RORC Transatlantic Race Club page
RORC
The weather in the lead-up to the start of the inaugural RORC Transatlantic Race from Puerto Calero Marina in Lanzarote to Grenada in the West Indies did not deliver the benign conditions one would have expected for a location only 29° from the equator… more like the hurricane conditions in the lead-up to the record-break- ing 2014 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. With winds of 35-40kt and gusts of 50-60kt making manoeuvring in the marina almost impossible, and the laying of a startline less than certain, the RORC race committee had no alternative but to postpone the start to the following day. The crews on the 11 boats were unperturbed as they were clearly already enjoying the party atmosphere at the Puerto Calero Marina, swapping stories of exciting delivery trips to Lanzarote. Canadian Derek Hatfield, sailing a Volvo 60 all the way from Nova Scotia, said the delivery was the worst Atlantic crossing he’d ever done… and he’s done 24 in his time at sea. The American youth sailing team on Oakcliff Racing, who had set off from the UK in their newly acquired Class40 early in November, had been storm- bound in Guernsey for six days and then lashed by gales in the Bay of Biscay. Frenchman Marc Lepesqueux had survived the loss of the keel on his brand new Class40 in the recent Route
magazine that we have a new hand on the RORC helm in Michael Boyd, who hails from Dublin, taking over from Michael Greville. For Mike Greville this should be the end of an 18-year commit- ment to the club, having served in many capacities on the RORC committee; however, he has agreed to sit on the newly formed RORC Cowes sub-committee to oversee the integration of the two organisations. Without his commitment the merger with the RCYC Cowes would have taken a lot longer to implement and my job has been all the more enjoyable because of his support. In Michael Boyd we have an enthusiastic offshore racer, fresh from a victorious campaign as part of the Irish team who won the Brewin Dolphin Commodores’ Cup, with the personality of an Irish charmer that captivates all who meet him. Changing from the east coast lawyer to the Irish entrepreneur will be an interesting move and one that I enthusiastically welcome.
RORC and RCYC inshore programme
The merger between the RORC and the RCYC has increased the number of inshore events the combined organisation will run – to include the Quarter Ton Cup. The addition of the Vice Admiral’s Cup, which includes one-design classes such as the J/80 and SB20 as well as IRC classes, is a welcome addition to the RORC race programme and introduces younger sailors to the RORC experi- ence. The RORC are also responding to current interest in the ‘Fast 40’ initiative by introducing a DLR split in our classes to allow lighter-displacement boats such as Ker 40s, McConaghy 38s and GP42s to compete directly against each other.
RORC Easter Challenge and North U
Ian Walker’s crew onboard Azzam let it all hang out with keel bulb aloft at the start of Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race. The positive ‘hinge’ angle of the VO65 keel fins is credited with making for a much drier ride downwind as well as direct performance benefits
du Rhum and, after delicately sailing the boat back to Guernsey, then delivered his second Class40 to Lanzarote in time for the start. All the boats had suffered horrendous weather but all had pushed hard to arrive in time to be part of this new RORC race, organ- ised in association with the International Maxi Association. It was interesting to note that the bulk of the competitors came from outside the UK with French sailors being the most numerous. The biggest and smallest boats in the fleet were crewed by French teams. The still new Finot-Conq designed 100-footer Nomad IV, with her enormous square-top 3Di mainsail set on an all carbon mast and rigging, was a huge contrast to the smallest boat in the fleet, a little JNP 12 sailed by Denis Villotte. The Southern Wind 94 Windfallhad an Italian/Russian co-operative, the Swan 68 Yacana crew mostly hailed from Greece, a British team were racing the Mediterranean-based Baltic 78 Lupa of London, and a team from Plymouth were racing Nigel Passmore’s J/133 Apollo 7. All the boats pushed hard at the start, crossing the line within seconds of the gun as they raced to a mark off the capital Arrecife before setting off through the Canary Archipelago for the Caribbean. If the welcome in Grenada is anything like the send-off in Puerto Calero then this race will quickly gain the attention of those who make the annual crossing to enjoy a Caribbean winter.
New Commodore
You will note from the Commodore’s column at the front of the 48 SEAHORSE
We are delighted to announce that the North U Regatta Services coaching team will once again join Jim Saltonstall and myself in the ‘coaching while racing’ format that is the hallmark of the RORC Easter Challenge. Last year Andreas Josenhans and Chuck Allen, who run the North U coaching programme, brought a very American twist to the coaching sessions provided by Jim Salton- stall and his team which was both popular and well received. Josen- hans brings a wealth of experience from Star boats to Maxis, having sailed on some of the top raceboats in the world and the banter between the northern, no-nonsense character that is Salton- stall and the two Americans was something to savour. The coaching while racing is the perfect way to start the season. Stuart Childerley will once again be our Principal Race Officer and we might even get the downwind starts that Stuart was proposing for last year’s event. The racing will be short and sharp, which befits the usual conditions at that time of year and the debriefs will be held at our new headquarters in Cowes with warm drinks and hot food on tap for all. It is set to be a very special season at our new Cowes home.
Accommodation in Cowes
This will be in short supply this season so it is worth reminding RORC members of the facilities the club now has at its disposal in Cowes. The new clubhouse, RORC Cowes, which is at the entrance to the harbour, has 12 bedrooms which are a mixture of twin and double rooms with one four-bed ‘crew room’. The elevated position gives stunning views across the Solent and with its large deck and beautiful gardens offers a choice of eating and drinking areas for winding down after a busy day on the water. Self-catering accommodation at the Disrespect, the RORC office in Cowes, in the middle of Cowes High Street, has six bedrooms over two floors and each floor has a kitchen/dining room. The Dis- respect is perfect as a crew house where individuals are self-suffi- cient and don’t require the facilities of a hotel... and it’s only a two- minute walk from the Red Jet terminal and Cowes Yacht Haven. For more information email
rod@rcyc.co.uk or call RORC Cowes on 01983 293581 Eddie Warden-Owen, CEO
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GILLES MARTIN-RAGET
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