Feisty Conditions Predicted for RORC De Guingand Bowl
The Royal Ocean Racing Club's De Guingand Bowl, is the sixth race of the 2019 RORC Season's Points Championship.
68 yachts have entered, with well over 400 sailors taking on the demands of racing in the forecast full-on conditions. Complex tides and the rounding of virtual marks will add to the challenge for the skippers and crews.
“With the predicted conditions, we are going to leave the decision on the course as late as possible,” commented RORC Racing Manager, Chris Stone. “We will look to avoid the worst of the heavy conditions in the early part of the race, and we are potentially looking at using virtual marks during the De Guingand Bowl.”
The 2018 overall winner and holder of the De Guingand Bowl, Ker 40 Hooligan VII sailed by Ed Broadway (GBR), returns to defend the trophy. Hooligan VII faces stiff opposition just in IRC One, including two FAST40+ yachts that had a photo-finish for the overall win in their last race; Redshift sailed by Ed Fishwick (GBR) and Ino XXX sailed by James Neville (GBR). A13 Phosphorus sailed by Mark Emerson (GBR) was third overall for the race in 2018. Proven winners in the class include; JND39 Lann Ael 2 sailed by Didier Gadoux (FRA), and XP-44 Orange Mecanix2 sailed by Maxime de Mareuil (FRA).
Louis Balcaen’s ClubSwan 50 Balthazar © Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com
IRC Zero features four powerful yachts from 50-70ft on the start line. Botin IRC 52 Tala sailed by David Collins (GBR), took Monohull Line honours and the class win in the Myth of Malham. ClubSwan 50 Balthasar, sailed by Volvo Ocean Race sailor Louis Balcaen (BEL), and Windward Sailing's CM 60 Venomous, sailed by Derek Saunders (GBR), will also be racing. Volvo 70 Telefonica Black sailed by Lance Shepherd (GBR) has the highest IRC rating.
In IRC 2, Sailing Logic have four teams racing in Beneteau First 40s, including last year's class winner Lancelot II, this year sailed by Jon Tyrrell (GBR). The class leader for the 2019 RORC Season's Points Championship will be in action; J/133 Pintia sailed by Corinne Migraine & Gilles Fournier (FRA). JPK 11.80 Sunrise, sailed by Tom Kneen (GBR), has the opportunity to go top of the class for the season with a good result in the De Guingand Bowl. Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster, sailed by Ross Applebey (GBR), returns to RORC action after a successful Caribbean season.
Louis-Marie Dussere's JPK 10.80 Raging Bee2 © Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com
In IRC Three, Trevor Middleton's Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep, sailed by Jake Carter (GBR), is the overall leader for the 2019 RORC Season's Points Championship. Tough competition this weekend will come from several teams racing Two-Handed including; last year's De Guingand Bowl Class Winner, JPK 10.80 Raging Bee2 sailed by Louis-Marie Dussere & Olivier Fantou (FRA). The 2019 season leader for the Two-Handed Class is also in action, Sun Fast 3600 Bellino sailed by Rob Craigie & Deb Fish (GBR).
David Murrin’s 1957 Laurent Giles Bermudan sloop Cetewayo © Chris Boynton
IRC Four has 16 teams racing in a huge variety of yachts, traditional designs include the largest yacht in the class. The 47'6” 1957 Laurent Giles Bermudan sloop Cetewayo, which has been loving restored and sailed by David Murrin (GBR). The Contessa 32 Assent sailed Two-Handed by Kit and Simon Rogers (GBR), with a waterline length of 24', is the smallest yacht competing in the De Guingand Bowl. Kit and Simon's father, Jeremy Rogers, set up Contessa Yachts in 1961. Assent was originally named Tessa of Worth and was the only yacht in Class 5 to complete the 1979 Fastnet Race. IRC Four contains four British teams racing Two-Handed in fast-planing Sun Fast 3200: Cora sailed by Tim & Nigel Goodhew, All Or Nothing sailed by Chris Blackburn & Simon Dipple, Hair of the Dog sailed by William Prest & Richard Ash, and Mzungu sailed by Sam White & Arthur Nicholls.
Seacart 30 Buzz sailed by Ross Hobson (GBR) returns having won the race in the Multihull Class last year. Class40 Eärendil skippered by Catherine Pourre (FRA) will be racing Two-Handed with Pietro Luciani (ITA). Both Buzz and Eärendil will be putting in valuable racing miles before competing in this year's Rolex Fastnet Race.
