North Sea Race
The Royal Harwich Yacht Club at Woolverstone was the welcoming venue for the Vuurschepen Race from Scheveningen to Harwich. The Club was at its best when the fleet arrived - wonderful sunshine, beer, meals and the hubbub of a busy yacht club running a week of dinghy sailing for children. This race was the first for the North Sea Regatta 2003 organised by the Jacht Club Scheveningen. The race back to Scheveningen is the traditional RORC North Sea race with additional entries from the UK.
The RORC race officers often enjoy the challenge of different committee boats to work on but the committee boat for this year’s start was in quite another league! With thanks to the Harwich Harbour Authority arrangements had been made to use an oil pollution barge, which made a wonderful platform to work from. The crane added another dimension to sorting our halyards for the flags. The skill of the crew, when the anchor had to be lifted manually was most impressive. The Royal Harwich committee boat Lion and their RIB assisted in running a smooth start.
Setting a line at Outer Ridge the PRO (Chris Brooke) was delighted with a 90 degree wind shift that enabled a windward start. With the wind just north of east and a slackening tide a line 0.6Nm long was set but many of the fleet chose to start at the port end, uptide. In the first start, for the long course, there was a clear line at the start. The boats at the north end had less wind than those at the committee boat end where Shoot the Bar made a good start with clear wind.
Of the 51 boats that set off on the 190 long course to Scheveningen most were line shy but in the second start for the ORC (Club) fleet who were doing a slightly shorter course of 149 miles two boats were called OCS but both returned correctly. It was a slow beat for a mile to Outer Ridge and then to Cork Sand Beacon.
Reports of little wind and tidal gates started to bring retirements. OBSESSION (Vermeulen) owned by Jan Rebel decided to retire when he was off the Suffolk coast kedged for a tide and did not think he would make Smith’s Knoll in the next tide and could not bear to kedge again!
Even so they enjoyed their time at sea having seen a beautiful Eclipse as the sun rose, wonderful sunshine and dolphins playing alongside the boat on their return home. ARIANE (Sunfast 37) owned by Paul Trudgett, with John Hall and John Brooking, also retired early having gone inshore near Lowestoft and lost the wind.
First to the Cork Sand Beacon, the first long course boat to Smith’s Knoll, rounding at 0500 BST, Piet Vroon’s Lutra 52, TONNERRE was also the first boat to Scheveningen, finishing at 1845. The second boat to cross the line was BIG FINGERS (Rogers 38) of Big Fingers Charter, sailing in the ORC Club Division on the Short Course some three hours later at 2209. Continuing the trend of increasingly fickle conditions, Steven Beers, BIERKAAI (Lutra 40) reported that they had wind shifts of 110 degrees at times near the finish, compounded by the current that was taking them the wrong side of the line in a depleting breeze. The last part of the race was to be the toughest for them and they had to battle to cross the line at 2236.
A long night followed with the fleet creeping in all through the night. Much to the delight of the competitors beer was served throughout the night at the Jacht Club Scheveningen. By the morning the race officers were amused to see the corrected time order for ORC 2
– 1st HAPPY, 2nd DEHLERIOUS P2 3rd MAD MAX!
Forty eight hours after the start in Harwich there were still eleven boats to finish. WINSOME (Harry Heijst) – S & S41 finished at 12 13 BST making it a very slow race for them and bringing the comment that just as the small print in the bank says “results in the past do not necessarily guarantee those of the future”!
Steven Blom’s SATORI (Grand Soleil 40) took the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Trophy for best corrected time in IMS 1 –4 (long course) and the Lora Challenge Cup for IMS 2. The Zwerver Cup for BCT in IMS 5 & 6 (short course) went to Jan Govers PAWKY GOOFY (Laser 28).
BCT in ORC (Club) winning the Maas Challenge Cup was Jeroen Kop’s Figaro JPH.
Full Trophy and Medallion list (presentations were made at 1600 local on Sunday 1 June at the restaurant “Visaflag” in Scheveningen.
