Thanks to Suzanne and Alan for this sailing update. In their own words. Ed
Over the May bank-holiday weekend 104 yachts sailed from Cowes to Le Havre in the Cervantes Trophy. Leaving Cowes on the 4th May the fleet headed for No Man’s Land Fort and Bembridge Ledge Buoy before leaving the Island’s waters and crossing the Channel to their destination.
Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in association with the Société des Régates du Havre and the Royal Yacht Squadron, the Cervantes Trophy race left from the RYS line.
Possibly challenging conditions
Weather conditions leading up to the race looked uncertain with a complex pressure system over northern Europe which proved a good test for the international fleet from Belgium, Britain, France, The Netherlands and Russia.
With fast and furious racing at times, the 100 mile race to Le Havre for the coveted Cervantes Trophy proved very exciting with Sam Marsaudon and Géry Trentesaux’s MC34 Patton, Courrier Vintage, finishing the course in under ten hours. As well as winning IRC Two Courrier Vintage was declared the overall winner.
Runner up in IRC Two was Artemis 21 and RORC Admiral Andrew McIrvine’s First 40, La Réponse was third.
Monster Project took line honours
Andrew Budgen’s Volvo 70, Monster Project, took line honours and the IRC Canting Keel class in an elapsed time of just over 7 hours and Magnum III was declared the winner of IRC One with Tonnerre de Breskens second and Edward Broadway’s Ker 40, Hooligan VII third.
A warm welcome was ensured for all competitors when they arrived at Le Havre and for those interested in racing back to Cowes there was the Trophée Guillaume Le Conquérant race organised by the Société des Régates du Havre in association with RORC and the Island Sailing Club, Cowes, which set out from France on Sunday 5th May.
Image: © Peter Mumford/Beken of Cowes
