Image: Jonathan Rolls’ Swan 38 Xara © Paul Wyeth/RORC
The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s De Guingand Bowl Race started in light conditions, with the wind speed increasing later in the race to about 15 knots and veering south.
The top three boats overall were all racing in IRC Four. The overall winner was Jonathan Rolls’ classic S&S Swan 38 Xara. Second overall was Chris Choules Sigma 38 With Alacrity. French JPK 10.10 Gioia, sailed by Etienne Pinteaux, was third. In IRC Zero, David Collins Botin IRC 52 Tala took Line Honours for the race.
“It was a funny old race, and I am sure the crew are very pleased, I think we are a bit lucky really,” commented Xara’s Jonathan Rolls. “We didn’t do anything particularly special to be honest. It was good fun, we are a bit knackered, but it seems that the conditions really suited Xara. I suspect we surprised one or two of the better boats. We are old fashioned amateurs, very definitely not professional, The crew are all family and friends, Tom (Rolls) is the navigator, and very good at it.”
Xara has a long history in the Fastnet Race, including surviving the tragic 1979 edition. In recent years, under the ownership of Jonathan Rolls, Xara has achieved the distinction of achieving Best Swan Overall in the 2017 and 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race.
“We intend to race with the RORC to St. Malo this July, and then the Fastnet this August. I am an ancient gentleman, but the crew look after the old man. For this race, I think that luck played its part, giving us fair winds and following seas.”
The 114nm race started off the Squadron Line to the east on a favourable tide. A light north easterly breeze freshened as the fleet passed Portsmouth. Teams eased sails as they bore away south into the English Channel, where a cross-tide came into the strategy. Once past a virtual line of latitude, the RORC fleet hardened up for a 30 mile beat to Shoreham Outfall. A downwind leg back towards the Solent, following the setting sun, was followed by a manoeuvre-testing chicane, before finishing in the Solent at Mother Bank.
IRC ONE
Ed Fishwick’s GP42 Redshift took line honours and the class win from Rob Bottomley’s Mat 12 Sailplane. David Cummins’ Ker 39 Rumbleflurg, sailed by Harry Bradley, was just 77 seconds behind Sailplane after IRC time correction.
IRC TWO
Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster was the class winner by just over three minutes after IRC time correction. The current overall leader for the RORC Season’s Points Championship, Thomas Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise, was second in class. Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader was third in class for the race. Capstan Sailing’s Skylander, skippered by Yuri Fadeev, won the battle of the First 40s, and placed fourth in class.
IRC THREE
James Harayda’s Sun Fast 3300 Gentoo, racing Two-Handed with Dee Caffari, was the class winner. Second was the full crew of the Army Sailing Association, racing Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier and skippered by Henry Foster. Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing Two-Handed with Deb Fish, was third.
IRC TWO-HANDED
20 teams entered racing in IRC Two-Handed, the majority racing in IRC Three and Four. Richard Palmer’s JPK 10.10 Jangada chalked up another narrow victory. Sailing with Jeremy Waitt, Jangada beat Gentoo by 83 seconds after IRC time correction. Bellino was third. All three of these teams have now completed three races in the RORC Season’s Points Championship, with less than 19 points separating them.
Click here for full results on the RORC website
The RORC Season’s Points Championship continues with the 300-mile La Trinité - Cherbourg Race, scheduled to start on 3rd July.
Click here for online entry and more information
Text and image courtesy of the RORC