Cracking day for the Classics

Justin Chisholm reports from the penultimate day's action on the Solent

The weather gods smiled once again on the 2008 British Yacht Club Regatta, providing bright warm sunshine and twelve to fifteen knot breezes, as the classic boats left the Cowes Yacht Haven Thursday morning for day four of the event.

One boat choosing not to race today was the 1914 8 Metre Class yacht Ierne so some time was taken to find out more about this beautiful craft. Yorkshireman Huw Morris Jones said that Ierne was built in 1914 by Fife for an Irish brewing magnate. Ierne was the earliest Bermudan 8 Metre and her rig was the first to be affectionately described as ‘Marconi’ due to her spar’s obvious resemblance to a large radio aerial. The non-gaff rig was not an immediate success however and Ierne broke two masts in her first season of racing. Morris Jones explains "We have some of the correspondence from the then owner, questioning whether the Bermudan idea was a good one and commenting that the cost of replacement masts was causing his bank manager some concern."

Ierne’s current owner is a recent convert to sailing, having been taught to sail by ex-Marine Chris Johnson, who now regularly sails aboard. "Chris taught Pete Goss to sail so I reckoned he is a good teacher" commented Morris Jones. "Having given up rugby I wanted a sport that challenged me and that I could be active in. I learned to sail up at the Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club in Yorkshire One Designs. People call them ‘Yorkshire Puddings’ but the boats are great and the racing is superb."

He found Ierne several years ago in a sorry state in Portugal and says he realised immediately that she was the boat for him. "Despite her poor condition I could see she was beautiful and I knew straight away that I had to get her sailing again". Eighteen months of painstaking work followed at the J. Irvine Yard in Burton upon Humber before she emerged looking literally as good as new. Morris Jones explains "We have worked hard to get her as close to her original state as we could. The deck fittings have all been cast specially in Bronze Alloy and the boat has no winches. All the sail trim is done using block and tackle purchases, which makes her a bit of a work out to sail in any breeze. We are not racing today because the wind against tide conditions out on the Solent would be too risky for the rig." This is the first time that Morris Jones has sailed in the Solent and he is clearly enjoying being part of the regatta. "There’s a great atmosphere on the water and in the marina. I am delighted to have the chance to bring Ierne here and be part of the whole spectacle."



Out on the Class Zero racecourse the big boats were revelling in the freshening breeze. For the crew of Mariette (above) this was a chance to show the true ability of their beautiful boat in conditions that suited her best. Enthusiasm got the better of some of the skippers at the start with Wings, Tuiga, Sceptre and Kelpie all adjudged to be over the line and consequently incurring a three minute time penalty. As expected, Mariette blasted around the course, eating up the twenty miles in just over two hours and forty minutes.

Sailing aboard Mariette for the first time was Royal Corinthian Yacht Club honorary flag officer Rachel Spearing who said that the experience was unforgettable: "The skill and coordination of the Mariette crew is truly incredible". She continued, "The feeling of grace and speed from this wonderful old lady is inspiring. I have sailed aboard many modern super yachts and I can now categorically say that classic yachts are the best." Freddie Chambers, one of the twenty eight crewmen aboard Mariette said "this is my first regatta on the boat and today goes down as my best ever day on the water. At times during the racing I was up to my waist in water and just hanging on for grim death. It was just a fantastic race."

Legendary yachtsman Harold Cudmore, sailing this week on Tuiga confirmed that it had been a marvellous day out on the water. "This week we are having great racing because we are so evenly matched with The Lady Anne. Today the race turned upon one decision - we chose not to gybe on the run because we were not sure how it would work out and they managed to pull it off meaning they beat us on the water. That is just how yacht racing should be." When the final results were calculated, unsurprisingly Mariette took the corrected time win, with Wings in second and Tuiga placed third.

In the absence of the two 8 Metre boats Athena and Ilderim who were taking part in the Royal Victoria Yacht Club Olympic Centenary celebrations, David Murrin’s Cetewayo took another line honours and a handicap win in the first race in Class Two ahead of David Foster’s Quiver V and Clive Emerson’s Lutine.

In Class Four’s first race, Adam Gosling’s Sinbad of Abersoch tool their second consecutive win, this time ahead of Roger Dann’s Leonie and Patrick Moreton’s Twilight. Alan Stannah’s Sally of Kames and Tim Bennet’s Droleen were given a three minute time penalty for being over the line at the start.

There was a special moment in Class Three today when Jamie Matheson’s Opposition claimed victory in the first race of the day. Better known as British Prime Minister Edward Heath’s most successful boat, Morning Cloud II, she has recently emerged from an eight month refit at the local Lallows Yard where she had originally been built. Echoing some of the many wins from her illustrious past, today Opposition took line honours and a corrected time win ahead of C van Rijckevorsel’s Sensa and Martin Thomas’s Charm of Rhu. Aboard Swanilda Danny Brock was pleased with his fifth in class and said that this result was a big improvement: "I am always at the back but we did well to day for two reasons. Firstly it was windy and Swanilda likes a bit of breeze but secondly we had our secret weapon Rosie Chapman on the helm. Rosie is a Laser radial sailor from Mounts Bay and she is in the British Olympic Squad for the 2012 Olympics. She was brilliant today and she whipped us all into shape!"

Racing at the 2008 British Classic Yacht Club Regatta concludes for all fleets on Friday 25th July when Classes Two, Three and Four will start at 1000 and sail two races. Class Zero boats are scheduled for one race starting at 1100 from the Royal Yacht Squadron line. On Saturday 26th of July all the competitors have been invited to take part in a Parade of Sail off the Royal Yacht Squadron at 1000 followed by a ‘Payback’ Race for Classes Two, Three and Four starting at 1130 from a Committee Boat line.

For more information see: http://www.rcyc.co.uk