Antoine Magré’s radical Mach 50 Palanad 4 finished third on the water in the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, while Greg Leonard’s Swift emerged as the Class40 winner following a dramatic three-boat battle that was ultimately decided in the hearing room.
Palanad 4 finished behind Pace and Varuna 6 in an elapsed time of eight days, one hour, 44 minutes and 31 seconds. After IRC time correction, the Sam Manuard-designed scow holds second place overall, with Varuna 6 third.
Palanad 4 Proves the Concept
Magré said the Round Britain and Ireland Race had provided a significant test for Palanad 4, which is only 13 months old but has already sailed 28,000 miles.
Scow Power – The radical scow-bowed Palanad 4 proved its offshore pace during the Round Britain and Ireland Race, finishing third on the water behind Pace and Varuna 6. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
“The Round Britain and Ireland Race was a real test, with up to 30 knots but also six complete shutdowns,” Magré said. “Keeping pace with Varuna was especially satisfying. We caught her off Ireland and at Muckle Flugga, where the scow bow really comes into its own.
“Palanad is only 13 months old but has already sailed 28,000 miles. This race proved her strength, speed and competitiveness under IRC, while showing us where we can improve for next year.”
Although Palanad 4 is not a Class40, its radical scow bow comes from the same broad design thinking as the three smaller Class40s that fought one of the closest contests of the race.
Concept Proven – Antoine Magré’s Palanad 4 team celebrate after completing the 1,800-mile race in 8 days 1 hour 44 minutes 31 seconds, leaving the Mach 50 second overall on IRC at the time of finishing. Photo: Corinna Haines
Class40 Battle Goes to the Wire
The battle between Penfret, Swift and Gambit remained close throughout the 1,800-mile course, with the lead changing three times.
Swift held a narrow advantage at No Man’s Land Fort after leaving the Solent. Some 400 miles later at Bull Rock, Swift remained ahead, with Penfret 15 minutes behind and Gambit trailing by 45 minutes.
The order changed on the 400-nautical-mile leg to St Kilda, where Penfret surged into the lead and opened an advantage of one hour and 15 minutes over Swift. Gambit trailed by two hours and 33 minutes.
It was Penfret’s largest recorded advantage of the race. However, Penfret had sailed inside Bills' Rocks, located nine miles offshore, a decision that would later prove costly.
Gambit responded strongly on the 160-nautical-mile leg to Muckle Flugga, producing the fastest passage of the three and moving into second place. Penfret’s lead over Gambit was cut to 51 minutes, while Swift slipped to third, one hour and four minutes behind.
Dogfight Drama – Jon Tyrrell’s Gambit stayed in the fight throughout the three-way Class40 contest and was awarded second place in the division. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
After more than 500 nautical miles into the North Sea, Swift had regained second at Holm Approach Buoy, one hour and 15 minutes behind Penfret. Gambit was then two and a half hours behind the leader.
The gaps tightened again after Holm Approach Buoy. Swift reduced Penfret’s advantage to just 26 minutes, while Gambit recovered more than an hour. Across eight completed sections, Penfret was fastest on four, while Swift and Gambit recorded the quickest time on two apiece.
Protest Decides Class40 Result
After days of close racing, the three Class40s were within sight of each other approaching the Solent, setting up a final contest for the finish.
However, an additional factor hung over the result. Swift had lodged a protest against Penfret for not sailing the proper course. Le Boucher’s Penfret crossed the finish line first in an elapsed time of nine days, 29 minutes and 40 seconds.
Costly Course – Penfret crossed the Class40 finish line first after more than nine days of racing, before a hearing over the course sailed changed the final result. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
Greg Leonard’s Swift followed one hour, 28 minutes and 54 seconds later, with Jon Tyrrell’s Gambit third and less than eight miles astern.
At the subsequent hearing, Penfret was deemed not to have sailed the course, handing the Class40 division victory to Swift. Daniel Jones’ Gambit, skippered by Tyrrell, took second.
Finish Smiles – Palanad 4’s crew celebrate completing the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race after the radical Mach 50 finished third on the water. Photo: Corinna Haines
Despite his disappointment with the outcome, Le Boucher said the race had provided valuable preparation for November’s Route du Rhum.
“It was a fantastic battle with three teams so competitive throughout,” Le Boucher said. “I will be racing in the Route du Rhum this November, and this has been great preparation for that. Penfret went through all possible wind angles and conditions, so the data we have got is very important.”
He described the race as physically demanding, particularly on the final night when Penfret sailed upwind at 20 knots and repeatedly tacks. “This race has been a great and really valuable experience,” he said.
Swift Celebrates Class40 Victory
Leonard described the Class40 contest as an intense experience in which the three boats effectively match-raced for days.
“Racing Swift in the Round Britain and Ireland Race is just an unbelievable experience,” Leonard said. “The Class40 fleet has evolved to the point where there’s no let-up at all. There’s no break, no respite, no quarter given.
“We raced 1,800 miles and were within sight of the other Class40s almost the whole way around, effectively match racing for days on end. That’s incredibly intense and incredibly fun.”
Class40 Champions – Greg Leonard’s Swift, winner of the Class40 division after an extraordinarily close battle with Penfret and Gambit around Britain and Ireland. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
Leonard said the conditions had generally been favourable, with relatively warm upwind sailing along the south coast of England followed by extensive downwind and reaching conditions. He singled out St Kilda as one of the course's memorable parts, with dramatic scenery and sightings of whales, seals and birds.
The physical demands aboard the three-handed Class40 were considerable, with no powered winches or hydraulics.
“Everything is human-powered and old-school, with big loads for a 40-footer,” Leonard said. “With three of us, everyone is grinding, trimming, moving sails, sleeping less, constantly tweaking the boat. Your hands, abs, chest, arms — everything hurts.
“But when you look at the tracker afterwards and see that line all the way around Britain and Ireland, knowing you did that with sail power and human power, it feels like a real accomplishment. It’s an epic race.”
