A light Morgan Cup

A report and results from the weekend's RORC race with the overall prize going to Azure

Saturday 17th June saw a fleet of 41 yachts gather at the Royal Yacht Squadron line under bright sunshine, clear blue sky and a very light easterly breeze. First away at 08:30 were classes 2 & 3. Tantrum of Langstone, Chris Staples’ Sigma 36 was the first to cross but Pen Azen, Philippe Delaporte’s J109 crossed the line with speed and took an early lead.

Classes Super Zero, Zero and 1 were away at 08:40 with an X-Ray for two yachts a little too eager to start. Both returned and started correctly. Last to start were the Multihulls at 08:50.

Due to the prevailing light conditions but with the forecast of an easterly breeze offshore, the Race Committee decided to send the fleet on a course not previously published in the Sailing Instructions as allowed under General Condition 6(c). The course took the boats east out of the Solent through the Forts to round Nab tower to starboard and into the Channel to Ocean Safety Offshore Light Buoy also rounded to starboard. Here the fleet turned west down the Channel for a 47 mile leg to the RORC Offshore Light Buoy where the yachts turned North to Poole Bar Buoy No 1 before heading East once more to the finish at North Head, an approximate distance of 110 miles.

Unfortunately the forecast wind did not materialise and what little breeze there had been during the day fell to nothing as the evening drew on. This left crews searching for every zephyr in the fight for boatspeed. When the tide turned foul during the night progress was painfully slow at best and many of the yachts kedged for several hours. The wind was still light when the tide did turn in their favour and over half the fleet chose to retire.

The wind eventually started to fill during mid morning and by 11:00 there was around 10kts from the South in Christchurch Bay, however further offshore at the RORC Offshore Buoy it remained very light.

Formidable 3, Piet Vroon’s Lutra 56 crossed the finish line at North Head at 11:24:25 to take line honours and the RORC Salver for first boat home. John Merricks the Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme’s Farr 45 was the second boat to finish at 13:26 followed by Mark Wynne-Smith / Robert Blackwell’s Dubois 40 Azure at 13:35.

Ben Goodland’s Raider 302 catamaran Team Eberspacher slipped across the line under spinnaker at 15:06, with Mike Greville’s Ker 39 Erivale III 6 minutes later at 15:12. The first of class 1 to finish was Magnum 2, Andrew Pearce’s IMX 40 at 16:08, with Puma Logic Sailing Logic’s Reflex 38, sailed by Philippe Falle at 17:48.

Classes 2 and 3 saw only 1 boat in each class finish. Slingshot, Shaun Murphy’s J105 crossed at 20:02 in class 2 and Mavis III of Gosport, Stephen Winter’s Carter 36 at 20:59 in class 3.

Prize winners:
Morgan Cup – BCT IRC
Mark Wynne-Smith / Robert Blackwell AZURE (Dubois 40)

Knightsbridge Cup – IRC Super Zero & Zero
Mark Wynne-Smith / Robert Blackwell AZURE (Dubois 40)

2nd Mike Greville ERIVALE III (Ker 39)
3rd H2O Yachting Andy Greenwood CREATIVE PLAY (Farr 40)

Queensborough Cup – IRC 1
Andrew Pearce MAGNUM 2 (IMX 40)

2nd Sailing Logic Philippe Falle PUMA LOGIC (Reflex 38)
3rd Action Sailing Steven Winstanley TIGER (Reflex 38)

Charles Ball Challenge Cup – IRC 2
Shaun Murphy SLINGSHOT (J 105)

Warsash Cup – IRC 3
Stephen Winter MAVIS III of GOSPORT (Carter 36)

Colin Campbell Challenge Cup – BCT IRM
H2O Yachting Andy Greenwood CREATIVE PLAY (Farr 40)

RORC Salver – First boat home
Piet Vroon FORMIDABLE 3 (Lutra 56)

RORC Prize – 2 Handed Division
Shaun Murphy SLINGSHOT (J 105)

RORC Prize – Multihul
Ben Goodland TEAM EBERSPACHER (Raider 302)

RORC Medallion – Seahorse Division
Pete Summers JAGUAR LOGIC (Reflex 38)

The Morgan Cup Trophies will be presented at the Royal Thames Yacht Club prizegiving dinner on 15th November. RORC Medallions will be presented on Tuesday 20th June at 19:30 at the Clubhouse, 20 St James’s Place, London SW1. All Crews welcome.

A full list of results can be found here