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We become blasé about offshore scows planing smoothly at once implausible speeds. So it is worth referencing what preceded David Raison’s great discovery when his scow completely smashed his rivals in the 2011 Mini Transat… As Julia Virat and Melodie Schaffer approach the finish of this year’s Normandy Channel Race they wrestle to keep their Akilaria Class40 on its feet, when left to its own devices Lombard’s early pointy-nose design is clearly gagging for a big broach
Big year
Our Season’s Points Championship continues apace. First we had the 235nm Myth of Malham which attracted a record 147 boats. This was followed by the popular Cowes-Dinard in which a record 190 boats took part. The Cowes-Dinard was also the second and final race in the inaugural IRC Doublehanded European Champion - ships, with the first race being the 350nm La Trinité-Cowes. A second decisive win cemented Didier Gaudoux and Gildas Morvan’s Lann Ael 3 as overall champion. Yet again this pair were always found in the right places at the right times in the sometimes complex weather and navigational transitions. The French continue to demonstrate their dominance in double-
handed sailing filling the top six places in the European Champion - ships. Previous RORC vice-commodore Nick Martin raced his Sun Fast 3600 Diabloto a respectable seventh overall in the new series. We also had a very close finish separating first and second overall
in the IRC National Championships, the champion decided by the smallest of margins as Adam Gosling’s JPK 1080 Yes! took the 2023 title by 0.004 of a point… Yes! is of course a French design! This being a Fastnet year and being the 50th edition of the race
is a big milestone in RORC history. Piet Vroon competed in 24 of those 50 editions which is a great and significant achievement in its own right, so it was with huge sadness that the club learned of Piet’s passing in June. Piet Vroon became a member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club
in 1959 and for six decades was one of our most enthusiastic racers. Hundreds if not thousands of sailors have been mentored by Piet, racing with him on his long series of interesting and success - ful ocean racing designs. Behind the scenes he was always there, assisting the rising stars, offering guidance and sometimes financial support for their racing campaigns. Piet’s RORC racing record is more than impressive, winning the
Fastnet Race overall, RORC Yacht of the Year, RORC Season’s Points Champion on two occasions, class winner for the Caribbean 600 and Round Ireland Race winner. Piet Vroon’s Tonnerre de Breskens won Yacht of the Year in 2001, but the Somerset Memorial Trophy was presented jointly to Piet and Denis Doyle’s Moonduster. The two were great friends, as well as competitors. They shared happily!
Since the 1950s Piet Vroon amassed a huge haul of RORC Medal-
lions. A staunch supporter of UK east coast racing, Piet Vroon raced, and won, countless North Sea Races. Closer to shore, his yachts also won the RORC IRC Nationals, the Lord Nelson Trophy at Antigua Sailing Week and the Kinsale Kettle at Cork. However, Piet will always be remembered for his love of the
Fastnet. He finally won the Fastnet Challenge Cup on his 20th attempt in 2001, then continued to compete until 2015 when he was 85 years young. Piet Vroon truly was a legend in ocean racing and the club is poorer for his passing. Within a few weeks of Piet’s passing, past commodore, Olympian
and Admiral’s Cup winner Robin Aisher also left us. Robin became a RORC member in 1973 and was commodore from 1985 to 1987. He was appointed OBE in 1986. Robin represented Great Britain at three Olympic regattas and
in Acapulco in 1968 he won a bronze medal in the 5.5 Metre class with Adrian Jardine and Paul Anderson. The 1973 RORC Yacht of the Year was the Dick Carter-designed Frigate, sailed by Aisher with Tony Boyden. Frigate also won the Alan Paul Trophy and was third in the individual points for the 1973 Admiral’s Cup. Robin carried on the tradition that his father Sir Owen Aisher had started by similarly naming all of his boats Yeoman. In 1975 his Yeoman XX, along with Ron Amey’s Noryema X and
John Prentice’s Battlecry, won the Admiral’s Cup for Great Britain. Robin was awarded Yachtsman of the Year in 1975. In the 1977 Admiral’s Cup Great Britain retained the trophy with a team of Jeremy Rogers’ Moonshine, Robin’s Yeoman XX and Chris Dunning’s Mari- onette. A third Admiral’s Cup victory was achieved by Robin sailing Yeoman XXIIIas captain of the 1981 British team with Peter de Savary’s Victory of Burnham and Pam and Brian Saffrey-Cooper’s Dragon. Cowes Week is upon us with a full programme of events planned,
with the traditional start on the Saturday with the Commodore’s Cocktail Party. For the full schedule of events and online booking please visit the RORC website. Can I also remind readers that the London Clubhouse will be closed from 4 to 29 August for annual summer maintenance work. Jeremy Wilton, CEO
q SEAHORSE 77
JEAN-MARIE LIOT
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