After a short postponement by the Race Committee for a large ship transiting to Southampton and a General Recall, the RORC 2004 Myth of Malham Race started from the RYS line at 1925 on Friday 11th June, sending the fleet west out of the Solent on a fixed course in the channel.   The two new offshore marks, RORC Offshore Light Buoy positioned 15 miles south of St Alban’s Head and Ocean Safety Offshore Light Buoy positioned 16 miles south of Selsey Bill would be used for the first time during this race.   The Myth of Malham Race would also form part of the English Team trials for this years Rolex Commodores Cup.  

From the Needles Fairway Light Buoy the fleet headed to the RORC Offshore Light Buoy and then inshore to round Poole No 1 Light Buoy before heading east round the back of the Island to the Ocean Safety Offshore Light Buoy, and then the last leg through the Forts to the finish at Royal Albert Light Buoy, a distance of approximately 125 miles.

Taking line honours at 0812 was ‘Venom’, Derek Saunders’ Volvo 60, followed by Kit Hobday & Tim Louis’ Farr 52 ‘Bear of Britain’ at 0833 and ‘Tonnerre de Breskens’, Piet Vroon’s Lutra 52 at 0908.

First of   IRC 1 home was ‘Maverick 2’, Dominic Chappell’s IMX 40 at 1051, three minutes ahead of   Jerry Otter’s IMX 40 ‘Exabyte 2’ and ‘Tarka’, Nick Jones’ First 40.7 at 1110.

‘Quokka’, Peter Rutter’s Elan 37 lead the IRC 2 fleet home at 1148 followed by ‘Carpetbagger’, Michal Ronson’s HOD 35 and Tim Harrinton’s HOD 35 ‘Capitali$m’.   The closest finish would also be fought out in IRC 2, ‘Jeronimo’, Jonathan & Lisa Goring’s J109 just keeping their nose ahead of Jim Macgregor’s Elan 37 ‘Civils with Flair’ by 1 second.

In IRC 3 ‘Arobase 3’, Thierry LePrince’s First 31.7 crossed at 1421 with ‘Whooper’ Giovanni Belgrano’s One Off   not far behind at 1422.

Trophies and RORC medallions will be presented on Tuesday 15th June at the RORC Clubhouse, 20 St James’s Place, London, SW1 at 1930.   All skippers and crews welcome.

Myth of Malham Cup – BCT IRC         Tarka        Nick Jones

Loujaine Cup – IRC Zero              Exabyte III Shaun Frohlich

2nd         Fidessa – Fastwave             ACP Sailing

3rd         El Gringo                Nick Hartshorn

Jamarella Trophy – IRC 1                   Tarka        Nick Jones

2nd         Maverick 2               Dominic Chappell

3rd         Exabyte 2                Jerry Otter

Maid of Malham Cup – IRC 2           Winsome      Harry Heijst

2nd         Quokka                   Peter Rutter

3rd         Carpetbagger                   Michael Ronson

Earnest Moore Plate – IRC 3                Whooper      Giovanni Belgrano

Ville D’Hyeres Trophy – BCT IRM            El Gringo    Nick Hartshorn

2 Handed Division                    Psipsina     John Loden

Seahorse Division                    Whooper      Giovanni Belgrano