RORC Race Reports

Morgan Cup Race

RORC MORGAN CUP RACE - COWES to DIEPPE – 8th June 2001.


The fleet of 109 yachts started from the RYS Line in a light NNW breeze of force 1-2, with IRC Super Zero and Zero being the first away at 1900, followed at ten minute intervals by IRC 1 at 19:10, and IRC 2 & 3 at 19:20. Spinnaker reaching, the boats headed East out of the Solent towards No Mans Land Fort. Between Benbridge and the Nab Tower the tide took over and the fleet parked for a time. Once the breeze filled in again, the yachts headed across the Channel under kites to round A5 (North of Ouistreham). The leaders once again found themselves in a hole and could do nothing but watch as the rest of the fleet sailed around them. It could be said that it was a 'race of two halves', the second half kicking off at A5. On the re-start the fleet then split, with some choosing the inshore track to take advantage of the sea breeze and beating to Roches d'Ailly, the others remaining offshore where the breeze was not as strong, but more free. Those yachts who were first to go inshore gained at initially, however with the sea breeze dying it was anyone's race in the dash to the finish just outside Dieppe, as witnessed by the Sigma 38 Aquadanca being ninth boat to cross the line.

Incisor of Wight (Corby 45), Windward Sailing, sailed by Derek Saunders took Line Honours at 15:30 BST, just ahead of Team Tonic (Beneteau First 47.7), Tonic Boat Charters Ltd, sailed by Nick Hewson by 51 seconds. Third to cross the finish line was Warpath (BH41) Giles Redpath four minutes later. In all 100 yachts completed the race to Dieppe with the last boat finishing at 21:12 BST.

The prizegiving for RORC Medallions was held in Cercle de la Voile de Dieppe on the Saturday evening. President of the Cercle de la Voile de Dieppe, M. Hamel and Club Manager M. Joel Pasdeloup are to be thanked for their superb assistance and hospitality which made this event possible. Also thanks go to the owner of the finish line committee boat Sun Legend II, Claude Foudrel. Mohamed Abadia, Harbour Master of the Port de Plaisance de Dieppe did an amazing job in finding berths for the large RORC fleet.

MORGAN CUP – BCT IRC Aquadanca Sigma 38 J M Oldland, sailed by Jaz Kilmister

RORC SALVER – FIRST BOAT HOME Incisor of Wight (Corby 45) Windward Sailing, sailed by Derek Saunders

SUPER ZERO – 1st Branec III Futura 50 One Off Roger Langevin

KNIGHTSBRIDGE CUP – IRC ZERO Team Tonic Beneteau First 47.7 Tonic Boat Charters Ltd sailed by Nick Hewson
2nd Warpath BH41 Giles Redpath
3rd El Syd BH41 Ian McKinney
4th Thunder 2 Mills 36 CR Robert Boulter

QUEENBOROUGH CUP – IRC 1 Rainmaker Oyster Lightwave 395 Julian Nichols
2nd Comedy of Errors HOD 35 Alan Wardrop
3rd Hazard Chase HOD 35 David Prophet
4th Fastwave Beneteau First 40.7 ACP Sailing sailed by Chris Brown
5th Brin D'Ailly JOD 35 Cercle de la Voile de Dieppe sailed by Christophe Malandrin

CHARLES BALL CHALLENGE CUP – IRC 2 Aquadanca Sigma 38 J M Oldland, sailed by Jaz Kilmister
2nd Groupe Partouche Figaro Solo, Course Au Large Dieppoise
3rd Flame Sweden Yachts C38 Martin Fordham
4th X-Rated X332 George Shanks
5th Billy Whizz Sigma 38 Ivan Fawcett

WARSASH CUP – IRC 3 BCA Marine Diffusion Beneteau First 31.7 Philippe Bourgeois
2nd Calpurnia (Albin Ballad ),J. Quinney & M. Wilczynski
3rd Exile X312 Nicolas de la Fourniere
4th Magnum MG335 Andrew Pearce
5th Chiriqui Moody S31 Jonathan & Lisa Goring

COLIN CAMPBELL CHALLENGE CUP - BCT IRM Incisor of Wight (Corby 45) Windward Sailing, sailed by Derek Saunders
2nd Marionette J120 Chris Dunning

RORC MEDALLIONS – SIGMA 38 Aquadanca J M Oldland, sailed by Jaz Kilmister
2nd Billy Whizz Ivan Fawcett
3rd Sigmagician Timothy Waite sailed by Bret Arons
4th Sigmadrigal Timothy Waite sailed by Penny Hare

SEAHORSE DIVISION – Groupe Partouche Figaro Solo, Course Au Large Dieppoise