IMS BCT (1-4) CYCA TROPHY SATORI (Grand Soleil) Steven Blom
IMS 1 VEERHAVEN TROPHY CHECKMATE 3 (BH41) Peter de Ridder
2 IMS 1 Tspanwil IV (J44) A Tienpont
IMS 2 LORA CHALLENGE CUP SATORI Steven Blom
2 IMS 2 Team Pandion (First 40.7) Bob Kool
3 IMS 2 Xiphias 4 (IMX40) Xiphias Racing BV
IMS 3 GOEREE CHALLENGE CUP DAIKIN AIRCO (HOD35) F van der Heijden
2 IMS 3 Styx (X332) Peter Binder
3 IMS 3 Windveer (First 36.7) R F Blankevoort
IMS4 RORC PRIZE YELLOW ROSE (X332) Marten J Ringers
2 IMS4 Cisne (Swan 43) Theo v Rongen
3 IMS4 Xarah (X362) Henk Glazener
IMS 5 & 6 (short course) ZWERVER CUP PAWKY GOOFY (Laser 28) Jan Govers
ORC Club BCT MAAS CHALLENGE CUP JPH (Figaro) Jeroen Kop
1st ORC 1 Chillout! (J109) H Bulthuis
2nd ORC 1 Big Fingers (W38) Bram Boerkoel
1st ORC 2 Happy (Sunfast 37) John van der Starre
2nd ORC 2 Dehlerious P2 (Dehler 37) A Sporry
3rd ORC 2 Mad Max (First 41s5) J Terpstra
1st ORC 3 & 4 JPH (Figaro) Jeroen Kop
2nd ORC 3 & 4 Blei (Huisman 37) W J Blenken Blijdenstein
3rd ORC 3 & 4 Caldonia (Friendship 28) M Blomsma
IRM BCT GOLDEN DRAGON TROPHY TONNERRE (Lutra 52) Piet Vroon
IRC BCT overall WYLIE TROPHY Xiphias 4 (IMX40) Xiphias Racing BV
IRC 0 LUTINE TROPHY HOLMATRO (Grand Soleil 44) Holmatro NV
2 IRC 0 CHECKMATE 3 (BH41) PETER DE RIDDER
IRC 1 JOANNES POMPEJUS MEMORIAL TROPHY XIPHIAS 4 (IMX40) XIPHIAS RACING BV
2 IRC 1 TEAM PANDION (First 40.7) BOB KOOL
3 IRC 1 RAGAZZA (Dehler 39) NICO POONS
IRC 2 CARTER RUCK TROPHY DAIKIN AIRCO (HOD35) M C J van der Heijden
2nd IRC 2 YELLOW ROSE (X332) M J Ringers
3rd IRC 2 XARAH (X362) Henk Glazener
IRC 3 JAN MORETON SALVER CISNE (Swan 43) Theor v Rongen
2nd IRC 3 QUICKSTEP (Contessa 33) Geoff Sinton
3rd IRC 3 SHOOT THE BAR (Castro 31) Charles Mills
1st Seahorse Division DAIKIN AIRCO (HOD35) M C J van der Heijden
First at Smith’s Knoll buoy (long course) SMITH’S KNOLL TROPHY
TONNERRE (Lutra 52) Piet Vroon
CITY OF THE HAGUE TROPHY Best Yacht from Scheveningen
Holland v Gt Britain C70 Trophy HOLLAND
The RORC race officers often enjoy the challenge of different committee boats to work on but the committee boat for this year’s start was in quite another league! With thanks to the Harwich Harbour Authority arrangements had been made to use an oil pollution barge, which made a wonderful platform to work from. The crane added another dimension to sorting our halyards for the flags. The skill of the crew, when the anchor had to be lifted manually was most impressive. The Royal Harwich committee boat Lion and their RIB assisted in running a smooth start.
Setting a line at Outer Ridge the PRO (Chris Brooke) was delighted with a 90 degree wind shift that enabled a windward start. With the wind just north of east and a slackening tide a line 0.6Nm long was set but many of the fleet chose to start at the port end, uptide. In the first start, for the long course, there was a clear line at the start. The boats at the north end had less wind than those at the committee boat end where Shoot the Bar made a good start with clear wind.
Of the 51 boats that set off on the 190 long course to Scheveningen most were line shy but in the second start for the ORC (Club) fleet who were doing a slightly shorter course of 149 miles two boats were called OCS but both returned correctly. It was a slow beat for a mile to Outer Ridge and then to Cork Sand Beacon.
Reports of little wind and tidal gates started to bring retirements. OBSESSION (Vermeulen) owned by Jan Rebel decided to retire when he was off the Suffolk coast kedged for a tide and did not think he would make Smith’s Knoll in the next tide and could not bear to kedge again!
Even so they enjoyed their time at sea having seen a beautiful Eclipse as the sun rose, wonderful sunshine and dolphins playing alongside the boat on their return home. ARIANE (Sunfast 37) owned by Paul Trudgett, with John Hall and John Brooking, also retired early having gone inshore near Lowestoft and lost the wind.
First to the Cork Sand Beacon, the first long course boat to Smith’s Knoll, rounding at 0500 BST, Piet Vroon’s Lutra 52, TONNERRE was also the first boat to Scheveningen, finishing at 1845. The second boat to cross the line was BIG FINGERS (Rogers 38) of Big Fingers Charter, sailing in the ORC Club Division on the Short Course some three hours later at 2209. Continuing the trend of increasingly fickle conditions, Steven Beers, BIERKAAI (Lutra 40) reported that they had wind shifts of 110 degrees at times near the finish, compounded by the current that was taking them the wrong side of the line in a depleting breeze. The last part of the race was to be the toughest for them and they had to battle to cross the line at 2236.
