Image: Close racing on Day 1 of the 2024 IRC National Championships © Ian Roman
2024 International Paint Poole Regatta
A light start, sizzling racing and the odd wine-glass kite
The sun was shining on Poole Bay on the first day of the International Paint Poole Regatta, but the wind took its time to fill in, leading to a postponement on all bay courses before the fleets could get racing underway. It’s a big year for the event, with the GBR IRC National Championships being part of the event, attracting some of the best racing yachts in the country.
While the racing is fierce, there is always a fun and relaxed feel at this regatta, with smiles a plenty, but maybe the odd too-relaxed moment, leading to a few wine-glass spinnaker hoists on a range of yachts.
Red Course
IRC 0 was dominated by Karl Kwok’s TP52 Beau Geste, streaking away from the smaller yachts of Niklas Zennstrom’s Carkeek 41 Ran and James Neville’s Carkeek 45 Ino Noir to win all three races by a comfortable margin.
IRC 1 is dominated by the Cape 31 class, with Julian Metherell’s Bullit leading after three races with a tiny 1,3,1 scoreline with match-racing supremo Ian Williams calling tactics. Local legend Duncan McCarthy won the second race of the day in his Cape 31 Tonto, and is tied on points with Ben Pritchard’s Cape 31 Akheilos, but Bullit has opened up a useful 6 point lead over the pair.
IRC 2 is arguably the most competitive fleet at the event with 17 entrants and some well-honed teams taking part. The top of the leaderboard reflects that, with the top three separated by a single point after 3 races. James Chalmets’ J/112 Happy Daize is ahead by the slenderest of margins, posting a consistent 2,4,3 scoreline. Charles & Rosie Berry’s J/109 Jenie is second, winning the first race, but then having two dead-heats in races 2 and 3 to post a rare 1, 2.5, 6.5 scoreline, tied on 10 points with the hugely successful team on Adam Gosling’s JPK 1080 Yes!
Green Course
IRC 3 saw a perfect scoreline recorded by James Crew & Peter Rutter’s Half Tonner Quokka, with Ian Braham’s MG 346 Haven KJ Enigma second, just a point ahead of the young team on the Elan 333 Energy, where most of the crew are under 18 years old, with most 15 or 16.
IRC 4 is similarly being dominated by ‘Team Hamble’ on the Quarter Tonner Protis, who have so far recorded a perfect scoreline ahead of Andrew Rushworth’s Limbo 6.6 Marmite and C & E Dymock & T Gorman’s H-Boat Wight Wedding.
The teams are enjoying various events throughout the organising clubs this evening, with the social side being an integral part of the International Paint Poole Regatta. The party has well and truly begun!
Report by Mark Jardine