Lawrie Smith’s Alfie from Glandore Harbour Yacht Club, crewed by Richard Parslow, Goncalo Ribeiro and Ruairidh Scott, is 75th Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix 2023 Champion.
Peter Gilmour’s YRED of the Japanese Yanmar Sailing Team takes second place overall and wins the new Britannia Trophy for the yacht with the best score without discard.
Defending champion Andy Beadsworth sailing Provezza Dragon completes the overall podium in third place.
Chris Grosscurth’s Fit Chick from the Medway, crewed by Jono Brown and Emma York, wins the Corinthian all amateur Edinburgh Cup Trophy.
The fifth and final race of the 75th Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix was reminiscent of the great 12 Metre battles of the America’s Cup, as two of the World’s most talented sailors went head-to-head. Going into the race four-time World Match Racing Champion and America’s Cup helm Peter Gilmour and Britain’s Olympic Bronze Medallist, America’s Cup helm and Whitbread Race veteran Lawrie Smith knew that, allowing for discard, they were on equal points, each counting two firsts and a second.
After a three-hour delay to allow strong winds and big seas to abate and with a south easterly of 15 to 22 knots blowing down a two-mile beat, war was declared. Pre-start they were clearly sizing each other up, both started at the pin end with Smith slightly ahead and to weather. At the first mark Smith led the race with Gilmour right on his tail. Passing opportunities were few and far between due to a heavily left biased beat, and although Gilmour kept pressing, when Smith still held the lead as the boats turned onto the final run you might have been forgiven for thinking it was all over.
Gilmour was like a dog with a bone though, forcing Smith to pull out his best defensive moves as they constantly traded gybes. Nearing the final leeward mark on starboard Gilmour spotted his moment and took advantage of a timely wave and gust to surge level to leeward. In classic match racing style voices were raised and kites flapped as Gilmour and his team worked to press home their hard-fought gain.
But Smith is not an easy man to suppress and at the leeward gate, although Gilmour rounded first by mere seconds, Smith was able to claim the favoured left hand mark forcing Gilmour into the stronger tide for longer and requiring him to make one more tack on the beat. As they came to the line Smith had regained the upper hand crossing just seconds ahead of Gilmour to claim his second Edinburgh Cup win. Crossing the line behind the leading pair came Andy Beadsworth’s Turkish Provezza Dragon, securing him the final step on the podium.
After racing Alfie’s Ruairidh Scott commented, “We just had one race today. There were very strong winds this morning and east going tide made it pretty un-sailable first thing, but when the tide switched the seas moderated and the wind calmed down a bit. So we got one race in this afternoon which was a nice race. The situation meant that the title was between ourselves and Peter Gilmour, so unsurprisingly we started close to each other but we managed to get the better of the start. But Gilly and his team on YRED came into us on both runs and in the end, I think there was maybe only two to three boat lengths in it after a two hour race.”
L-R - RYS Rear Commodore Yachting Bruce Huber presents Emma York, Jono Brown and Chris Grosscurth with the Corinthian Edinburgh Cup Trophy and IDA Championship Coordinator Martin Payne presents them with the UK Dragon Grand Prix prize
In the Corinthian Division Chris Grosscurth’s Fit Chick team won by a single point from Ireland’s Martin Byrne. Simon Barter’s Bertie, of the local Solent fleet, took third place on countback alone from Poul Richard Hoj-Jensen.
The regatta concluded with a spectacular 75th Edinburgh Cup Gala Dinner sponsored by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust. The competitors and their guests assembled on the Squadron Platform for predinner Hendrick Gin Neptunia Fizz cocktails, before moving to the Pavilion for dinner and the prize presentations.
