Dublin Bay sailors Michael Boyd of the Royal Irish Yacht Club and Kenneth Rumball of the Irish National Sailing School were fêted in Whitehall, London last night by the Royal Ocean Racing Club for their recovery of a man overboard in July's Round Ireland race in horrendous conditions.
The award for the Irish duo on the J109 Jedi was made at the 2018 Royal Ocean Racing Club Annual Dinner and Prize Giving at the Royal Horseguards Hotel, with over 200 guests attending the spectacular black-tie event and where prize winners, competitors, crews, RORC members and guests celebrated the year's achievements with the Royal Ocean Racing Club.
Boyd and Rumball received the club's Seamanship Trophy following the rescue that was completed in the dark with very big seas when they recovered the man safely within a couple of minutes. The citation read it was 'Very impressive; the outcome could easily have been very different'.
Michael Boyd (left) Jane Anderson, the RORC Commodore’s wife, and Kenny Rumball at the RORC London prizegiving Photo: Mags Hudgell/RORC
After a champagne reception, the dinner and prize giving were held in the theatre-style Gladstone Library. The Grade I listed hotel overlooking the Thames has strong links to the British Military and Gladstone has a fortuitous link to the 2018 Yacht of the Year. Every prize winner was roundly applauded as they took centre stage at the glamorous event. There was a huge ovation for the overall winner of the 2018 RORC Season's Points Championship, British Soldier, and for the RORC Yacht of the Year, Ichi Ban.
Army Sailing Association's X-41 British Soldier competing off Wicklow in the Round Ireland race Photo: Afloat.ie
Winning the Jazz Trophy for first overall in IRC was the Army Sailing Association's X-41 British Soldier, the first Armed Services team to win the championship since it was established in 1999. British Soldier took part in 11 races, winning the championship in the very last race, with crew members ranging from Private soldiers, through Sergeants, right up to Colonel. Five different skippers were in charge during the campaign: Andrew Britton, Will Naylor, Phil Caswell, Paul Macro and Donal Ryan.
Andrew Britton commented: "It's been a fantastic privilege to run the Army's campaign for the last two years and we've really seen our team go from strength to strength in that time. Our X-41 has surpassed our high expectations and we have got her going pretty well now. Our people are our greatest asset though, and the team spirit, commitment and resilience has been amazing. We wanted to really go for it this year and worked hard to achieve a consistent series of podium finishes. I knew we had a chance overall with the Middle Sea Race and am thrilled it went to the wire like that. This win means so much, not just for the team, but for sport in the Services as a whole."
The 2018 RORC Yacht of the Year, winning the Somerset Memorial Trophy was Matt Allen's Ichi Ban. Matt's Australian team won the Brisbane to Gladstone Race, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, and the Sydney Gold Coast Race. Ichi Ban's series of results, in the three major Ocean races in Australia, has never been matched. Howth Yacht Club ex-pat Gordon Maguire is a key member of Ichi Ban's crew.
"On behalf of the whole crew of Ichi Ban, we are absolutely thrilled to win RORC Yacht of the Year," commented Matt Allen. "It is a great thrill for us, especially from the other side of the world. I really want to thank the panel for voting for us and thank you to the RORC for thinking so internationally, as you have always done over many decades. The RORC boat Rani was the instigator of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race back in 1945."
After the Prize Giving, guests partied until the early hours with a live set from the Milo Max Band courtesy of RORC partner Sevenstar Yacht Transport. Fastnet Marine Insurance also supported the event, as they have done for the last 10 years, and this year William Grant & Sons Distillers continued to provide every guest with gifts on the night.
