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Round the Isle of Wight Solo 2011 Race report
Date:
Sun, 18/09/2011 RIOW second attempt September 2011
Congratulations to Simon Cuwen for an excellent win on J105 Voador!
At about 0530 hours on a dark September morning 19 yachts left Cowes Yacht Haven for the JOG starting line off Egypt point. Sadly the original entry list of 28 boats was depleted for a variety of reasons.
The race started on time at 0630 in a westerly breeze of between 15 and 20 knots.
Mike Saqui on Edith had an excellent start crossing the line first with Simon Curwen on Voador in hot pursuit. About half an hour after the start the wind gusted up to 30 knots making it a tough beat to the Needles. Half the fleet rounded the Needles in reasonable tide, however some of the smaller boats struggled with the early flooding tide, but with plenty of breeze so it was not too painful.
First to the Needles was Rob Craigie on Jbellino followed by Chris Rustom on Ding Dong and then Peter Newlands on Anticipation. Only two boats (Voador and Edith) attempted the gap between Goose Rock and the Varvassi wreck in the very confused seas.
On the deep run to St Catherine’s with 25 knots of wind and a big following sea, spinnakers were flown by Voador, Ding Dong and Fastrak VIII shedding one put up a second! Once past St Catherine’s the wind moderated to around 15 knots for a fetch up to Bembridge and an easy beat to the finish, the later boats having the benefit of favourable tide.
Jbellino took line honours by just 3 minutes from Ding Dong. Simon Curwen on Voador was rewarded for good start, inside the wreck passage and braving the spinnaker with a win in class two and Overall under IRC, second was Peter Newlands on Anticipation and third was Rob Craigie on Jbellino. Peter Newlands on Anticipation won class 1, second was Jbellino and third Ding Dong. Nigel Colley on Fastrak was second to Voador in class two and third was Steve Thomas on Truant. Mike Saqui’s Edith won class 3 with Charles Emmett on British Beagle second and third was Chris Flewitt on Tringa.
2011 ROIW Solo No Go !
35 yachts were on the line Saturday 09.30 for the sixth Solo Round the Island setting off with the ebb tide into a few knots of SW breeze. The tide, wind and boat speed all worked to produce enough apparent wind to have an excellent race to the Needles. Edith was too keen to go and was carried over the start line off Gurnard by the tide for an immediate ten minute OCS penalty - no going back with SORC. The three Mini’s – Crean, Prim Avel and Mad Dog raced neck and neck all the way and conditions proved perfect for those who had invested in Code Zeros to see if they really are an advantage upwind. Carl Wilcox certainly got it right taking Wee Bear – Projection 920 to near the front of the fleet amongst the faster boats. The fleet spread tacking down the full width of the main channel to be sluiced out through Hurst. Solan Goose of Hamble was first around the Needles, a few yachts going through the gap off the needles and one gently “Dinged” the Varvassi wreck. The fleet then struggled to make much headway east to St Catherine’s where a time check had been added to create a possible early finish. For a while the boats inshore under the cliffs had less adverse tide and pulled level with front runners. Very light airs further out gradually enabled some to set spinnakers and pull ahead of the inshore boats that started reversing to the SW. Regrettably short of a very late finish after the tide turned the race was abandoned at 14-45. Thanks to David Giddings and Kirsteen Donaldson as race officers making the tough decisions, and Nigel Pipe and Rob Packham taking pictures in the Rib. Thanks also to the Island Sailing Club for hosting SORC for Friday and Saturday nights producing and excellent supper both nights. It is planned to try the RIOW again as one of the September or October races if conditions allow to find the sixth winner for the Anticipation Cup.
2010 RIOW
The opening race of the Solo Offshore Racing Club 2010 program was a cracker with the entry criteria of boats from 25 to 40 feet fully utilized with 25 starters from Richard Whitehouse’s 25ft Westerly Tiger up to Marco Nannini’s Class 40. On Friday night before supper in the ISC many benefited from an excellent 20 minute weather forecast AV presentation by expert Chris Tibbs – easterly light winds, more on the south of the Island and then going SE and dropping later in the day with poor visibility.
7am start at Gurnard was down tide with the predicted 7 knots easterly, the fleet setting port pole spinnakers. A few struggled with asymetrics as winds went lighter and Simon Curwen on Voador then led a few onto starboard jibe away from the island towards the middle channel. Stephen Thomas on Truant HOD 35 crossed to the mainland shore with less tide but a little more breeze paying dividends. Peter Olden on Solan Goose and Chris Rustom on Ding Dong worked the strongest tide in the middle. Next were J122s Jbellino (Rob Craigie) and Oojah (Peter Tanner), Marco on Sunguard Front Arena and Mike Saqui tagging along with Mustang 30 Restless.
Voador having returned to the island shore made a big gain from Hurst to the Needles. With 3 knots of tide and very little apparent wind many were caught out, having to turn hard left not to get swept beyond the Needles. Once around there was a welcome 10 knots easterly, as forecast, giving a beat up to St Catherine’s increasing to 15-18 true. This leg put the fleet back into a more normal order with Noj White on SX Girl, Herve Dupriez on Penrod Beneteau (“avec les nouvelle North sails”), Carl Wilcox on Wee Bear all trucking off to windward enjoying the decent breeze. Numerous boats got “caught” by Isle of Wight fishermen when heading into the shore along the south side. The numerous pots, nets and buoys, mainly poorly marked, close to the shore and further out created some very frustrating moments.
Round the Island is rarely straightforward and the expected bear away at St Catherine’s or Ventnor was not to be! Instead the wind clocked left making a continued beat up to Bembridge and then dropped to nothing for some in Sandown Bay. Boats that took a wide route around the corner found some wind further out, notably Penrod, Katie Miller on the Figaro 2 BlueQube, John Twiggs on Hod 35 TickTock, Barrie Harding on Sigma 38 Bellerophon and Rookie winner Simon Mitchell on Aquillo, a Beneteau 31.7.
Race Officer David Giddings shortened the course at Bembridge to enable as many to finish as possible. The battle at the front was won by Race Director Peter Olden’s A35 Solan Goose finishing a minute ahead of Ding Dong and SX girl after 8 hours 40 minutes. Overall IRC winner was Herve on Beneteau 31.7 Penrod, 2nd Stephen Thomas on Truant, 3rd Solan Goose. Full Results on the website for all IRC rated boats.
The next race is 8th May to Poole with return leg on the 9th. Details at www.offshoresolo.com
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