DAY 1
17 July 2016 – The opening day of Panerai British Classic Week 2016 featured a spectacular Parade of Yachts in which Jonathan Perry, Rear Commodore Yachting of the Royal Yacht Squadron, took the salute as the yachts streamed past the Royal Yacht Squadron. The programme required the yachts to form up in their classes and motor in line past the Squadron, which almost all of the 61 entries did. The only exception was the nine metre gaff yawl Cormorant, who at 105-years young and in “as original” condition does not have an engine so took part under sail.
With the Parade over it was down to the serious business of yacht racing and Royal Yacht Squadron Racing sent the fleet off down tide into the Western Solent for a lovely round the cans race in a west-south-westerly which gradually built from around 6 to just over 10 knots.
First off the line were the International 6 Metres. Robin Richardson’s Modern 6 St Kitts, which was built by the Elephant Boatyard to an Ian Howlett design and won the Seawanhaka 6 Metre World Cup on her first outing in 1987, is still regarded as one of the fastest Sixes in the World and lived up to that reputation by winning her class by nine minutes from Thistle, the 1947 David Boyd designed Classic built by Alex Robertson on the Gareloch and owned by Tom Richardson, owner of the Elephant Boat Yard. Third place went to Jonathan Brech’s Maida.
Murdoch McKillop’s 1931 William Fife designed Saskia, which represented Britain in the 1936 Kiel Olympics, got a terrific start in the 8 Metre Class and went on to win by over four minutes from David Myatt’s 1949 Bjarne Aas designed Erica, which won the Sayonara Cup in 1953. Peter Wilson’s 1929 built If took third place.
It was a case of David v Goliath in Class 1 for the Modern Classics, where the diminutive Strega, a Spirit 37, showed the way to win by over two minutes from Sean McMillan’s Flight of Ufford with David Grylls’ Helen of Durgan third. Back ashore Sandy Fielding, who co-owns Strega with Martin Whittle, was delighted with their result. “We had a great day. Usually the bigger Spirits get away from us, but for once the tidal gates worked in our favour, so much so that we didn’t want it to end.”
Giovanni Belgrano’s 1939 Laurent Giles designed sloop Whooper won this event overall in 2014 and declared her intentions for this week by winning Class 2’s opening race from Gildas Rostain’s Volonte, a 1968 RORC One- Ton Sloop designed by Olin Stephens. Third place went to Lawrence Wride’s 1967 Sparkman & Stephens RORC One-Tonner Sunmaid V, whose various claims to fame include being the yacht on which the legendary Owen Parker developed twin pole gybing.
Michael Briggs’ 1904 William Fife cutter Mikado sailed exceptionally well to win Class 3 by over four minutes from Andrew and Mary Hales 1950 eight Metre cruiser/racer Freyja, with Martin Thomas’ Charm of Rhu third. Class 3 also includes a special race within a race featuring three matched 1959 Morgan Giles Bermudan sloops, Leopard, Pegasus and Gryphis, which have been chartered for the event by The Classic Yacht Association of Australia (Leopard and Pegasus) and the Classic Yacht Association of New Zealand (Gryphis).
Today Leopard finished fourth in class to lead their group with Pegasus fifth and Gryphis eighth – a very good performance from three crews who had never even seen their boats before this regatta.
In Class 4 the two smallest boats in the fleet, Liz and Mark Rushall’s Ragdoll, a 1950 Balfour designed Honey Bee, and John Mulcahy’s Estrella, a lovely example of one of Kim Holman’s Stella Class, both got terrific starts with Ragdoll leading the fleet off down the Solent. Both sailed well but ultimately they struggled to save their time in the light conditions with Ragdoll finishing fifth and Estrella third. Victory went to Jonathan & Scilla Dyke’s pretty 1938 Robert Clark 10 Tonner, with Robert Veale’s 1958 David Cheverton Bermudan Sloop Danegeld second.
Tomorrow’s racing is sponsored by EFG and the original schedule was for the Around The Island Race to start at 08.00, however the forecast is for very light winds making this impractical. Instead racing will not begin before 13.00 with the Race Committee planning a long Solent race instead. Looking ahead the forecast for the rest of the week is not conducive to running the Around The Island on an alternate day, so that race will not take place this year and is replaced by tomorrow’s Solent race.
