Sailing out of Cowes over the May Bank Holiday Weekend were yachts undertaking the Cervantes Trophy Race.
This race was the first in a series of 7 races organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. (RORC).
After voyaging across The Channel to Le Harve, France, the overall winner, under IRC, was decided by just 13 seconds after more than 20 hours of racing. Nicolas Dezeustre’s Princesse Gotionude II won overall, just 13 seconds ahead of Nick Martin’s Diablo, racing double handed with Joe Slipper.
Sam White’s Mzungu!, racing fully crewed, was third, only 1 minute 40 seconds behind the winner. Derek Shakespeare’s Bulldog was fourth, just 1 minute 54 seconds off the overall win. After a tactical Channel race of light airs and a shifting breeze the top four were separated by less than 2 minutes on IRC corrected time.
However, Greg Leonard’s Swift took Monohull Line Honours in the race in an elapsed time of 17Hrs 32Mins 28Secs. First to finish in the IRC Fleet was Graeme Lewis’ Venomous in 17Hrs 54Mins 02Secs. Peter Coote’s Slinky Malinki took Multihull Line Honours in 18Hrs 51Mins 47Secs and corrected out to win the Multihull Class.
Prizegiving took place at The Société des Régates du Havre (SRH) which is France’s oldest yacht club and one of the historic homes of cross Channel racing. It was officiated by flag officers from both clubs: SRH Commodore Augustin Savalle Anthonioz, RORC Commodore Deb Fish and RORC Vice Commodore Derek Shakespeare, supported by SRH Commission Voile Christophe Lachèvre and RORC Racing Manager Chris Jackson.
Other races in the series, starting and finishing in Cowes, include Myth of Malham to the Eddystone Lighthouse and back to Cowes on 23rd May, De Guingand Bowl on 30th May and a Channel Race on 25th July. Further races in the series, which runs until the end of September, start in Cowes but finish in France.