The 20th edition of the RORC Season's Points Championship will start on 24th November 2018 with the RORC Transatlantic Race. The 2019 championship will consist of 14 races including the Royal Ocean Racing Club's flagship event, the Rolex Fastnet Race, starting on 3rd August 2019. For more information: www.rorc.org
RORC Race Results for the 2018 season HERE
RORC SEASON'S POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS 2018
British Soldier, X-41, Army Sailing Association -IRC Overall & Best Series produced yacht & Best British Service Yacht - Jazz Trophy/Serendip Trophy/Haylock Cup
Ichi Ban, TP52, Matt Allen - Yacht of the Year
Winner of the 2017 Brisbane to Gladstone Race, the 2017 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the 2018 Brisbane Gladstone Race and 2nd in the 2018 Sydney Gold Coast Race. This series of results in the three major Ocean races in Australia has never been matched - Somerset Memorial Trophy
Lady Mariposa, Ker 46, Dan Hardy, Lady Mariposa Racing Inc - IRC Zero & Best Yacht on IRC Overall Points for this race & Best Yacht on IRC Overall Points for this race
Europeans Cup/Assuage Tankard - Myth of Malham Race/Assuage Tankard - Cherbourg Race
Hooligan VII, Ker 40, Ed Broadway - IRC One & Best Elapsed time of an IRC yacht in Cervantes, Morgan Cup, St Malo and Cherbourg & Highest points score from any 3 offshore Races where at least 33% of crew were under 25 on 1st Jan 2018
Trenchemer Cup/Highwayman Cup/Highwayman Cup/Peter Harrison Youth Trophy
Scarlet Oyster, Oyster 48, Ross Applebey - IRC Two, Emily Verger Plate
Game On, Sun Fast 3600, Ian Hoddle - IRC Three & Two-Handed Class & RORC member
Best IRC overall from Cherbourg + 3 from Cervantes, Morgan Cup, Myth of Malham and St Malo - Grenade Goblet/Psipsina Trophy/Assuage Trophy for RORC Members
Foggy Dew, JPK 10.10, Noel Racine - IRC Four & Best Overseas Yacht, Cowland Trophy/Stradivarius Trophy
Arthur Logic, First 40, Sailing Logic - Best Sailing School Yacht
David Fayle Memorial Cup
Arthur Logic, First 40, Jonathan Tyrrell - 3,101nm completed as Skipper; Cervantes Trophy, Myth of Malham, Volvo Round Ireland, Channel, Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland, Cherbourg (Also started St Malo). Between 15 & 25 on 1st Jan 2018 with most RORC miles in current season and yacht is in top three of class, Duncan Munro Kerr Youth Challenge Trophy
Bellino, Sun Fast 3600, Rob Craigie & Deb Fish - Mixed Two-Handed Division,
The Boyd Trophy
Buzz, Seacart 30, Ross Hobson - 1st Multihull, RORC Decanter
Concise 8, Class40, Tony Lawson, Sailed by Jack Trigger - 1st Class40, Concise Trophy
Imerys Clean Energy, Class40, Phil Sharp - Best British Yacht Overseas
1st Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland, 1st Class40 European Trophy, 1st Normandy Channel Race, 2nd Dhream Cup, Dennis P Miller Memorial Trophy
Jangada, JPK 10.10, Richard Palmer - Consistent High Performance
Alan Paul Trophy
Jedi, J/109, Michael Boyd/Kenneth (Kenny) Rumball - Outstanding act of seamanship:
Michael Boyd / Kenneth Rumball with the J/109 Jedi which did an incredible job in recovering a man overboard in Round Ireland in horrendous conditions. It was dark with very big seas and they recovered the man safely within a couple of minutes. Very impressive; the outcome could easily have been very different. Seamanship Trophy
Louise Racing, Dragon, Grant Gordon - Outstanding Keelboat Performance by a RORC Member - 3rd Edinburgh Cup, 2nd Hans-Dietmar Wagner Cup, 4th Paul & Shark San Remo Dragon Grand Prix. Meritorious Award
Lyra of London, Swan 431, Miles Delap - Best Swan, Arambalza Swan Cup
Major Will Naylor & Major Phil Caswell, Army Sailing Association - Navigator of the IRC Overall Yacht, Keith Ludlow Trophy
Philosophie IV, First 40.7, Nicolas Gaumont-Prat - BestYacht on IRC Overall Points for this race. Assuage Tankard - Morgan Cup Race
Pintia, J/133, Gilles Fournier - Best Yacht on IRC Overall Points for this race, Assuage Tankard - Cervantes Trophy Race
Spirit, Sigma 38, Paul Scott - For the Sigma 38 with the highest Season's Points, Oldland/Watts Aquadanca Trophy
Ster Wenn 5, X-442, Pierre Sallenave - Best Yacht on IRC Overall Points for this race, Assuage Tankard - Cowes Dinard St Malo Race
Varuna, Ker 56, Jens Kellinghusen - Giving Redress - For rendering assistance to Fujin during the RORC Caribbean 600 Race - The Pera Awards
Winsome, S&S 41, Harry Heijst - Classic Yacht in IRC (defined as 40 years old) & Concours d'Élegance in RORC Race - meticulously maintained S&S41 from 1972, Freddie Morgan Trophy/Beken Trophy
