team Tonic, but smaller boats fared better and the Farr 52s took sixth, seventh and ninth positions. Wolf (Glynn Williams) held a significant lead over the Class zero boats at the first leeward mark, and maintained this position through the rest of the race to take second place in the combined Zero and Super Zero Class; however she couldn’t keep up the pressure and dropped to eighth in the second race of the day.

In Class 1 Exabyte 2 (Shaun Frohlich) continued to show her form taking the first race of the day by over thirty seconds from Assassin (Peter Jackson); positions which they repeated in the following race. Jazolo (Robert Shaw) made the best of the light winds and her asymmetric spinnaker to take first place in Class 2, edging out Voodoo Chile (Eamon Crosbie) and Obsession (Barry & David Rose). In Class 3, Software Mistress (Ian Maclean) reversed the fortunes of the previous day, to take first place, followed by Tsunami (Roger Swinney) and the consistent Abrasive (Paul Hirst & Ashley Taylor).

In the second race of the day, Class 2 was won by another J109, Jeronimo (Jonathan & Lisa Goring), with Bump in The Night (Duncan Morris) easing Voodoo Chile into third. In Class 3, Software Mistress took first again, with Abrasive and Excalibur (Mike & June Tong) taking second and third places.

The third race of the day, which had the potential to create a list of favourites for the prize winners in each Class, was turned on its head at the start line. In the Zero and Super Zero Class, Chernikeeff 2 and Bear of Britain crossed the line in the minute before the start and received a 20% place penalty. Kirribilli was scored OCS. In Class 1 Gusto (Andrew Hinton-Lever) and Mostly Harmless (Tom Hayhoe & Natalie Jobling) returned after being over the line and received 20% place penalties; Moonshine (Jack Kelly) and Firestorm (Jonathan Perry) were scored OCS.

The Class 3 boats learned from what they saw of the Class 2 start and were all behind the line as the gun was fired. Class 2 was another story. At the first attempt eight boats were identified as being over the line during the last minute and there was a general recall. At the second attempt fifteen boats were identified as being over the line in the final minute, three of whom had also been identified as such in the first start; they received a total 40% place penalty, the others all took a 20% penalty. Following another general recall a Black flag was hoisted on the Committee boat to achieve a clean start at the third attempt.

With six of the eight planned races completed, Zero & Super Zero, and Class 1 both have outright leaders. The new Kerr 55, Aera (Nick Lykiardopulo) shows a full hand of firsts and IMX 40, Exabyte 2, using her discard, has just one second among a list of firsts. In Class 2, Flair IV (Jim MacGregor) and Highland Spirit (Hamish Oliphant) are in prime contention for the honours, while in Class 3, Abrasive and Excalibur tie for second place, just five points behind Electra (Mike Tattersall).

The crews of the Farr 52s, all in preparation for the Admiral’s Cup event in July, were all enjoying the racing. Bear of Britain’s results today are put down to “out-hiking the other boats, and a good team effort.” Volvo For Life Team Tonic’s Crew Boss, Craig ‘Lightning’ Nutter, said that the closeness of the racing, which saw ‘Bear’ pip them in the first two races, “showed the crew how much work still needs to be done, and that it doesn’t take a big error to lose half a boat length.”

Peter Harrison, back on board Cherikeeff 2 today, and in Cowes for the first time since he returned from New Zealand, was pleased with the preparations that his crew are making for the Admiral’s Cup. Sailing with the core of his RORC Sailability crew onboard, and some that may sail on his Farr 50, Chernikeeff, as part of the Cowes Corinthian Sailability crew, which will make its racing debut in the RORC Morgan Cup Race from Cowes to Brixham, next weekend.

Chartering International Limited, sponsors of the IRC Championship for 2003, is the yacht management division of MeespiersonIntertrust, the trust and banking arm of Fortis, the financial services group. CIL provide specialist yacht management services including leasing, financing, project management and crew employment services. www.ciluk.net.

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