News, results and photographs from Panerai British Classic Week will be posted at the regatta website www.britishclassicyachtclub.org/regatta. Those wishing to receive additional information should contact Mary Scott-Jackson on mary@msjevents.co.uk.
DAY 2
18 July, 2016 – The second day of racing at Panerai British Classic Week brought glorious sunshine, but a frustrating lack of solid breeze. The Race Committee’s decision not to run the Around the Island Race today was vindicated, but despite their best efforts it was only possible to complete a significantly truncated race for the 6 Metre and 8 Metre Classes. They did get a race underway, the second in the series, for Classes 1 to 4, but the wind rapidly died away again and ultimately the race committee was forced to abandon those classes.
Racing started to the west on a nine mile course initially heading upwind to East Lepe and then onwards to Newtown East buoy. The 6s and 8s started in the lightest of south-westerly sea breezes and with the last of the ebb under them managed to get away from the line in reasonable order.
It was slow going, made harder as the tide turned flood against them, but an hour later the leading 6s were approaching the second mark of the course. With the flood building and the south-westerly faltering, the race committee wisely elected to shorten the race at that point. 6 Metre victory went to Robin Richardson’s St Kitts, with Andy Short’s Nancy second and Tom Richardson’s Thistle third. Asked for the secret of their success Rupert Richardson of St Kitts said, “Not doing anything extreme! We could see a spinnaker coming into the Solent from the West so we knew the wind was there and just made sure we avoided the edges and kept the boat going. We only did about half a dozen tacks all race.” Overall St Kitts leads the regatta by three points from Thistle with Nancy in third. The 8 Metres followed the 6s across the line and on the water Christopher Courage’s Helen was first with Murdoch McKillop’s Saskia second, Peter Wilson’s If third and Avia Willment’s Siris fourth. However, Helen had fouled If on the start line and was forced to take a 2% time penalty which dropped them down into second. Speaking after racing Helen’s Mike Jones explained;
“It was a simple port/starboard on the start line and we were in the wrong, but in the light airs we couldn’t tack the boat quickly enough and If was forced to luff to avoid us. It was very frustrating as we won the race by around a minute, but with the penalty Saskia beats us by twelve seconds.” Overall Saskia now leads the 8 Metre Class by three points from If with Helen two further points behind in third.
For Classes 1 to 4, who were starting together, the situation was very different and they came to the line in a rapidly dying wind as a classic Central Solent battle between south-easterly and south-westerly sea breezes got underway. Initially the boats were beating off the line but half an hour in they had made only a few hundred yards’ progress, mainly thanks to the last of the ebb. For a while boats were pointing in all directions as they lostway trying to tack, but eventually the south-easterly worked its way west past Cowes and the boats on the mainland side of the channel were hoisting spinnakers, whilst those towards the Island were still beating. Twenty minutes later and the south-westerly was back so spinnakers were down and light number ones were up. Sadly, the flood tide was now building fast and the race committee had no option but to abandon racing for these classes.
Whilst the racing conditions may not have been up to scratch, the same cannot be said of Panerai’s hospitality and back ashore the sailors enjoyed delicious Italian antipasto and wines in the Panerai Lounge, followed by a special briefing to update competitors on changes to the schedule for the coming days.
The forecast has improved considerably and the Race Committee has announced that the Around the Island Race sponsored by EFG will be run for Classes 1 to 4 tomorrow starting at 08.00 with the fleet heading east/clockwise around the Island. There will also be an inshore race starting at 10.00 for the 6 and 8 Metres and those not electing to go around the island.
Wednesday will now feature two inshore races with the first start at 10.00 and the second as soon as possible thereafter. The Long Inshore Race sponsored by Classic Boat will take place on Thursday starting at 10.00 and the final race of the series, sponsored by Sandeman Yachts, will start at 10.00 on Friday.
DAY 3
19 July, 2016 – The EFG Around the Island Race on day three of Panerai British Classic Week was sailed in glorious hot sunshine and great breeze. The fleet started to the east on a favourable flood tide, which many underestimated resulting in a General Recall. They got away on the second attempt with eight boats individually recalled, only three of which returned. The first leg was a beat to the forts from where they bore away for Bembridge Ledge where they hoisted spinnakers for the long run down the back of the Island. In the lee of the Island the wind dropped off completely and many found themselves becalmed. Those offshore managed to keep breeze and gained a big advantage. The boats held their spinnakers to the Needles and from there it was on the wind again back to Cowes.
