Viper 640 chosen for the Womens Cup at the Copa del Rey

The Women’s Cup, the new women’s class in the Copa del Rey MAPFRE will be sailed in Viper’s this year. The event is hosted by RCNP, in Majorca, between July 27th – Aug 5th 2019.

190126_Ugo_Fonolla_00425

Pic by ONEPalma

Ten teams will compete in the class, and for the very first time in history the Copa del Rey MAPFRE will have an all-female winning team.

With the aim of reinforcing female participation in the sport of sailing, as it is being supported for the olympic classes in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

The choice of a one-design such as the Viper 640; suitable for crews of up to four sailors, was one of the main driving forces behind the new class. The class offers the opportunity to put each skipper and their crews’ talent and skill to the test, under exactly the same conditions. The one-designs will be handed over three days before the first race under a draw system, which ensures maximum equality between teams, with exactly the same preparation and training time for their boat and crew.

The ten all-female crews will compete in the 38th Copa del Rey MAPFRE under the new classification system, which takes place in two phases: Monday to Thursday with up to eight races and a discard, and the final stage from Friday to Saturday with three further races and no discard.

resize_37cr_180729lgg_8352

 

ONE Palma Viper 640 Winter Series Event 2: Trofeo Noli

The second event of the ONE Palma Viper 640 Winter Series took place over the weekend of February 16/17. Real Club Náutico de Palma hosted the event as part of the Trofeo Noli Regatta, again there was ‘wall to wall’ sunshine.

190216_Ugo_Fonolla_00350

Family teams were the order of the day including GBR’s Russell Peters crewed by his daughter Suzy & son Freddie;  Tara Gillespie sailing her fathers’ boat with her mates; & two ESP Optimist sailors crewed by their parents.

Three races were held in light shifty conditions on Saturday, Russell Peters scored three firsts but they didn’t get it all their own way. In race 3 they stole the win on the final downwind leg after they rocketed from 6th at the final windward mark. In fact, every boat had their moment of glory in the snakes & ladders conditions. Again the club hosted a competitor BBQ after racing before the UK competitors went out ‘on the town’ to sample the local night life.

190216_Ugo_Fonolla_00484

With some competitors feeling slightly de-hydrated the following morning, they were pleased to relax on shore until the wind filled in at 2.30pm. Two races were completed building to 9 knots. Team IBO.ES won both races but it was not enough to overhaul the Peters family from top spot overall. The team helmed by Javier Chacartegui  a former J80 World Champion took 2nd overall counting a run of seconds.

With more boats being delivered to Palma ready for the Princess Sofia  next month the future is looking good for Vipers in Europe.

Full results at https://www.cyberaltura.com/web_management/files/resultados/1550421874-overall_viper.html

Video at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1b8JfrUrAx5fTcw3kry7pCc_SlMYazkLB?usp=sharing

Viper 640 Winter Series Palma Event 1: Trofeo Sant Sebastian

The Viper 640 Palma series kicked off in style with glorious sailing conditions in a beautiful location. Three ‘seasoned’ Viper teams made their way from the UK hoping for some respite from the cold, grey January weather at home. Rondar Raceboats had also shipped out some new charter boats allowing local sailors & teams from the UK unfamiliar with the Viper the chance to try the class.

190126_Ugo_Fonolla_00458

Real Club Nautico de Palma ( RCNP ) is hosting this series with the aim to bridge the gap between the Superyacht racing & Youth dinghy racing, which is the clubs current focus. This weekend the Vipers had been invited to join the Trofeo Sant Sebastian Regatta a local cruising and one design event.

Saturday dawned warm & sunny allowing all the sailors time to boat bimble whilst the thermal breeze decided to switch itself on. By the time the fleet arrived at the start line the breeze arrived in style. The race started in 16 knots, it was clear that the ‘newbies’ to the class had a lot to learn. Lawrence, Luka & Hector stormed away with David, Ian & Jamie in hot pursuit despite ripping their kite on the way to the start.

190126_Ugo_Fonolla_00534

The wind dropped a few knots for race two allowing everyone time to settle, & so the boat handling improved. This gave the local team, helmed by a top 470 sailor, the chance to shine but they still couldn’t catch the boys from Stone Sailing Club. By race three the wind was down to 10 – 12 knots with the fleet now tightly packed but Lawrence, Luka & Hector took another win.

RNCP hosted a free BBQ & drinks for competitors & the decision was made to bring the start time forward the next day as a 40 knot forecast was predicted.

