Royal Thames clinch Carmela Cup

Match racing in Dockland

After a year of absence from the London Docklands, the Carmela Cup returned to its home over 10-11 January 2004 and with it attracted the hottest team-racers in the country. The hottest by far were the indestructible pairing of Owen Modral and Dom Johnson as RTYC helms who demonstrated, along with their team-mates, why they are in such demand in the team-racing world.

With support from Schroders, the National Championship of Two-Boat Team-Racing in Keelboats was competed for at the Royal Victoria Dock Watersports Centre under the watch-full eyes of hundreds of boat-show goers visiting ExCel and with such a great backdrop the sailors, representing the 12 teams from all corners of the UK, excelled themselves producing some exceptionally close team-racing.

The initial plan of a 12 team round-robin was abandoned as the RYA fleet of First Class 8s was suddenly reduced in number (anyone not heard the story about the boat, the M25 and the Irishman?) so race scheduler Sandra Atkins turned to plan B and split the 12 teams into two leagues of six with each team sailing against every other team in that league.

Racing got under way on Saturday in very light southerly winds and with the buildings surrounding the dock acting as wind-breakers all the sailing skills of the competitors were tried and tested by the endless wind shifts. Of course, a lack of wind makes completing a race schedule very difficult and as dusk fell only 23 of the 30 races scheduled had been completed.

Racing started in earnest on Sunday morning and at the end of race 30, the results in the two leagues stood as follows:

League A:
R.T.Y.C wins 4, losses 1
Royal Southern YC 4, 1
Itchenor 3 – 2
Army Sailing 2 – 3
St Andrews University 2 – 3;
Southampton Ladies 0 – 5.

League B:
RS Class 4 – 1;
Spinnaker S.C 4 – 1;
Island Sailing Club 2 – 3;
Southampton University 2-3;
Royal St George YC 2 – 3;
Royal Corinthian Y.C 1 – 4.

The teams were then put into leagues - Gold, Silver and Bronze - based on their results in round 1. So, the top two teams from league A & B raced in the gold league, the second two in the silver league and the final two battled it out in the bronze fleet.

The gold league was sailed first thus ensuring that if the wind, now gusting Force 5 mixed in with regular hail storms, should worsen a Champion would have been found and saw the RTYC, RSYC, Spinnaker and RS Class battling it out for the Cup. Royal Thames helms Owen Modral and Dom Johnson showed yet again why their pairing is so successful as they crossed the line in 1st and 2nd place in all 3 of their races finishing the league a clear 4 points ahead of their closest rivals from Spinnaker Sailing Club. In turn, Spinnaker took 2nd place away from the RS Class Association by one point with Royal Southern YC finishing in 4th place. Unfortunately, the weather did indeed take a turn for the worse and the Silver and Bronze leagues could not be sailed in full so sail-offs were arranged between the equal placed boats in 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th place from the original two leagues.

And so the Carmela Cup returned to its homeland. If the event had been a welcome home party for the cup then it was one great party with this years stars promising to come back for more next year. There aren’t many National Championships held within such a short distance of the City of London - the venue and the competition is next to none. And you get to prop up the Guinness bar of the Schroders’ London Boat Show not to mention show off to the spectators…..