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Displaying items by tag: RYA Winter Match Racing Series

Entry is now open for the RYA Winter Match Racing Series 2023 which kicks off in RS21s at London’s Queen Mary Sailing Club in the New Year.

The #rockupandrace series will also give teams an opportunity to compete in 707s and Elliott 6Ms with each event offering windward-leeward match racing for up to eight or nine teams.

There will be a warm welcome at each event for both experienced young match racers and those who would like to give it a go, with coaching support available for participants.

Entries are invited for teams of four/five crew for Qualifier 1, for which there is an early bird discount available for teams who sign up before 11.59pm on Monday 19 December.

Full details can be found in the Notice of Race and registration for three of the four events in the series is now open HERE.

The format of racing for each event, conditions allowing, will include a round robin, semi-finals and finals. The full series will be as follows:

  • 14-15 January 2023: Winter Match Racing Q1, RS21s at Queen Mary Sailing Club
  • 4-5 February 2023: Women's Winter Match Racing, Elliott 6Ms at WPNSA
  • Date & venue TBC: Rory Cheetham Cup, incorporating WMR Q2
  • 18-19 March 2023: Winter Match Racing Q3, 707s at Royal Corinthian YC, Burnham-on-Crouch

RYA director of racing Nick Scott said: “With a fleet of one-design keelboats ready to go at each event, RYA Match Racing provides an accessible platform for teams to take part in this exciting discipline, including young and aspiring keelboat sailors and youth sailors looking to try something new.

“As ever we have some fantastic venues lined up and we’re really looking forward to welcoming both experienced and new participants to the RYA Winter Match Racing Series.”

Also coming up this winter is the rescheduled 2022 RYA Marlow Ropes Women's Match Racing Championships, which will take place in Elliott 6Ms at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, 11-12 February 2023, with entry available here.

Find out more about RYA Match Racing and all upcoming events at www.ryamatchracing.co.uk.

Published in Match Racing

The Half Ton Class was created by the Offshore Racing Council for boats within the racing band not exceeding 22'-0". The ORC decided that the rule should "....permit the development of seaworthy offshore racing yachts...The Council will endeavour to protect the majority of the existing IOR fleet from rapid obsolescence caused by ....developments which produce increased performance without corresponding changes in ratings..."

When first introduced the IOR rule was perfectly adequate for rating boats in existence at that time. However yacht designers naturally examined the rule to seize upon any advantage they could find, the most noticeable of which has been a reduction in displacement and a return to fractional rigs.

After 1993, when the IOR Mk.III rule reached it termination due to lack of people building new boats, the rule was replaced by the CHS (Channel) Handicap system which in turn developed into the IRC system now used.

The IRC handicap system operates by a secret formula which tries to develop boats which are 'Cruising type' of relatively heavy boats with good internal accommodation. It tends to penalise boats with excessive stability or excessive sail area.

Competitions

The most significant events for the Half Ton Class has been the annual Half Ton Cup which was sailed under the IOR rules until 1993. More recently this has been replaced with the Half Ton Classics Cup. The venue of the event moved from continent to continent with over-representation on French or British ports. In later years the event is held biennially. Initially, it was proposed to hold events in Ireland, Britain and France by rotation. However, it was the Belgians who took the ball and ran with it. The Class is now managed from Belgium. 

At A Glance – Half Ton Classics Cup Winners

  • 2017 – Kinsale – Swuzzlebubble – Phil Plumtree – Farr 1977
  • 2016 – Falmouth – Swuzzlebubble – Greg Peck – Farr 1977
  • 2015 – Nieuwport – Checkmate XV – David Cullen – Humphreys 1985
  • 2014 – St Quay Portrieux – Swuzzlebubble – Peter Morton – Farr 1977
  • 2013 – Boulogne – Checkmate XV – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1985
  • 2011 – Cowes – Chimp – Michael Kershaw – Berret 1978
  • 2009 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978
  • 2007 – Dun Laoghaire – Henri-Lloyd Harmony – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1980~
  • 2005 – Dinard – Gingko – Patrick Lobrichon – Mauric 1968
  • 2003 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978

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