A long night followed with the fleet creeping in all through the night. Much to the delight of the competitors beer was served throughout the night at the Jacht Club Scheveningen. By the morning the race officers were amused to see the corrected time order for ORC 2
– 1st HAPPY, 2nd DEHLERIOUS P2 3rd MAD MAX!
Forty eight hours after the start in Harwich there were still eleven boats to finish. WINSOME (Harry Heijst) – S & S41 finished at 12 13 BST making it a very slow race for them and bringing the comment that just as the small print in the bank says “results in the past do not necessarily guarantee those of the future”!
Steven Blom’s SATORI (Grand Soleil 40) took the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Trophy for best corrected time in IMS 1 –4 (long course) and the Lora Challenge Cup for IMS 2. The Zwerver Cup for BCT in IMS 5 & 6 (short course) went to Jan Govers PAWKY GOOFY (Laser 28).
BCT in ORC (Club) winning the Maas Challenge Cup was Jeroen Kop’s Figaro JPH.
Full Trophy and Medallion list (presentations were made at 1600 local on Sunday 1 June at the restaurant “Visaflag” in Scheveningen.
IMS BCT (1-4) CYCA TROPHY SATORI (Grand Soleil) Steven Blom
IMS 1 VEERHAVEN TROPHY CHECKMATE 3 (BH41) Peter de Ridder
2 IMS 1 Tspanwil IV (J44) A Tienpont
IMS 2 LORA CHALLENGE CUP SATORI Steven Blom
2 IMS 2 Team Pandion (First 40.7) Bob Kool
3 IMS 2 Xiphias 4 (IMX40) Xiphias Racing BV
IMS 3 GOEREE CHALLENGE CUP DAIKIN AIRCO (HOD35) F van der Heijden
2 IMS 3 Styx (X332) Peter Binder
3 IMS 3 Windveer (First 36.7) R F Blankevoort
IMS4 RORC PRIZE YELLOW ROSE (X332) Marten J Ringers
2 IMS4 Cisne (Swan 43) Theo v Rongen
3 IMS4 Xarah (X362) Henk Glazener
IMS 5 & 6 (short course) ZWERVER CUP PAWKY GOOFY (Laser 28) Jan Govers
ORC Club BCT MAAS CHALLENGE CUP JPH (Figaro) Jeroen Kop
1st ORC 1 Chillout! (J109) H Bulthuis
2nd ORC 1 Big Fingers (W38) Bram Boerkoel
1st ORC 2 Happy (Sunfast 37) John van der Starre
2nd ORC 2 Dehlerious P2 (Dehler 37) A Sporry
3rd ORC 2 Mad Max (First 41s5) J Terpstra
1st ORC 3 & 4 JPH (Figaro) Jeroen Kop
2nd ORC 3 & 4 Blei (Huisman 37) W J Blenken Blijdenstein
3rd ORC 3 & 4 Caldonia (Friendship 28) M Blomsma
IRM BCT GOLDEN DRAGON TROPHY TONNERRE (Lutra 52) Piet Vroon
IRC BCT overall WYLIE TROPHY Xiphias 4 (IMX40) Xiphias Racing BV
IRC 0 LUTINE TROPHY HOLMATRO (Grand Soleil 44) Holmatro NV
2 IRC 0 CHECKMATE 3 (BH41) PETER DE RIDDER
IRC 1 JOANNES POMPEJUS MEMORIAL TROPHY XIPHIAS 4 (IMX40) XIPHIAS RACING BV
2 IRC 1 TEAM PANDION (First 40.7) BOB KOOL
3 IRC 1 RAGAZZA (Dehler 39) NICO POONS
IRC 2 CARTER RUCK TROPHY DAIKIN AIRCO (HOD35) M C J van der Heijden
2nd IRC 2 YELLOW ROSE (X332) M J Ringers
3rd IRC 2 XARAH (X362) Henk Glazener
IRC 3 JAN MORETON SALVER CISNE (Swan 43) Theor v Rongen
2nd IRC 3 QUICKSTEP (Contessa 33) Geoff Sinton
3rd IRC 3 SHOOT THE BAR (Castro 31) Charles Mills
1st Seahorse Division DAIKIN AIRCO (HOD35) M C J van der Heijden
First at Smith’s Knoll buoy (long course) SMITH’S KNOLL TROPHY
TONNERRE (Lutra 52) Piet Vroon
CITY OF THE HAGUE TROPHY Best Yacht from Scheveningen
Holland v Gt Britain C70 Trophy HOLLAND
