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Displaying items by tag: A35

#scottishseries – Waterford and Dublin Bay yachts top the leaderboard of class two at Scotland's premier sailing regatta, the Silvers Marine sponsored– Scottish Series at Tarbert, as the annual event enters its final round this afternoon. Rob McConnell's A35 Fools Gold from Waterford Harbour Sailing Club leads IRC Two by a single point from the National Yacht Club's J109 Something Else, skippered by John and Brian Hall. In fourth place overall in the 14–boat fleet is former ICRA National Champion, the J109 Storm, skippered by Pat Kelly of Howth Yacht Club. Full class two results are downloadable below.

Other Irish interest from the Clyde includes Stephen Quinn's Lambay Rules lying third overall in IRC 4 where nine boats are competing.

Here's the latest available PR from the Scottish series after Day Two (Saturday): After a great second day of sailing there's still everything to play for in Silvers Marine Scottish Series. Super Saturday lived up to its name, conditions were challenging with a light southerly blowing 10 – 12 knots, but the sun shone and it was a spectacular day showing Argyll at its best.

There were plenty of thrills and spills and in IRC Class 2 Alistair Shires of Sloop John T became the first casualty of the event, after an onboard incident. Alistair swapped the waters of Loch Fyne for hospital but we're delighted to say he's fine and will be back onboard in the near future.

In IRC Class 1 Silvers Marine Scottish Series main sponsor Jamie McGarry is now leading the table having had a great day on Loch Fyne. Rod Stuart and William Ram's Aurora is just two points adrift of the top spot with Steven Cowie's Zephyr falling to third. With two races tomorrow we're looking forward to some more fierce competition on the water.

IRC 2 sees a change at the top with Sloop John T taking the top spot. The conditions suited the boat perfectly and this coupled with good tactics and handling saw them rewarded. Something Else remains in second and Kevin Aitken in Animal keep a hold of their third spot.

Moving onto the IRC Class 4 and the start of the Crewsaver course and it was Roddy Angus' Trastada who had the best day and really found their pace. They're seeing their hard work paying off following a major boat optimisation. Craig Latimer's Wildebeest V falls to second following an OCS and McVey / Darge and Black's Phoenix rises to third. The racing in this class is very tight and tomorrow's racing will be very interesting.

In CYCA Class 5 Geoff and Norman Howison's Local Hero appears to be in a class of their own. They stay well ahead of Howard Morrison in Enigma and Ian Macdonald's Significant who had an excellent day.

It's still Alan Dunnet's Valhalla of Ashton at the top of CYCA Class 6 leading Stargazer in second, while Andy Malcolm's Nemo was finding pace in third.

CYCA Class 8 Restricted Sail. The Jochr in the pack pulled a lead of two points ahead of Windhound and North Star in third. There are no discards in this class yet and Windhound could still hang in there but will have to discard a retrial.

CYCA Class 9 Restricted Sail sees Stephen Owen in Halcyon hanging on to first while John Roberts' Poppy leapfrogs Clive Reeves' Lyrebird to take third.

Sigma 33 Class and its still Harper and Robinson's Leaky Roof 2 at the top of this tightly grouped section. Gallagher and Bradshaw's Busy Beaver worked hard to take second place from James Miller's Mayrise.

In National One Design Sonata Series Steve Goacher's Eric the Boat took three firsts today to see him dominate this class. Cochrane and Galbraith's Old School, lying in second, secured three seconds while D Matthew's White Magic holds onto third.

Ovington Boats maintain their lead in the VX Class ahead of Jono and Benji Shelly's Robber's Dog, who was let off the lead, in second and Duncan Hepplewhite's Zhik who was barking up the wrong tree today in third.

The J70 Scottish Championships table stays the same with Ian Aitken in boats.com in first, Paul Heys and S Hawthorn's Jacuzzi in second and Christopher Hawforth's Django in third. These boats enjoyed a great day's sailing and Loch Fyne certainly suited them.

It's tight at the top of the Hunter 707 Class with just three points separating the first three boats. M Fleming and D Smith's Rammie leads with Carl Allen's More T Vicar with T Clark and S Parker's Black Sheep in third.

Published in Racing

Irish solo sailing fans may be interested in the annual Solo Racing Festival at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble on Saturday 12th March.

Given the Figaro race is coming to Dun Laoghaire in August a talk on the Artemis Academy with John Thorn (Figaro 2) will be of particular interest.

Owen Clarke's designer Merfyn Owen, who lives in Hamble will be attending as well as colleagues from their brokerage partners Boatshed Performance.

So whether your interest be solo sailing or short-handed sailing in general they will be there to answer questions on design, construction, as well as sale/purchase and charter of offshore performance yachts.

The Race Fair is  an open house from 10.00 for race organisers to meet and greet potential skippers from; Global Ocean/Class 40, Mocra, UK mini group, RORC, SORC, Biscay Challenge, AZAB. Floating boat show, 8 boats including the OC class 40, 2 minis, A35, J105, Figaro 2, Sunfast 3200.

