The penultimate race of the RORC Season's Points championship produced a dramatic finale to the club's domestic season. Whilst the overall and class winners will not be finalised until after next month's Rolex Middle Sea Race, the Cherbourg race all but sealed victory for the seven classes racing under IRC for the season. Géry Trentesaux's JPK 10.80, Courrier Du Leon is the overall leader with just one race to go.
Piet Vroon's Ker 53, Tonnerre 4 scored a hatrick of victories in the Cherbourg Race, taking just 6 hours 18 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the 75 nautical mile course, Tonnerre 4 took Line Honours, the overall win under IRC and IRC Zero. The flying Dutchman was over the moon about the victory, which confirmed Tonnerre 4 as the class winner for IRC Zero for the championship.
“She went like a rocket!” exclaimed Piet Vroon, “We realised that there was still pressure ahead of us and we went for speed early on to try to catch it. We passed Géry (Trentesaux) at the Needles Fairway Buoy. He is an excellent sailor and a great friend but I was very happy to beat him! The boat speed went up to 16 knots and we were flying the A2, nearly the whole way. The crew work was excellent, they know exactly how to get the most out of the boat and even though they push it, we hardly ever break anything. The Cherbourg Race has been a lucky one for us in the past and we definitely got the wind that the boats behind did not. Artemis went to the west, whilst we went straight on and that is how we also took line honours, which was a very satisfying way to finish the season. We plan to race Tonnerre in the RORC Caribbean 600, which will be our first offshore race of next year.”
Mikey Ferguson's IMOCA 60, Artemis Ocean Racing was seven minutes behind Tonnerre 4 on the water, to claim second overall under IRC and first in IRC Canting Keel. Edward Broadway's Ker 40, Hooligan VII was third overall and the winner in IRC One. Mike Greville's British Ker 39, Erivale III was second in class one for the Cherbourg Race, giving the past RORC Commodore enough points to retain the class lead for the season.
In IRC Two, British Artemis Offshore Academy sailor, Andrew Baker scored a notable victory, taking Line Honours and the class win. Round the world sailor, Mike Golding was part of the crew. RORC Admiral, Andrew McIrvine’s racing First 40, La Réponse, skippered by Tristan Nelson was second in class with Patrick Ponchelet's French X-40, Exception third. Vincent Willemart and Eric Van Campenhout's MC34, Azawakh was fifth after time correction, giving the Belgian team enough points to take the class lead for the season.
There was an astonishing race in IRC 3, with the entire season of racing being decided by just sixteen seconds. Louis-Marie Dussere's JPK 10.10, Raging Bee, racing two handed with Bruno James, was the class winner. The victory has all but assured Raging Bee of the IRC Two Handed Class for the RORC Season's Points Championship.
Alex Adams' J/105, Voadar was just 16 seconds behind Raging Bee on the water and after time correction with Pascal Loison's JPK 10.10, Night and Day, racing Two Handed, in third, if Night and Day had come second, the French team would have been top of the Two Handed class for the season. Similarly, if Raging Bee had come second, Night and Day would be the Two Handed class leader for the season. Both Louis-Marie Dussere and Bruno James are long standing members of the Yacht Club de Cherbourg and the duo were celebrating in style.
“We knew we had to have a boat between us and Night and Day” commented Louis-Marie Dussere. “As we approached the finish, Voadar was 20 metres ahead of us and we knew we had to pass them. It was very hard but by the finish we were 20 metres in front of them and we were so very very pleased. The atmosphere in the club was fantastic, with so many friends to welcome us and after the Prizegiving we filled the trophy with champagne to toast the victory.”
Six yachts contested the Cherbourg race in the Class40 division; all finishing within an hour of each other, Forty Shades of Grey, skippered by David Pearce was the winner. Concise 2, skippered by Phillippa Hutton-Squire was second and Thibault Hector's Creno Moustache Solidaire was third. During the RORC Season's Points Championship, 28 Class40s have been in action. Tony Lawson's stable of young sailors have had an impressive season with Concise8, skippered by Jack Trigger, and crewed by a team all under 25, with an unassailable lead for the season and Concise 2, crewed predominately by an all girls team, in second. Bertrand Gregory's Rififi is third.
In IRC Four, Christopher Spray's S&S 53 Yawl, Stormy Weather of Cowes was the winner by less than two minutes after time correction from Jonathan Rolls' Swan 38, Xara. Renaud Courbon's First Class 10, Shortgood, racing Two Handed, was third. The classic yachts from the design board of Olin Stephens have enjoyed a highly successful season racing with the RORC. Stormy Weather of Cowes victory in Cherbourg has lifted the team up to third in class for the season. Jonathan Rolls' Swan 38, Xara, also designed by Olin Stephens is second in class for the championship. Noel Racine's JPK 10.10, Foggy Dew retains the lead in IRC Four.
The Royal Ocean Racing Club Season Points Championship will come to a conclusion next month with the Rolex Middle Sea Race. The 606 nautical mile race, starting and finishing in Malta, is expected to attract over 100 yachts from over 20 countries and starts on the 17th October.
For full results of the RORC Cherbourg Race here
