RORC Upgrade!
Much is being done in RORC Cowes to make ready for a busy season in the Solent. The 12 bedrooms are undergoing an image change and upgrade with a lick of paint and new furniture plus the members’ lounge is also having a change of identity for multi-purpose use. Finally, the restaurant is being modified for the additional footfall expected in a year when the RORC celebrates its 90th anniversary and the Royal Yacht Squadron its 200th. Cowes and the Solent will be very busy this summer. The Cowes club normally has a busy social calendar but the additional RORC members and those visiting yachtsmen competing in the RORC Season’s Points Championship will make it extra busy in the run- up to the start of each of our offshore races. The excitement of last month’s entry for the Rolex Fastnet Race has died down with a waiting list of around 80 boats having to make a decision whether to wait in hope or make a different plan for August. Just over 200 of the entries are members of the RORC, justifying the decision by the committee to allow first
racing. Hopefully in time they too will aspire to racing offshore and want to compete in our classic races such as the Rolex Fastnet and RORC Caribbean 600.
The spring lecture programme for the clubhouse in London is in full swing with the first presentation by Niki Curwen on her plans to complete a solo Transatlantic race in a Mini 6.50 (a dinghy on steroids). The evening was well attended by a disbelieving crowd of regular offshore racers, many of whom were more than surprised at the conditions in which Mini sailors have to operate.
Other lectures… Tuesday 10 March – Navigator Campbell Field discusses Fastnet weather routeing using digital weather and current feeds Tuesday 24 March – Next-generation navigation by Digital Yacht will talk up the use of iPhones, tablets and other consumer devices as powerful additions to the modern racing yacht Tuesday 21 April –Steve Huxley presents Her Majesty’s Coastguard, present and future, covering the role of Falmouth Coastguard over the past 30 years
Tuesday 5 May – We welcome TV commentator and world-class sailor Gary Jobson to the RORC. Gary won the 1977 America’s Cup as tactician for Ted Turner which launched a career as a promoter of our sport. He also won the very rough 1979 Fastnet Race, again with Ted Turner. Although he has written 17 books he is best known for his TV commen- tary on the America’s Cup. Gary is currently focusing most of his attention on ISAF where he is a vice-president Monday 8 June – Brendan Hall talks about leadership, based upon his experience in the Clipper Round the World Race. Brendan was the youngest and least experienced skipper in the 2010 edition… which he won. He is a great speaker and his experiences will benefit every offshore racer
With a modest HPR and IRC entry, numerous professionals found gainful employment at Key West in one-designs with the Melges 32s, J/70s and GC32 cats hoovering up the spare talent. Vasco Vascotto (above, left) helped Mexico’s Julian Neckelmann to second in the J/70s
choice for RORC members to enter.
The advantages of being a member of the club are many and cannot be overstated for those who are keen and active in offshore racing. A club in the very heart of London with 15 bed- rooms, a club in Cowes with 12 bedrooms and a variety of dining opportunities, 30 per cent discount on race entry fees, free subscription to this illustrious magazine, discount on IRC certifi- cates and on Virgin Atlantic flights and many more benefits either in place or on the way. For the time being we still also have the Disrespect, RORC’s high street office in Cowes with its six-bedroom self-catering accommodation above. Traditionally membership of the RORC was only open to those who had completed at least 500 miles of ocean racing. It remains an exclusive club and judging by the longstanding membership worldwide a valued ‘badge of honour’ that members take pride in. However, the merger with RCYC Cowes has created the need for a category of membership that did not require offshore mileage to cater for the existing RCYC membership, so the Corinthian category was the obvious choice. This allows sailors of all types to join the RORC and for the club to actively recruit young members, who may not yet have experienced the challenge of offshore racing but who (still!) prefer a shower at the end of their day’s
52 SEAHORSE
RORC Easter Challenge supported by North U
Although I have already announced our alliance with North U Regatta Services
for our Easter ‘warm-up’ regatta there is no reason not to remind our readers and members to place this important event in their diary. I cannot stress how effective this coaching-while-racing regatta is for any crew and aspiring owner if they want to make forward strides this season. Our sport is fascinating as it’s so complex. Having coaches giving feedback on sail setting and boat handling while you’re on the race course is gold dust to anyone who wants to improve. Jim Saltonstall and a team including myself and the same American coaching duo from North U who joined us last year will be on the water offering on-the-spot advice as well as taking photos and videos that will be used in debriefs at RORC Cowes after racing.
Vice Admiral’s Cup – Fast 40 support
To support an initiative to increase the number of ‘sportboat’ style 40-footers in the Solent the RORC are including a separate division for these planing keelboats – such as the Ker 40, McConaghy 38 and GP42 – in the Vice Admiral’s Cup from 15 to 17 May. This may encourage this style of boat to gain traction in the UK where we are starting to see increasing interest from a variety of quarters. Eddie Warden-Owen, CEO
q
Club page
INGRID ABERY
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72