Team trials

RYA announce plans for Rolex Commodore's Cup teams

The RYA will be selecting four British teams to compete in the prestigious 2006 Rolex Commodores’ Cup, the Notice of Race was published yeasterday. The teams, allocated by the Offshore Racing Group of the RYA, will include one team from Scotland and three teams selected from the RYA Selection Trials.

The Rolex Commodores’ Cup, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, is one of the most important international yachting events of the sailing calendar and pits the world’s best yacht racing talent against each other. The week long racing series held between Sunday 25 June and Sunday 2 July 2006 in the Solent, is expected to attract between ten and fifteen teams of three boats, representing up to ten countries, mainly from Europe. The event is raced under IRC Endorsed ratings, between 0.980 and 1.320, in three rating band classes.

This year competitors can expect to find a friendlier more inclusive format for the event which allows more types of boats to compete for the Commodores’ Cup than ever before. The selection of the three English teams will be based upon their performance in a series of races, starting on 29 April 2006. If the Regional Selectors for the Scottish team are unable to fill their team, the Selectors for the other British teams will allocate boats from any of the trials held.

Trials will begin earlier than usual this year. The first inshore series will be held on 29 April-1 May organised by the Royal Southern Yacht Club and will include several inshore races in addition to one long inshore race. Further inshore racing will be run by the Royal Southern Yacht Club from 6-7 May. The offshore trial will be held in conjunction with the RORC De Guingand Bowl on 12 May with a back up offshore race to be held with the RORC Myth of Malham Race on 27 May 2006.

The RYA Selection committee comprises of Chairman Iain Macdonald-Smith, Mike Broughton, Guy Barron and Dave Atkinson, RYA Racing Services Manager.

Iain Macdonald-Smith commented; “As the defending country for the Commodores’ Cup we want to find the best British boats to compete at this event. Britain is known for its sailing talent and competitive spirit and we are looking for those characteristics throughout the trials. The owners and crews will have to plan a busy winter and spring campaign to get themselves ready for early trials.”

The teams for the 2006 Rolex Commodores’ Cup will be announced towards the end of May.

Expressions of interest forms are available for all crews wishing to participate in the selection trails are on the RYA website http://www.rya.org.uk/racing/keelboats or contact David Atkinson at the RYA david.atkinson@rya.org.uk.