Tonnerre de Breskens 3 - Yacht of the Year 2010

The RORC award and prize winners announced

Piet Vroon’s Ker 46 Tonnerre de Breskens 3 is the RORC's 2010 Yacht of the Year.

Vroon has been racing with the RORC for 50 years and during that time has achieved many notable successes including the Rolex Fastnet Race. Now 80 years young, he competed in eight RORC races this season including the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race.

Tonnerre de Breskens 3 takes the Jazz Trophy for the overall winner of the Season’s Points Championships (when all races count); the Trenchemer Cup for winning IRC Zero; the Stradivarius Trophy for the best overseas yacht in IRC and also the Somerset Memorial Trophy for outstanding racing achievement by a yacht owned or sailed by a RORC member as voted for by the Main Committee. It was a spectacular season from a veteran campaigner and great supporter of RORC racing.

Niklas Zenstrom’s JV72, Ràn 2 was awarded the Dennis P Miller Memorial Trophy for a British Yacht Overseas. Ràn travelled all over the world and has an impressive list of victories which included the Mini-Maxi Rolex World Championships, winning her divisions in the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race; Antigua Sailing Week; Newport Bermuda Race; Onion Patch Series and Copa del Rey.

Also of note are the team on British Soldier who were second overall in the Season’s Points Championships and won the Serendip Trophy for the best series produced yacht in IRC. The boat provides much needed ‘R and R’ for war veterans and through the Toe in the Water tri-services initiative, introduces many disabled servicemen to sailing.

Trophy and award winners:

2010 Yacht of the Year - Tonnerre de Breskens 3 (Ker 46) Piet Vroon
Winning the Somerset Memorial Trophy - For outstanding racing achievement by a yacht owned or sailed by a RORC member as voted for by the Main Committee. In recognition of not only winning IRC Overall by a huge margin, but in particular for supporting and winning RORC races for over 50 years.

Assuage Trophy - Foggy Dew (JPK 10.10) Noel Racine - Championship for RORC Members. For the yacht with the most points in IRC overall in the Cherbourg Race plus her best three races taken from Cervantes, Morgan Cup, Myth of Malham and Cowes-Dinard-St. Malo races

Alan Paul Trophy - British Soldier (A 40) Army Sailing Association, Lt Col Tim Hill - For consistent high performance in IRC. Based on consistent high scores plus a bonus for number of races completed.

Class Championship Trophies

IRC Overall: Jazz Trophy - Tonnerre de Breskens 3 (Ker 46) Piet Vroon

IRC Super Zero: Europeans Trophy - John Merricks II (TP52) British Keelboat Academy

IRC Zero: Trenchemer Cup - Tonnerre de Breskens 3 (Ker 46) Piet Vroon

IRC One: Emily Verger Plate - Visit Malta Puma (Reflex 38) Sailing Logic, Philippe Falle

IRC Two: Grenade Goblet - Foggy Dew (JPK 10.10) Noel Racine

IRC Three: Cowland Trophy - Iromiguy (Nicholson 33) Jean Yves Chateau

Two-Handed Division Trophy: Psipsina (HOD 35) John Loden and Patrick Cronin

David Fayle Memorial Cup: For best Sailing School Yacht in IRC - Visit Malta Puma (Reflex 38) Sailing Logic, Philippe Falle

Haylock Cup: For best British Service Yacht in IRC - British Soldier (A 40) Army Sailing Association, Lt Col Tim Hill

Stradivarius Trophy: For best Overseas Yacht in IRC Overall - Tonnerre de Breskens 3 (Ker 46) Piet Vroon

Serendip Trophy: For best Series-produced Yacht in IRC - British Soldier  (A 40) Army Sailing Association, Lt Col Tim Hill

Special awards

Freddie Morgan Cup - For a Classic Yacht in IRC - Winsome (S&S 41) Harry Heijst

Dennis P Miller Memorial Trophy - For a British Yacht Overseas - Ran 2 (JV 72) Niklas Zennström

Arambalza Swan Cup - For the highest scoring Swan in the race season - Selene (Swan 44) Adrian Lower

Peter Harrison Youth Trophy - John Merricks II (TP52) British Keelboat Academy

Duncan Munro-Kerr Youth Challenge Trophy - For the youngest crew member on board a yacht which on Season’s Points finishes in the top three of her IRC Class - Floris R. W. Oud sailing on Winsome

Red Funnel Prix d'Elegance - Antix (Ker 39) Anthony O’Leary

RORC Salver  - Morgan Cup Race – First Yacht Home Tonnerre de Breskens 3 (Ker 46) Piet Vroon

2010 RORC Points Championship

RORC Medallions:

IRC Super Zero
1st John Merricks II (TP 52) - British Keelboat Academy

IRC Zero
1st Tonnerre de Breskens 3 (Ker 46) - Piet Vroon
2nd John B (Grand Soleil 54) - Charles Ivill
3rd Erivale III (Ker 39) - Mike Greville

IRC One
1st Visit Malta Puma (Reflex 38) - Sailing Logic, Philippe Falle
2nd British Soldier (A 40) - Army Sailing Association, Lt Col Tim Hill
3rd Coup de Coeur (First 40) - Marc de Saint Denis and Géry Trentesaux

IRC Two
1st Foggy Dew (JPK 10.10) - Noel Racine
2nd Psipsina (HOD 35) - John Loden and Patrick Cronin
3rd Winsome (S&S 41) - Harry Heijst

IRC Three
1st Iromiguy (Nicholson 33) - Jean Yves Chateau
2nd Ultreia! (JPK 9.60) - Matthias Kracht
3rd Pyxis (X 332) - Kirsteen Donaldson and Judith Eastwood

Two-Handed Division
1st Psipsina (HOD 35) John Loden and Patrick Cronin
2nd Solan Goose of Hamble (A 35) - Peter Olden
3rd Diablo-J (J/105) - Nick Martin

Class40 Division
1st Concise 2 - Ned Collier Wakefield
2nd Orca - Tom Hayhoe and Natalie Jobling
3rd Merena - Alexis Guillaume

IRC Overall
1st Tonnerre de Breskens 3 (Ker 46) Piet Vroon
2nd British Soldier (A 40) Army Sailing Association, Lt Col Tim Hill
3rd Visit Malta Puma (Reflex 38) Sailing Logic, Philippe Falle
4th Psipsina (HOD 35) John Loden and Patrick Cronin
5th John Merricks II (TP52) British Keelboat Academy

Assuage Tankards
Cervantes Trophy Race Visit Malta Puma (Reflex 38) Sailing Logic, Philippe Falle
Myth of Malham Race Tonnerre de Breskens 3 (Ker 46) Piet Vroon
Morgan Cup Race Psipsina (HOD 35) John Loden and Patrick Cronin
Cowes-Dinard-St. Malo Race John Merricks II (TP 52) British Keelboat Academy
Cherbourg Race Diablo-J (J/105) Nick Martin

All trophies and medallions will be awarded at the RORC Annual Dinner on Saturday 13 November 2010 at the Banqueting Hall, Whitehall.