Jardine to defend title

An update on Bermuda International Race Week

The UK's Stuart Jardine will defend his title against a tough fleet in the 2005 Bermuda International Race Week sponsored by Bacardi. The top five qualifiers from last year’s Bermuda J/24 season are joined by eight overseas teams for the 2005 series sailed in Bermuda starting April 24th.

Todd Olsen/Jon Corless Bermuda No. 1 team will hope to avenge last year’s narrow defeat by Jardine. Now in his seventies, Jardine is a five time UK National Champion in the J24 class and competed in the 1968 & 1972 Olympics in the Star Class. Always a Bermuda favourite, he has indicated that this may be his last race week. He’ll try to make it another great memory.

He’s joined by ex-Bermuda resident and now San Francisco based sailor Dave Allen, Sean McDermott from Halifax, Nova Scotia who has been a regular here in Bermuda for many years and was second two years ago. Dale Robertson (CAN) also comes from Nova Scotia. Jane Moon from Cayman on her fourth visit, but with some new crew - after last year’s devastating hurricane. Bermuda will offer a warm welcome to the 'Cayman Girls' as usual. Joining Jane is another woman skipper, Sue Wallace, (US) who sails in the Newport RI Fleet as does Mike Hill (US).

Anthony Parker (US), who took 3rd in the U.S. East Coast Championship, is the only newcomer. Joining the fray to represent Bermuda are Mike Lewis, third in 2004, John Nicholls (BER) fifth in 2004 making his debute with two bullets, Trevor Boyce fourth in 2004 and race week veteran Nick Bell.

Bermuda crews dominated four of the top five places in 2004, although with Jardine, Parker and Mc Dermott this will be much harder to do in 2005. Of the local boats Olsen/Corless look to be the top seed with Lewis close behind.

2005 Race Week will be the usual mix of local knowledge versus the experience of varied fleet racing. Five local boats is more than we’ve had in recent years, and all relish the prospect of going up against some different teams.

The finish to last year’s race week could not have been closer and was a fantastic end to a great week. Old friends were welcomed back, new friends were made and the J/24 family became stronger.

Sponsored by Bacardi for the last seven year, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club inaugurted Bermuda International Invitational Race Week in 1952. The event has become an established international yachting fixture each spring - attracting the top skippers from many countries. All classes with an active local racing program in Bermuda may invite international sailors to participate. International participation is required for a fleet to compete.

Keelboats classes invited for the event include International Etchells, International One Design (IOD), J24, and J105, which will sail on Bermuda’s Great Sound. The dinghy classes invited are Laser, 505, Snipe and Comets. They will sail out of the Spanish Point Boat Club in waters nearby.