190126_Ugo_Fonolla_00316

The fleet arrived at the marina on Sunday morning to warm & windless conditions. But headed out knowing that wind was on it’s way, sure enough as the boats left the harbour the gradient wind began to build. Race 4 started in 18 knots but the fleet had prepared & wound on their rigs. The race team were not ready for our speed upwind so there was some confusion as the windward mark was laid late. The shifty conditions resulted in some ‘snakes & ladders’ position changing up by the shore. The HISC team found their legs & took the win whilst the next 4 boats had a close tussle for 2nd.

By race 5 it really started to blow with ragging mains & two teams making their way straight to shore. Lawrence, Luka & Hector were at ahead at the first mark & stayed in front to seal the event victory. Race 6 was cancelled just in time as the gale arrived mid afternoon.

190126_Ugo_Fonolla_00287

RCNP hosted a fantastic event but then with warm sun, good winds, great food & lovely wine what’s not to like about Palma!

Overall Results:

Pos Sail No Helm Crew Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 Pts
1 GBR274 HECTOR CISNEROS HECTOR CISNEROS STONE SAILING CLUB 1 1 1 2 1 4
2 GBR260 S/N DAVID HITCHCOCK HAYLING ISLAND 2 3 3 1 2 8
3 GBR242 TEAM RCNP RCNP RCNP 3 2 2 5 3 10
4 GBR640 LOOPX BARTOLOME RIERA COLL RCNP 4 4 5 6 4 17
5 GBR241 V1 JONATHAN GILLESPIE RORC 5 5 6 3 DNF 19
6 GBR285 RONDAR BOATS DEBBIE JARVIS HISC DNF 7 4 4 DNC 24
7 GBR270 TEAM GROWLER JON DIXON 7 6 7 8 DNF 28
8 GBR24 MYC3 SVEN HADLER MYC 6 8 8 7 DNF 29

Video at https://youtu.be/oqc1hsEL65w

Pics © Ugo Fonolla / Viper 640 Winter Series Palma

The next event is on the 16/17  February – Trofeo Noli  Regatta (local cruising and one design event); followed by the Princess Sofia Regatta in March plus two more regatta’s in May/June. Full details about the series & chartering a Viper is at https://www.vipersailpalma.com/

New Viper Racing Series in Palma

To continue the Viper 640 lifestyle of racing great boats in nice places, we are delighted to be able to announce a series of Viper 640 races for Spring 2019, in the beautiful Bay of Palma, kindly hosted by the prestigeous Real Club Nautico De Palma. Situated on the waterfront in Palma, just a stones throw from the old walled city and the iconic Cathedral, and 15 minutes from the Airport.

Palma

The Yacht Club itself is  probably best known in dinghy circles for running the Princess Sofia Regatta, in early April. Palma is also a popular choice of winter base for many Olympic teams, due to it’s warm climate and fine sailing areas, and easy access from all over Europe.

Our prime objective with the Viper is to provide competitive racing, in a rewarding boat, in great venues. In the last 2 /3 years, we have raced in Riva Del Garda,  Italy, Bermuda just before the AC, Miami in the Bacardi Cup, the North Americans in the Gulf of Mexico in Fort Walton, Florida last fall, and our inaugral World Championships on the Swan River in Perth, WA last February, and now in Palma through the coming spring. The class is now World Sailing approved, and is holding it’s next World Championships in Long Beach, LA , in August 2019. Our intention is to hold our first European Worlds in Palma in 2021, and therefore we hope that this winter series will be a regular one in the build up to that event, and that a strong local fleet will develop.

The Dates:

RCNP Viper Series 2019

January 26/27 – Trofeo Sant Sebastian (local cruising & one design event)

February 23/24 – Trofeo Noli               (local cruising and one design event)

RCNP Regattas

March 29/30/31 – SAR Trofeo Princesa Sofia

May 10,11,12 – PalmaVela           (international multiclass event)

June 17, 18, 19, 20 , 21 – Viper Regatta      (replaces the Lake Garda event)

For more information about the events see www.vipersailpalma.com or to buy or charter a Viper then please email admin@rondarboats.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Lloyd wins a brand new Rondar Squib

2018 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Squib fleet. Throughout the year, Squib Association members have been racing in local, regional and national events to be allocated tickets into the draw to win a brand new Squib donated by Rondar Raceboats with the support of Super Spars, Hyde Sails, Allen Fittings and CS Boats. On Saturday 3rd November, at the birth place of the Squib – Burnham – the draw was made.

yandy229014

Phil Aspinall, resplendent in that all too familiar jacket, was the compere for the evening and started off proceeding with fireworks in front of Squib 905 and the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club before moving into the club for the draw. He was ably assisted by Jenny Harris (daughter of Oliver Lee – designer of the Squib) in the task of pulling out the winning number using mace coloured ping pong balls (a nod to the class’s striking coloured sails).

