RORC MORGAN CUP RACE

June 7, 2008 0 comments

Hephzibah wins Channel sprint to Cherbourg.

Morgan Cup Race

Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the Royal Thames Yacht Club, the Yacht Club de Cherbourg and the Royal Yacht Squadron.

START: Friday 6th June from the RYS Cowes to the East First warning Signal 1920

COURSE: A: Trinity House (S), Snowden (S), Horse Sand Fort (P), Bembridge Ledge (S), Ocean Safety (S), RORC (P), Cherbourg. Approximately 132 miles

The 2008 Morgan Cup Race was won by David Lees High Tension 36, Hephzibah, in a lightening quick race to Cherbourg from the Solent.

“It was a picturesque start at Cowes as the fleet unfurled spinnakers in a west, north westerly, breeze of about 14 knots and sped off east out of the Solent.” commented RORC Racing Manager, Ian Loffhagen. “The last boat finished just before midday on Saturday. It was a race of high speed sailing for the competitors.”

Once the fleet left the Solent the breeze picked up further and the yachts enjoyed downwind surfing conditions making their way to the first Channel mark, Ocean Safety.
The fetch from Ocean Safety west to the RORC Channel buoy proved the decisive leg of the race.

“It was a fast race for sure.” Commented, Formidable 3 Boat Captain, Matt Trautman. “We hit a top speed of about eighteen knots on the run down to Ocean Safety but then we were virtually beating into tide for about three hours which really knocked our VMG. There were a few squalls coming into Cherbourg but we carried the same kite all the way through to the finish from RORC.”

Piet Vroon’s Lutra 56,Formidable 3, was the first to cross the line in Cherbourg covering the 132 mile course in a rapid; 11 Hours 23 Minutes and 31 Seconds.

In Class Zero, Mike Greville’s Ker 39, Erivale III continued to be impressive, winning class Zero by a handsome margin. Global Yacht Racing’s, Stimson 42 was second, on her first ever offshore race and Edward Broadway’s, Farr 40 Hooligan VI, was third. Erivale III now leads Class Zero, Season’s Points Championship by some distance.

Class One was probably the most competitive fleet with less than 40 minutes separating the winner from tenth place. Phillippe Delaporte was the first Class one boat over the line and also won on handicap from Peter Rutter’s Corby 36, Quokka 7. The Army Sailing Association’s A40RS, British Soldier, posted yet another podium finish, to take third in class.

Class Two was won by Pascal Loison’s J/105, Night and Day with Michael Boyd & Niall Dowling’s, J/105, Slingshot, second by just nine minutes on corrected time. In third place was Adrian Lower’s J/109, Jaguar of Burnham who had a great start off the Squadron line. Slingshot are currently leading the Season’s Points Championship for Class Two but by a slender margin from Jaguar of Burnham.

Winner of Class Three and the overall winner of the Morgan Cup race was David Lees and his crew on Hephzibah. “It has been a delight to return to RORC racing after being absent for over twenty years.” commented Lees. Second in class was David Crawforth’s Sigma 33, Sigress and third was Julian Berney’s Sigma 41, Houdalinqua II. Hepphzibah’s win has moved them up into second in class for the RORC Season’s Points Championship behind Clarionet.

The Two-Handed Division was won by Night and Day with Slingshot second. In third place was Nick Martin’s J/105, Diablo-J. Slingshot now leads the Two-Handed Season’s Points Championship by some margin.



RORC Season’s Points Championship 2008
The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Season’s Points Championship consists of a testing series of races which attracts an international and varied fleet. For the serious offshore sailor, trying to win the Season’s Points Championship is the real challenge. The Season’s Points Championship this year includes the tactically challenging BMW Round Ireland Race and a new addition to the RORC sailing programme, The Cowes Madeira Race which offers an exciting opportunity of a race to Madeira and back, some 1500 miles away in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa. For those with less time, the programme also includes a race to the charming port of La Rochelle.
For the full RORC racing programme go to:http://www.rorc.org
For more information, please contact: –
RORC: Tel. 020 7493 2248, E-mail racingmanager@rorc.org.uk
PRESS LIAISON: Trish Jenkins – J2 Communications & Events, Email: trish@j2pr.co.uk, 07880 518689 / 01983 248070
RACE REPORTS: Louay Habib, Email: louayhabib@gmail.com, 07801800521