Niall Dowling's New J111 among 100 Boats Bound for Le Havre

28th April 2011

The RORC Caribbean 600 was the first points scoring race for the 2011 RORC Season's Points Championship. However, the Cervantes Trophy Race marks the start of the RORC European race circuit with 11 races scheduled for destinations in Northern France, Holland, Ireland and many ports of call in the United Kingdom.

The majority of the RORC fleet for the Cervantes Trophy is an eclectic mix of performance cruising boats. Gray and Laidlaw's Farr 52, Bob, is the scratch boat on handicap but will be on a very busy start line festooned with canvas. Four examples of the Tall Ships Youth Trust's Challenge 72 are entered and will be hoping for fresh conditions. John Stapleton's First 44.7, Vespucci's Black Sheep, was second in class last year and may well feature in the results.

IRC Two has no less than 20 types of yacht including RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine's First 40, La Réponse. The much travelled Niall Dowling will be racing his new J/111, Arabella for the first time and could have a close battle for line honours in class with Maxime de Mareuil's X 41, Orange mecaniX and Sean Hurst's A 40, Stamina II. Five First 40.7s including Steven Anderson's Encore and Peter Robson's Trustmarque Playing Around are racing within the class.

j111paulwyeth

Niall Dowling's J111, Arabella will be making its offshore debut in the RORC Cervantes Trophy Race starting on Saturday 30 April 2011. Photo:Paul Wyeth

An impressive line up in IRC Three has nine J/109s, including proven competitors such as Robin Taunt's Jibe and Paul Griffith's Jagerbomb. Noel Racine's JPK10.10, Foggy Dew is one of the smallest entries, but the Frenchman and his team often punch well above their weight and came out class winners for the 2010 season.

The Two-Handed Class, an increasingly popular discipline, has attracted nine yachts for The Cervantes Trophy Race, including 2009 Rolex Fastnet class winner Nicolas de la Fourniere with his X 34, Exile/Mirabaud and Rear Commodore Nick Martin's J/105, Diablo-J which won the Cherbourg Race at the end of the 2010 season.

The largest class for The Cervantes Trophy Race is IRC Four with 39 yachts set for the race across the English Channel. Dutchman Harry Heijst's S&S 41, Winsome was class winner of the 2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. Jean Yves Chateau's Nicholson 33, Iromiguy was in fine form last year, winning their class for the RORC Season's Points Championship. However, there are many extremely successful and well-sailed boats in this class.

One of the appealing features of the RORC Season's Points Championship is that a huge variety of boats have claimed class and overall victory over the years.

Late Entries possible until 29th April 2011 08:00 BST.

For more information visit the Royal Ocean Racing Club at: www.rorc.org

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