There is a Book Signing, Alex Bennett signing copies of High Seas High Stakes and showing Fuji DVD Mike Golding is opening the talks at 11,00.

Followed by:

Winning Mind Set with Ian Brown, sports psychologist
Global Ocean race with Oliver Dewar
Two Star/Ostar with John Lewis, RWYC
30m trimaran design with Nigel Irens (Idec, Sodebo)
Artemis Academy first term report with John Thorn (Figaro 2)
Route du Rhum with Marco Nannini, (class 40)
all in the spendid riverside setting of the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble.

More HERE.

Published in Solo Sailing

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an annual offshore yacht racing event with an increasingly international exposure attracting super maxi yachts and entries from around tne world. It is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles (1,170 km).

The 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race starts in Sydney Harbour at 1pm (AEDT) on Monday 26 December.

This is the 77th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart. The inaugural race was conducted in 1945 and has run every year since, apart from 2020, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

88 boats started the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart, with 50 finishing.

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - FAQs

The number of Sydney Hobart Yacht Races held by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia since 1945 is 75

6,257 completed the Sydney Hobart Yacht race, 1036 retired or were disqualified)

About 60,061 sailors have competed in the Sydney Hobart Race between 1945 and 2019

Largest fleets: 371 starters in the 50th race in 1994 (309 finished); 154 starters in 1987 (146 finished); 179 starters in 1985 (145 finished); 151 starters in 1984 (46 finished); 173 started in 1983 (128 finished); 159 started in 1981 (143 finished); 147 started in 1979 (142 finished); 157 started in 2019 (154 finished)

116 in 2004 (59 finished); 117 in 2014 (103 finished); 157 in 2019 (154 finished)

Nine starters in the inaugural Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 1945

In 2015 and 2017 there were 27, including the 12 Clipper yachts (11 in 2017). In the record entry of 371 yachts in the 50th in 1994, there were 24 internationals

Rani, Captain John Illingworth RN (UK). Design: Barber 35’ cutter. Line and handicap winner

157 starters, 154 finishers (3 retirements)

IRC Overall: Ichi Ban, a TP52 owned by Matt Allen, NSW. Last year’s line honours winner: Comanche, Verdier Yacht Design and VPLP (FRA) owned by Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant, in 1 day 18 hours, 30 minutes, 24 seconds. Just 1hour 58min 32secs separated the five super maxis at the finish 

1 day 9 hours 15 minutes and 24 seconds, set in 2017 by LDV Comanche after Wild Oats XI was penalised one hour in port/starboard incident for a finish time of 1d 9h 48m 50s

The oldest ever sailor was Syd Fischer (88 years, 2015).

As a baby, Raud O'Brien did his first of some six Sydney Hobarts on his parent's Wraith of Odin (sic). As a veteran at three, Raud broke his arm when he fell off the companionway steps whilst feeding biscuits to the crew on watch Sophie Tasker sailed the 1978 race as a four-year-old on her father’s yacht Siska, which was not an official starter due to not meeting requirements of the CYCA. Sophie raced to Hobart in 1979, 1982 and 1983.

Quite a number of teenage boys and girls have sailed with their fathers and mothers, including Tasmanian Ken Gourlay’s 14-year-old son who sailed on Kismet in 1957. A 12-year-old boy, Travis Foley, sailed in the fatal 1998 race aboard Aspect Computing, which won PHS overall.

In 1978, the Brooker family sailed aboard their yacht Touchwood – parents Doug and Val and their children, Peter (13), Jacqueline (10), Kathryne (8) and Donald (6). Since 1999, the CYCA has set an age limit of 18 for competitors

Jane (‘Jenny’) Tate, from Hobart, sailed with her husband Horrie aboard Active in the 1946 Race, as did Dagmar O’Brien with her husband, Dr Brian (‘Mick’) O’Brien aboard Connella. Unfortunately, Connella was forced to retire in Bass Strait, but Active made it to the finish. The Jane Tate Memorial Trophy is presented each year to the first female skipper to finish the race

In 2019, Bill Barry-Cotter brought Katwinchar, built in 1904, back to the start line. She had competed with a previous owner in 1951. It is believed she is the oldest yacht to compete. According to CYCA life member and historian Alan Campbell, more than 31 yachts built before 1938 have competed in the race, including line honours winners Morna/Kurrewa IV (the same boat, renamed) and Astor, which were built in the 1920s.

Bruce Farr/Farr Yacht Design (NZL/USA) – can claim 20 overall wins from 1976 (with Piccolo) up to and including 2015 (with Balance)

Screw Loose (1979) – LOA 9.2m (30ft); Zeus II (1981) LOA 9.2m

TKlinger, NSW (1978) – LOA 8.23m (27ft)

Wild Oats XI (2012) – LOA 30.48m (100ft). Wild Oats XI had previously held the record in 2005 when she was 30m (98ft)

©Afloat 2020