The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club’s annual Round Jersey Race, sponsored by British Airways, was held  on Saturday 11th August. Conditions were fine with a promise of force 3-4 easterly winds throughout the day.

 Racing got under way in St Aubin’s Bay at ten o’clock with the start of the cruiser class race, with eleven boats on the line, setting off for the anticlockwise circumnavigation of the Island. The eight-strong sport-catamaran class set off ten minutes later heading for the distant Violet Channel buoy to the southeast of the Island. Starting two hours before high water, boats made good progress to the mark with a favourable tide despite the close reach for the cruisers and a beat for the sport-catamarans.

 The white sail reach up the east coast also promised a quick trip around the Island even if there was no likelihood of the three hours seven minutes record set by a Hobie Tiger several years ago being broken. On passing St Catherine’s, however, the wind dropped very light and tidal influences took over. Whilst the boats that chose to stay out appeared to be sailing, albeit slowly, those that decided to hug the coast seemed to fare better, with some having made ground against those staying out. Several of the sport-catamarans stood well out along the north coast, some being well north of the Paternosters before gybing for Grosnez. This did not prove to be a paying tactic.

 Once round the northwest corner, however, the easterly wind filled in quickly and boats had a fast run southwards, spinnakers aloft, through St Ouen’s Bay to Corbiere. Now heading easterly and with the wind dead ahead, boats had a dead beat to Noirmont Point and into St Aubin’s Bay  before heading for the Platte beacon and a white sail reach to the finish line off St Helier Harbour.

 Just two boats raced in cruiser class one, David Myatt’s newly-acquired International 8-metre Erica and the Beneteau First 44.7, Zanzibar, skippered by Andrew Le Quesne. These kept very close contact throughout the race and were neck-and-neck along the beat from Corbiere. Zanzibar eventually established a lead, as she headed for Noirmont, that she held to finish just a minute and a half ahead of Erica. It was to be Erica’s day, however, with a convincing win on corrected time.

 The result for the class two cruisers saw a very tight finish with Peter Crabb’s Starflash, Jackflash, just pipping Steve Pearl’s X-79 Less Xpense. Although Lesss Xpense took line honours in the class, Jackflash took the race by just over a minute on corrected time.

 Things were equally tight at the top end of the sport-catamaran class with Adrian Jesson’s Hobie Tiger, Hobie 68, beating Darren Stower’s Tiger, Smurf, by just half a minute. Jeremy Smith, sailing the Hobie 16 Double Trouble, sailed well to take third place.

 The prize-giving was held in packed Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club during the evening when Commodore Sandra Carroll presented the prizes whilst thanking British Airways for continuing their very long-standing support for the Round Jersey Race.

Class 1 Cruisers

1 Erica - David Myatt (7.33.17)

2 Zanzibar - Andrew Le Quesne (8.12.49)

Class 2 Cruisers

1 Jackflash - Peter Crabb & Peter Williams (6.52.05)

2 Less Xpense - Steve Pearl (6.53.11)

3 Super Q - Julian Barber (7.00.55)

4 Aphros - Bruce Harrison (7.08.47)

5 Contango - Paul Sabin (7.43.50)

6 Fillipene - Nick Bailhache (7.58.31)

7 Halina - Mark Staveley (8.56.21)

Class 3 Sport-catamarans

1 Hobie 68 - Adrian Jesson (6.20.57)

2 Smurf - Darren Stower (6.21.28)

3 Double Trouble - Jeremy Smith (6.25.29)

4 Breaching 69 - Andrew Hart (6.30.21)

5 Ches la Vie - Luc Richard (6.33.37)

6 Wildcat 1 - Steve Longstaffe (7.31.20)

7 Fearful Symmetry - James Fullerton (7.40.39)

Diary Notes:

24th-26th August – Brewin Dolphin British National Hobie Cat Championships – St Aubin’s Bay (www.rciycjersey.com)

7th-9th September – Brewin Dolphin Jersey Regatta (www.jerseyregatta.com)

William Harris

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Last Updated ( Friday, 17 August 2012 )