Over 12,000 tickets had been allocated and assigned to 300+ members and many had wondered how the draw would work however the process was straightforward and we quickly discovered our winner – David Lloyd of the Portsmouth Squib Fleet! Even better, with the wonders of modern technology, the draw had been streamed live on Facebook and David, along with many others, had been able to watch the proceedings live!

Unsurprisingly David was “gobsmacked”, he thought he had a good chance as had completed a number of the open events around the country, including the Squib Gold Cup at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club as well the 100 boat Squib Nationals at Cowes, to win tickets however it was only going to take one ticket! As many people are aware, David has been key in building the Portsmouth Squib Fleet, working with charities such as the Portsmouth Sail Training Trust and Oarsome Chance to encourage young people into Squibs.

Currently the Portsmouth fleet has 29 boats and hosted their first open event this September, the 2018 Squib South Coast Championships, with great success (again David was instrumental in this). With the new Rondar Squib, this brings David’s personal Squib fleet up to 3 – he currently has boats 33 (the first Rondar Hybrid squib) and 111 (one of the old numbers) – and is looking forward to trying them all and loaning them to others to encourage further participation in this growing fleet!

David now has the difficult task of choosing the boat colour before it is “officially” handed over at the 2019 Dinghy Show. We all look forward to seeing David and the new Rondar Squib in 2019!

yandy229011

Many thanks again go to Rondar Raceboats, Super Spars, Hyde Sails, Allen Brothers and CS Boats for making this possible, Marian Gibson for working out the logistics of so many tickets and the team at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club for the spectacular evening of celebrations.

Report & pics by Alex Porteous

K6 Nationals 2018

yysw223488

The Royal Torbay Yacht club were hosts to the K6s over four days in September. The fleet enjoy the waters of Torbay and were joined by a number of new faces and returning teams plus a couple of guest appearances of known pedigree. The race team did a great job getting all ten races in over the four days with only one black flag.

Probably the most difficult day was the very first, the wind direction battling between the sea breeze and the gradient. The first race got away in the light sea breeze. Peter Kirkby & Richard Barker got the first shift and took an early lead that they held on to the finish just as the wind threatened to switch. And Switch it did just before and abandoned second start. The fresh gradient wind kicked in and the fleet were treated to a good breeze and a very different race. Last years champion Dave Hall sailing with Alice Masterman & Bella Fellows took the win only after a good tussle with the boats that as it turned out were going to be the front runners.

Day 2 dawned with a fresh Westerly breeze over the cliffs making for the traditional snakes and ladders windward legs. It did not seem to bother Neil Fulcher & Jim Hunt who won all three races of the day. The minor places being filled by the local team of Steve & Ros Birbeck and Dave, Alice & Bella.

After racing the fleet were invited to the Church House Inn by local sailors Julian Cook and Caroline Aisher – a good night was had by all – many thanks Julian and Caroline!

For day 3 it was an early start for most after the night before! The wind in much the same direction albeit a bit lighter but still as shifty. These conditions mixed it up somewhat with Steve & Ross winning a race and another local team of Julian Cook, Caroline Aisher & Herbie Harford also taking a win.

The day was finished off with drinks before the class dinner on board Neil Fulcher’s boat and once again a good night was had by all.

An even earlier start for the final day and with a strong wind forecast it was still all to play for. However, the wind had not read the forecast and as the fleet drifted out to the start line the Race Officer put up the postponement to wait for the wind. Finally, it came through – but in patches.

yysw223486

The first race of the day was close – all the top teams changing places and taking turns at the lead. In the end it was Neil & Jim who just took the gun ahead of Steve & Ross and thus giving them the championship. The last race was about the rest of the places, Steve & Ross after a close battle with Dave, Alice & Bella won the final race and convincingly kept second place overall.

A great four days sailing with thanks to the Race team and all the club members that made it happen.