Romping home to claim line honours was Sean McMillan’s Flight of Ufford, with David Murrin’s Cetewayo thirty-six minutes and fifteen seconds behind them. Third and just 29 seconds behind Cetewayo was Andrew Pearson’s Bojar.
As the big boats streamed in across the line the smaller boats were powering up the Solent, and it soon became clear that on handicap it was going to be a small boat race. On corrected time John Mulcahy’s Estrella, the smallest boat
in the regatta whose crew today included 2016 Yachts & Yachting Amateur Sailor of the Year Julia Bailey, was declared the overall winner by fourteen minutes and six seconds. Second was Liz and Mark Rushall’s Ragdoll, while Michael Briggs’ 1904 Fife Cutter Mikado took third. Speaking after racing Estrella’s Julia Bailey talked us through their day. “Down to the forts we worked the boat hard, we had a nice start, but got buried by the big boats so hitched up and were able to get in phase and in pressure to retrieve the situation. As we came away from Bembridge we were far enough behind the leaders to see them hitting the big inshore lull, so we kept going further and further out, whereas the rest of our fleet sailed straight into it. We went right out until we got pressure and then gybed back in on a good line for the Needles. The leg up into the Solent was actually very difficult because you couldn’t lay Gurnard Ledge, but to gain any tidal relief it was very difficult to get inshore. We were one of the few boats doing tacks to keep inshore and in fact we laid Gurnard Ledge from Hamsted Ledge. After that it went a bit right and we just laid the finish line.
The EFG Around the Island Race counts towards the overall series in which Class 1 is now led by Sean McMillan’s Flight of Ufford with Sandy Fielding and Martin Whittle’s Strega second and David Grylls Helen of Durgan third. Class 2 is led by Giovanni Belgrano’s Whooper with Lawrence Wride’s Sunmaid V second and Rob Gray’s Clarionet third. Michael Briggs’ Mikado is leading Class 3 from Martin Thomas’ Charm of Rhu with Tim Yetman’s Krabat third. Today’s race win puts John Mulcahy’s Estrella into the overall lead in Class 4 with Jonathan and Scilla Dyke’s Cereste second and Liz and Mark Rushall’s Ragdoll third. Whilst 38 of the fleet elected to go around the Island the 6 and 8 Metres sailed two round the cans races instead, races three and four of their series.
Robin Richardson’s St Kitts won both races in the 6 Metres, with Tom Richardson’s Thistle taking second in both races and Andy Short’s Nancy third. With four races now sailed St Kitts leads the class with four points, Thistle is second on nine points and Nancy is third on thirteen.
After racing Australian yachting journalist John Roberson was full of life’s joys having joined old friend Tom Richardson aboard Thistle for the day. “It’s terrific but very full on,” he joked, “my arms are definitely longer then when I left the dock this morning! To race in a fleet of such beautiful classic 6 Metres is a real privilege and the conditions couldn’t have been better.” In the 8 Metres Murdoch McKillop’s Saskia dominated the fleet winning both races. David Myatt’s Erica took second in both, while David Parson’s and The Earl of Cork & Orrery’s Athena was third in race three and Richard Bendy’s Osborne of Wight was third in race four. Overall Saskia now leads the class by eleven points from Peter Wilson’s If with Athena in third.
Tomorrow will feature two inshore races with the first start at 10.00. The Long Inshore Race sponsored by Classic Boat will take place on Thursday starting at 10.00 and the final race of the series, sponsored by Sandeman Yachts, will start at 10.00 on Friday.
You can follow the racing action as it happens via the Live Race Tracker. News, results and photographs from
Panerai British Classic Week will be posted at the regatta website www.britishclassicyachtclub.org/regatta. Those wishing to receive additional information should contact Mary Scott-Jackson on mary@msjevents.co.uk.
DAY 4
20 July 2016 – Tim Blackman of the 1947 Philip Rhodes Bermudan Yawl Infanta summed up day four of Panerai British Classic Week in Cowes perfectly saying, “An incomparable day’s sailing in the Solent for incomparable yachts.” Two around the cans races were completed, the first with individual class starts and the second with Classes 1 to 4 starting together. Initially skies were grey, visibility was poor and the wind was regularly gusting towards 30 knots. Several boats opted for a reef, but as Class 1’s start time approached the wind moderated and reefs were shaken out again. By the time Class 4 got underway the sun was burning through the cloud and before long everyone was
enjoying another day of champagne sailing.
