Sleighride to Cherbourg

A report from the RORC's 'last blast' across the Channel

“Fast, fun and expensive”, Shaun Frohlich’s comment when asked about the final Series Points Race of the RORC 2005 season, the traditional ‘last blast’ across the Channel from Cowes to Cherbourg.

Sixty seven yachts gathered at the RYS Line on the evening of Friday 16th September under an overcast sky and a strong North Easterly. The course of approximately 78 miles took the fleet East out of the Solent and directly to the finish inside the Western entrance of Cherbourg harbour. First away were Classes 2 & 3 at 17:45 followed by Classes Zero, 1 and 2 at 17:55 and finally the Multihulls at 18:05.

Unlike the De Guingand Bowl Race, also to Cherbourg in May, which started on a Friday 13th and with strong conditions, the fleet would not be battling head on into a severe South Westerly! This time it would be a sleigh ride, surfing under spinnakers almost all the way. For some, however, it would be a trip to the sail loft the following week to replace the newly acquired ‘streamers’.

Wave Train, the Civil Service Offshore Racing Club’s Sigma 38, sailed by Trevor Drew, did not fair so well, having lost its rig after a spectacular broach off Bembridge. All were ok and the Bembridge Lifeboat towed them back to Gosport.

A broken bowsprit on Mike West’s J105, Juneau, sailing as part of the 2 handed Division, would cause them to retire back to the Hamble. For A.W.O.L., Steve Thomas’ Corby 33, fouling the rudder at speed saw him having to retire with steering difficulties.

Taking line honours at 01:04 on Saturday morning was John Merricks, (a Farr 45 owned by the John Merricks Sailing Trust - sailed by a youth squad) giving her an elapsed time of 7 hours 9 mins 25 secs which set the standard for this very fast race. This was good enough to give them the RORC Trophy for BCT IRM and the RORC Trophy for BCT IRC Zero.

Following at 01:30 was Chris Brown and Peter Harding’s DK 46 Fidessa-Fastwave, with INÉO, Thierry Lacour’s Mumm 30 hot on their heels crossing at 01:34. She was the first of class 1, taking the Trophee des Deux Manches for BCT IRC 1 and the Cherbourg Trophy for BCT IRC.

Leading home the Multihulls was Carbon Tiger, Brian Haynes Farrier 33 at 01:35 ahead of Joel Malardel’s Normanni 34, Tancrede at 01:40. Once the handicaps were applied, Tancrede had done enough to lift the RORC Prize for the Multihull Class.

Class 2’s front runners were the J105’s Pascal Loison’s J105 Night and Day at 02:22 and Shaun Murphy’s Slingshot at 02:40. This order held, with Night and Day winning the Yacht Club de France Trophy.

Having a storming season in Class 3 Iromiguy, Jean-Yves Chateau’s Nicholson 33, was pathfinding once again and finished at 04:13 bagging more silverware in the form of the Jolie Brise Trophy.

After such a diverse season of races from 50 mile beats into strong winds and heavy seas, to drifting competitions on the Channel tides, the 2005 Cherbourg race came as a welcome change, the crews arriving with tired eyes but beaming smiles and stories of logs reading off the scale.

The prizegiving was held in glorious sunshine on the balcony of the Yacht Club de Cherbourg which generously provided everyone with an excellent buffet lunch afterwards. Following the warm welcome crews received on their arrival through the night and Gilbert and Nicola Roger’s provision of their yacht Canape on the finish line, a vote of thanks goes to Cherbourg.

Trophies were presented in Cherbourg, but medallions for this race, the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Ouistreham Race will be presented at the RORC Clubhouse on Tuesday 20 September at 1930. Everyone is welcome


Solent-Cherbourg prizes, trophies and medallions:-

Class IRC 0
1st IRC 0 and winning the RORC Trophy John Merricks Sailing Trust JOHN MERRICKS
2nd IRC 0 Chris Brown and Peter Harding FIDESSA FASTWAVE
3rd IRC 0 Douglas and Clare Hassell STROKE ASSOCIATION/ ECLIPSE VII

Class IRC 1
lst IRC 1 and winning the Trophee des Deux Manches Thierry Lacour INÉO
2nd IRC 1 Sailing Logic sailed by Phillippe Falle PUMA LOGIC
3rd IRC 1 Dominic Chappell MAVERICK 2

Class IRC 2
1st IRC 2 and winning the Yacht Club de France Trophy Pascal Loison NIGHT AND DAY
2nd IRC 2 Shaun Murphy SLINGSHOT
3rd IRC 2 John Loden PSIPSINA
4th IRC 2 Christopher Copeland EXOCET OF MESSILAH

Class IRC 3
1st IRC 3 and winning the Jolie Brise Trophy Jean-Yves Chateau IROMIGUY
2nd IRC 3 David Stow ISKAREEN
3rd IRC 3 Richard Balding PHILIPPIDES 2


RORC prize for 2 handed division Shaun Murphy with SLINGSHOT

RORC prize for multihull class Joel Malardel TANCREDE

RORC trophy BCT IRM John Merricks Sailing Trust JOHN MERRICKS

Seahorse Division medallion Stephen Thorpe WINGS OF THE WIND

Cherbourg Trophy BCT IRC Thierry Lacour INÉO