Final bullet for Puma Logic

Philippe Falle's crew claims the RORC's Cherbourg Race

Philippe Falle and his crew rounded off an excellent season in their Reflex 38, Puma Logic, by winning the Cherbourg Race. Sailing Logic carried home the Cherbourg Trophy for IRC Overall and the Trophée Deux Manches for IRC One.

The race was as quick as anticipated with almost the whole fleet in Cherbourg for breakfast. The wind angle was too tight for spinnakers, it was very gusty and there were big waves. Most boats had at least one reef in the main and a No. 3 or No 4 headsail.

David Aisher’s Rogers 46 Yeoman XXXII was the first to cross the finish line. Yeoman averaged over ten knots on the way to Cherbourg. However being weighed down with cases of wine the former RORC Commodore will have had a slower journey home. “It was a great way to round off the season on Yeoman,” commented David Aisher. “With just a few hours to go the wind built, clocked west and the sea started to really kick up. We managed to catch a few waves nudging the boat speed over 16 knots, pulling us ahead of the 60, but unfortunately the wind was forward of the beam for most of the race which didn’t suit us on handicap, however we were delighted to be first into Cherbourg.”

Also racing on board Yeoman XXXII was the current RORC Commodore, Andrew McIrvine. It is sometimes thought that RORC Commodores do little sailing but for at least the last decade every RORC Commodore has actively raced in RORC events. This season McIrvine has raced on a variety of boats both inshore and offshore including the RORC Caribbean 600 and the Rolex Fastnet Race. His main campaign has been on another former Commodore’s boat, Peter Rutter’s Corby 36 Quokka 7, and McIrvine has won the Season’s Points Championship in IRC One by a large margin.

“Peter Rutter kindly lent me Quokka for the offshore season and told me that in true RORC tradition, I had to be Commodore, surgeon and run an offshore campaign, all at the same time. We were unable to get Quokka out for the Cherbourg Race because of crew work and family commitments. David Aisher was also faced with similar issues with Yeoman, so we combined forces for this race. It has been a memorable season for the Club, competitors have enjoyed some great racing and this is the primary reason that our membership and stature are growing, especially overseas.”

Derek Saunders, sailing his CM 60 Venomous, won IRC Super Zero but Mike Greville’s Ker 39 Erivale III won the Quailo Cup for IRC Super Zero and Zero. John Shepherd took second place in his Ker 46 Fair Do’s VII. Shepherd’s next event will be the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October. Third in class was Bill Blain’s J/133 Batfish III which celebrated winning the RORC Season’s Points Championship overall in Cherbourg.

John Loden won the RORC Trophy for the Two Handed Division for the second year in succession in his HOD 35, Psipsina. However, Loden and his crew failed to overhaul Mike Moxley’s HOD 35, Malice, in the Season’s Two Handed Points Championship by just 0.3 of a point. Second place in the Cherbourg Race went to James Heald’s J/105, Flawless J.

Harry Heijst’s S&S 41 Winsome won the Yacht Club de France Trophy for IRC Two, Luca Rubinelli’s J/109 Aria was second and Robin Taunt’s J 109 Jibe was third.

David Lees won the Jolie Brise Trophy for IRC Three in his High Tension 36, Hephzibah, adding more points to their class win for the season. Second place and their first podium finish of the season went to Philip Catterall’s Moody 38 Momentum who was also sailing two-Handed. Third place was taken by David Hunt’s X 332, X-To-Sea.

The RORC would like to thank: the Yacht Club de Cherbourg for providing the Committee Boat and their hospitality. Thanks are also due to the volunteer Race Officers who have helped the staff at 15 races this season and without whom none of the races would be possible. All of the permanent staff of the RORC Racing Team actively race including RORC Racing Manager Ian Loffhagen who will finally be putting his computer aside for a short time to compete on Piet Vroon’s Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens, in the Rolex Middle Sea Race next month.