Through the middle part of the day the wind was in the low to mid-teens, but half way through the second race the sea breeze kicked in taking it back up to 20 knots plus and causing a few thrills and spills. One of those caught out by the sudden increase was the 1959 Morgan Giles sloop Pegasus, sailed this week by Martin Ryan and his team from Melbourne, Australia. One minute they were bowling past the Beaulieu River full of the joys of spring, and the
next they were rocking and rolling with one third of their spinnaker
over the bow and two thirds flying from the masthead. They attempted to retrieve the flying sail themselves, but eventually a passing media boat came to their assistance and scooped the remains out of the sea.
Sean McMillan’s Spirit 52 Flight of Ufford continued to dominate Class 1 for the Modern Classics by claiming two further race wins. She now leads the class by five points from Sandy Fielding and Martin Whittle’s Spirit 37 Strega.
Tom Hill’s Spirit 46 Dido had an excellent day today with two second places and moves into third overall. In Class 2 Giovanni Belgrano’s 1939 Laurent Giles sloop Whooper made it four firsts out of four races to lead the class by ten points. David Murrin’s 1955 fractional sloop Cetewayo, also designed by Laurent Giles, revelled in today’s conditions taking two seconds and bouncing up the ranking into second overall, just one point ahead of Lawrence Wride’s Sunmaid V which finished fifth in both races and drops from second to third.
Michael Brigg’s 1904 Fife Bermudan cutter Mikado’s dominance of Class 3 also went unchallenged as she added another
pair of firsts to her scorecard, giving her an eight-point overall lead over Tim Yetman’s 1946 Anker and Jenssen sloop Krabat who took two second places today. A third followed by a seventh were enough to push Andy and Mary Hales’ International 8 Metre Cruiser Racer Freyja up into third place, while Martin Thomas’ Charm of Rhu slipped down from second to fourth. John Mulcahy’s Kim Holman designed Stella One Design Estrella consolidated her overall lead in Class 4, adding a first and second to her card. Jonathan and Scilla Dyke’s 1938 Robert Clark 10 Tonner Cereste took a second and first and now sits in second place, two points behind Estrella and six points ahead of Ragdoll, the 1965 Honeybee owned by Mark & Liz Rushall.
With the exception of Andy Short’s Nancy, the 6 Metre Class sat out the first race of the day to allow the wind to moderate, but they came out to play for the second which was won by Robin Richardson’s St Kitts with Nancy second and Tom Richardson’s Thistle third. Overall St Kitts now leads the fleet by six points from Nancy with Thistle one further point behind in third. The 8 Metre Class chose not to race at all today. Explaining their decision If’s
Rufus Gilday said, “The wind strength at the time of the briefing was of concern and the forecast was for it to increase in the afternoon. Having done two short but intense races the day before, the opportunity of spending the day ashore with the possibility of a long lobster lunch was too much to resist and the fleet elected not to race.” Whilst the focus is on the racing, some of those taking part come purely to have fun and amongst these is Rollo Malcolm-Green’s Charles E, Nicholson sloop Zoom, which was built by Camper & Nicholson in 1951 for Teddy Haylock, editor of Yachting World in the 1950’s and early 60s. Rollo was presented with Zoom’s visitor’s by Teddy Haylock’s widow and it reads like a Who’s Who of yachting from that era with names like Bernard Hayman, David May, Colin Mudie, Eric and Susan Hiscock, Colin Ratsey, Max Aitken, Adlard Coles and Jack Holt to name but a few Tomorrow’s penultimate day will feature the Long Inshore Race sponsored by Classic Boat starting at 10.00 and the final race of the series, sponsored by Sandeman Yachts, will start at 10.00 on Friday.
DAY 5
21 July, 2016 – The fifth day of Panerai British Classic Week produced some interesting weather, some challenging racing and confirmed of the overall winner in several classes. The 6 and 8 Metre Classes raced two further round the cans races, whilst Classes 1 to 4 took part in the Classic Boat Long Inshore Race.
