Another offshore win for Trentesaux

A report from the RORC's Cowes Dinard-St Malo race with photos from Mark Lloyd

With the mist slowly clearing to haze a RORC fleet of 197 yachts gathered on the Royal Yacht Squadron line on Friday for the 164 mile race to St Malo with a South Westerly breeze of force 2 - 3.

The first away at 09:00 was Class 3 with 49 starters, Premier Cru, James Barr’s Sigma 38 and Saint-Sebastien III, Thierry Fremont’s Romanee having the better starts, the boats at the South end of the Line benefiting from tacking inshore to get the early tide.

Class 2 got away at 09:20 with the best of the 58 starters being James Neville’s HOD 35, White Knight of Wessex, Eric Mordret’s JPK 960, Leonardo and the A 35, Agence Directe 3.9% of F R Carluer.

Away at 09:40 were the 46 yachts making up Class 1. Away well were the 3 Sailing Logic Reflex 38’s, Puma Logic, Jaguar Logic and Lion, sailed by Philippe Falle, Andy Greenwood and Nigel Tuttle respectively. Also away with them was Ster Wenn 5, Guy Sallenave’s X442.

Classes Super Zero and Zero started at 10:00 with Mike Greville’s, Erivale III, Simon Henning’s Farr 45, Alice 2, Charles Ivill’s J/133, JB3 and V Project- Project Racing Team’s Volvo 60 getting good starts in a class of 41 yachts.

The Multihull Class was the last to start at 10:20 with 3 in class.

As the fleet crossed the Channel the breeze increased to around 25kts, gusting to 30kts on occasion, giving the fleet a lively beat and very lumpy seas to the West of Guernsey accentuated ed by the Spring tides.

During the night heavy rain made its way through the fleet dampening spirits, although the wind made for a fast crossing.

At 03:03:22 on Saturday morning Laiterie de St Malo, Victorien Erussard’s Trimaran, finished taking line honours and winning the Dinard Trophy for first Multihull home.

The First Monohull to finish, at 04:21:57, was Artemis Ocean Racing, Jonny Malbon’s Open 60, winning the Sandison Memorial Trophy, closely followed at 04:29:43 by Formidable 3, Piet Vroon’s Lutra 56 and Venomous, Derek Saunders’ Carroll Marine 60, hot on her heels just 2 minutes behind at 04:31:42.

With the breeze holding through the night the majority of the fleet escaped being caught in the potential tidal gates that can close on you around the Channel Islands, and a steady stream of yachts continued to cross the line throughout the day, keeping the finishing team on their toes

For some of the slower yachts, however, the conditions would make their mark, as by early afternoon the breeze dropped and the tide turned foul, slowing the boats’ progress and there was a lull between 11:00 and 13:30 when no yacht finished. After this period the doors opened once more and the stream of finishers continued during the afternoon up until 18:00, when there were only a few yachts still racing.

Out of the 197 yachts to start the race on Friday morning, 178 finished with only 19 retiring for a variety of reasons from gear failure to sea sickness.

The Societe Nautique de la Baie de St Malo organised a party on Saturday evening for the competitors which included a live band, to coincide with the 14th July Bastille Day celebrations. RORC would like to extend its thanks to the President of the Societe Nautique de la Baie de St Malo, Monsieur Claud Renoult and his team of volunteers including Monsieur Jacky Duduet, Mesdames Catherine Louvrier and Monique Histriment and Mrs Jenny Bacon. Also to the President of theYacht Club de Dinard, Monsieur Philippe Morvan and the President of the UNCL, Philippe Baetz.

Trophies were presented at the prizegiving in St Malo on 15 July. Medallions will be presented at the RORC, London on Tuesday 17 July at 1930. All skippers and crews will be welcome to attend.

King Edward V11 Cup BCT overall
Gery Trentesaux COURRIER DU COEUR (First 44.7)

Derek Boyer Trophy – 2nd BCT overall
Charles Ivill JB3 (J/133)

IRC Class Super Zero
Lloyds of London Salver IRC SZ Windward Sailing BEAR OF BRITAIN (Farr 52)

IRC Class Zero
Noryema Trophy – BCT Class 0 Gery Trentesaux COURRIER DU COEUR

IRC Class 1
Yeoman Bowl - BCT Class 1 Sailing Logic (Philippe Falle) PUMA LOGIC (Reflex 38)

IRC Class 2
Yacht Club de Dinard Trophy - BCT Class 2 Eric Mordret LEONARDO (JPK960)

IRC Class 3
IR Trophy - BCT Class 3 Marc Noel CHINA BLUE

2 handed Class
Slingshot trophy – BCT 2 handed class Pascal Loison NIGHT AND DAY (J105)

John West Trophy – Club challenge for 2 yacht teams scored in IRC overall
YACHT CLUB DE DINARD

Passmore Bowl – most numerous production boat class in IRC
Sigma 38 - Chris Choules WITH ALACRITY

Sandison Memorial Salver 1st boat home (monohull)
ARTEMIS OCEAN RACING sailed by Jonny Malbon

Newcome Hoare Trophy best IRC yacht on corrected time with 25% of the crew under 25
Claude Renoult IROISE VOILERIE ADONNANTE (A35)

Roulette Trophy – best Contessa 32
Ian Coglin MOONSHADOW

Holman Cup BCT IRM
Edward Broadway HOOLIGAN VI

Seahorse Medallion
Claude Charbonnier Cracklin Rose

Yacht Club de France Shield
Winner of the largest class which in 2007 is IRC 2
Eric Mordret LEONARDO (JPK960)

Dinard Trophy for the first Multihull home which is a new trophy this year and presented by the Mayor of Dinard Monsieur Marius Mallet
Victorien Erussard LAITERIE DE ST MALO

Yachts and Yachting Cauldron BCT Multihull
Ben Goodland TEAM EBERSPACHER

For full results click here.

More photos on the following pages....