RORC Race Reports

De Guingand Bowl Race

“Fastwave” Up to the Challenge in the De Guingand Bowl

This year’s De Guingand Bowl Race was a fixed course in the Channel starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line on Saturday 25 May 2002. With strong winds prevailing all week and more forecast, a number of entries decided not to go. The decision to start and to continue racing being the responsibility of the owner and crew

With a strong southwest wind and a flood spring tide the fleet of 20 yachts had to ensure they timed the start correctly, as to be early would mean a hard slog back to re-start. At 0800 all the classes started together and headed east to round Nab Tower before heading west to the Needles Fairway Light Buoy. It was here that one of the crew from Born Slippy 2 parted company from her charger, to be picked up by the gallant crew of Jeu D’Esprit. Non the worse for her adventure but unable to be transferred back due to the sea conditions, both yachts decided to retire from the race.

From here the fleet, now depleted due to the conditions, once again turned east, leaving Outer Owers Southerly Cardinal to port and on to their next turning mark which was Saltdean Outfall Light Buoy just passed Brighton. Heading west once more the fleet were to leave Rustington Outfall Light Buoy to port before leaving Outer Owers to starboard and on to the finish at Royal Albert Light Buoy off Gilkicker (ex Lucas), a distance of approximately 154 miles.

By 1700 hrs the conditions had reduced the fleet to 10 yachts. The RORC ‘spy on the Isle of Wight’ was activated to try and establish positions of the yachts and reported a large black hulled vessel due south of Ventnor, heading east. A trawl of the records was initiated, which deduced the yacht could be Team Tonic, Nick Hewsons Farr 52. Jacana, Robert Youngjohns’s J46 reported that she was 2 miles from Saltdean Outfall Light Buoy at 2000hrs with 17 kts of breeze from the southwest. The first boat to report in as having passed Rustington Outfall Light Buoy was Team Tonic at 2000 hrs, confirming the earlier deductions.

The wind backed during the night, increasing in strength to around 30 kts.
At 2328 hrs Team Tonic crossed the finish line off Gilkicker, reaching in during a squall, moving at what must have been at least 15 kts. Two hours later at 0131, Incisor of Wight, Corby 45 of Windward Sailing, sailed by Derek Saunders, was 2nd to finish. 3rd across the line at 0148 hrs was Robert Youngjohns’s J46 Jacana, and by 0210 hrs half the fleet were home. Fastwave II, ACP Sailing, sailed by Chris Brown finished 5th over the line under tri-sail. All the remaining yachts were past the finish by 0900 hrs after a hard and, at times, uncomfortable race.

Thanks, as always, are due to Brian Stewart owner of “Zulu” and the RORC team of volunteers who spent the night waiting to finish the fleet off Gilkicker.


Prizegiving for the award of trophies and medallions will take place at the RORC Clubhouse on Tuesday 28th May at 1930 hrs. All competitors are welcome.

IRC Super Zero 1st Team Tonic, Nick Hewson

IRC Zero 1st Jacana, Robert Youngjohns
2nd Incisor of Wight, Windward Sailing

IRC 1 1st Fastwave II, ACP Sailing
2nd Coraya, Regate – Online


IRC 2 1st Jeronimo, Jonathan & Lisa Goring


IRC 3 1st Domaine, Chris Burbidge


IRM 1 1st Team Tonic, Nick Hewson


1st Seahorse Division – Barking Mad, Stuart Greenfield