Compared with Wednesday’s champagne sailing, today was a much trickier affair. Although the 6 and 8 Metres were able to start on time for the first of their two races the wind was extremely light and they barely ghosted away from the start. Add a complex tidal situation to the mix and the tacticians certainly had their work cut out to get the boats around the course. Just after the Metre boats started, the wind died off almost completely and Classes 1 to 4 had to be postponed for over two hours. With the Metre boats back from their first race and a light sea breeze starting to build the race committee was able to start a second race for the 6s and 8s as well as the Classic Boat Long Inshore.
Once underway Classes 1 to 4 sailed a shorter than planned course which took them as far west as John Hollamby buoy off Newtown Creek before zigzagging their way back to finish. With the sea breeze never really building above ten knots until the latter stages of the race and a building ebb tide it was a race where small mistakes could cost a great deal. However as usual the cream rose to the top and ultimately Giovanni Belgrano’s Whooper claimed the Classic Boat Trophy for the Long Inshore Race by just 46 seconds from Michael Briggs Mikado with John Mulcahy’s Stella Estrella in third place.
Sean McMillan’s Spirit 52 Flight of Ufford took line honours in the Classic Boat Long Inshore and won Class 1 for the Modern Classics. Tom Hill’s Spirit 46 Dido finished second in the race with Sandy Fielding and Martin Whittle’s Spirit 37 Strega third. Overall that means that, with the single discard coming into play after tomorrow’s seventh and final race, Flight of Ufford is assured of class victory as her worst result is a second place and she has a seven-point lead over Strega. Tomorrow’s battle in this class will therefore be between Strega and Dido who are now separated by just three points.
Giovanni Belgrano’s overall race victory in Whooper also translated to victory in Class 2 where she beat Gildas Rostain’s Volonte with David Murrin’s Cetewayo third. In the Class overall standings Whooper has won six out of six
races meaning she has the regatta all sewn up with a twelve-point lead over Cetewayo. Lawrence Wride’s Sunmaid V remains in third place and will be hoping for a good final race as she is just three points behind Cetewayo.
Michael Brigg’s Mikado has won Class 3 with a day to spare with a set of six straight wins, while Tim Yetman’s Krabat is certain of second overall as her worst score in the regatta to date is a sixth and she has an eight-point lead over her nearest rival. Andy and Mary Hales’ Freyja is that nearest rival and she will need to ensure she keeps Martin Thomas’ Charm of Rhu at bay tomorrow to secure her third place, as only three points separate the two boats.
Throughout the week some of the closest racing has been in Class 4. John Mulcahy’s Estrella goes into the final day with a three-point lead over Jonathan and Scilla Dyke’s Cereste, however, the introduction of the discard means that if Cereste can win the race and Estrella is third or worse Cereste could still claim overall victory. Liz and Mark Rushall’s Ragdoll cannot catch the leaders, but is assured of third place in class thanks to her fifth in today’s race.
For the 6 Metres today’s races were the seventh and eighth of their series. Once again Robin Richardson’s St Kitts was victorious in both giving her a near perfect record of seven wins out of eight starts and confirming her overall
class win. Andy Short’s Nancy and Tom Richardson’s Thistle are separated by just three so will be fighting over the remaining steps on the 6 Metre podium tomorrow.
Murdoch McKillop’s Saski faltered a little in the morning race with her worst score of the regatta at fourth, but won the last race to give her a ten-point lead and a guaranteed class win. The final day showdown in this class will be between David Myatt’s Erica and Avia Wilment’s Siris who are separated by two points in second and third respectively.
Whilst many of the class winners have already been decided it doesn’t mean they will drop out of tomorrow’s final race, which is sponsored by Sandeman Yachts. Flight of Ufford’s Sean McMillan summed up everyone’s feelings succinctly when he said, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. In fact, I’d like the regatta to go on for another week. It’s been absolutely fantastic to sail in such great company and against such wonderful and historic yachts.”
You can follow the racing action as it happens via the Live Race Tracker.
News, results and photographs from Panerai British Classic Week will be posted at the regatta website www.britishclassicyachtclub.org/regatta. Those wishing to receive additional information should contact Mary Scott-Jackson on mary@msjevents.co.uk
Cover Photo: Guido Cantini / Panerai / SeaSee.com
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