Report by Dave Hall

Pics by Jean Border

Overall Results:

Series Place Sail No Helm Crew Crew2 Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Pts
1 222 Neil Fulcher Jim Hunt Stone SC 3 4 1 1 1 2 6 1 1 14 14
2 165 Steve Birbeck Ross Birbeck Royal Torbay Yacht Club 2 2 3 4 2 3 1 5 2 1 16
3 142 David Hall Alice Masterman Bella Fellows Blackwater SC 5 1 2 3 3 5 5 3 3 2 22
4 164 Julian Cook Caroline Aisher Herbie Harford Royal Torbay Yacht Club 4 7 4 7 6 1 3 2 6 3 29
5 216 Peter Kirkby Richard Barker QMSC 1 6 7 10 7 4 2 4 4 7 35
6 208 Martin Wedge Scott Allen Debbie Jarvis Royal Torbay Yacht Club 7 3 5 2 5 8 12 8.5 7 10 45.5
7 172 Michael Trueman Martin Gibson Stewart Pegum Oxford SC 7 7 9 8 4 6 4 8.5 5 6 47
8 166 Fraser Elms Georgie Smith HISC 8.3 8.3 6 9 10 7 7 7 8 4 55.6
9 162 Ian Robson Robert Mulcahy Aldeburgh Yacht Club 6 5 8 6 9 12 9 6 10 9 58
10 189 Tim Williams Bob Clements Ross Lonsdale Oxford Sailing Club 8 8 10 5 8 10 8 10 9 5 61
11 124 Paul Owen Amy Owen Oliver Owen Oxford Sailing Club 8 10 11 11 12 9 10 11 12 8 78
12 161 Jeff Vander Borght Dave Guthrie Lyme Regis 9 9 14 12 11 11 11 12 11 11 85
13 104 Richard Addison Ricki Buro Aldeburgh YC / QMSC 10 11 12 13 14 13 13 13 14 14 99

Squib Nationals Final Report

The Squib class used the opening race of Lendy Cowes Week as a practice race for the Nationals and their championship also ended on Friday, so there was potential for a different Cowes Week class winner.

yysw217701

Pic by Paul Wyeth

With Warren-Smith not competing on the last day and having started prematurely on the opening day of the regatta, he was not able to discard the 34th he picked up on Thursday. This left Nigel Grogan’s Helmut Shoing ll poised to be overall class winner in Lendy Cowes Week. However, he was one of eight boats scored OCS in today’s race. Fortunately for Grogan, Josh Metcalfe and Mark Hogan’s Rico’shea, which had been holding second overall, was forced to retire, leaving Helmut Shoing ll as overall victor.

Rico’shea retained second overall, while a second place today for Alex and Mark Downer’s Panther 3 lifted them to third overall, and a win for Malc Hutchings and Andy Ramsey’s Lady Penelope elevated them from eighth to fourth.

The winners of the 50th Squib National Championship at Lendy Cowes Week were Steve Warren-Smith and Stu Rix’s in Aquabat winning the series one point ahead of Nigel Grogan’s Helmut Shoing ll. There was an equally close battle for third place, which went to Josh Metcalfe and Mark Hogan’s Rico’shea, just ahead of Malc Hutchings and Andy Ramsey’s Lady Penelope.

Overall Lendy Cowes Week results are available on the event website.

2018 Lendy Cowes Week Runners & Riders

yandy216516

Pic by Ingrid Abery

Winning the Squib Nationals is never easy. Winning in any 100 boat fleet takes special qualities, particularly in Cowes. This observer has been involved with the Squib fleet for over ten years and has a good knowledge of the scene. Undoubtedly, the winner of the Squib Championship will come from the elite end of the fleet, from a team which acknowledges that crewing a Squib is not a physical endeavour, it is a mental one.

This year the East Coast Championship was won by Nigel and Jack Grogan from Burnham in No. 105 ‘Helmut Shoing II.’ They have great tactical skill and, being sailmakers, are experts in changing gear as conditions change with their Hyde Sails. I believe their greatest strength is in wind strengths between 9 and 16 knots. However, I would ask the question, is their starting ability enough to get them into the front row of every start?

The local Royal Victoria YC team of Stu Rix and Steve Warren-Smith in the 50 year old No. 13, ‘Aquabat’ have won Cowes Week, but have never won a Squib National Championship, but they have got progressively closer over the past few years. I believe that their skill of starting in big fleets in Cowes, and their local knowledge could take them to the top.

Never to be overlooked is many times Squib champions, Josh Metcalf and Mark Hogan in No. 136, ‘Ric O’Shea.’ Like Warren-Smith, here, the boat owner is crewing, and the helmsman is just the guy who looks at the tell-tales! Josh and Mark with their Batt sails excel in strong winds, particularly over 20 knots. Is this the weather we can expect as a high pressure weather system approaches.

Last year in Holyhead, joint winner, who lost out on the countback was sailmaker Dick Batt and Pam Phelan from Batt Sails in the oldest Squib afloat, No. 11, ‘Squib’. This team could rise to the top if the wind strength does not rise above 14 knots. Dick won this championship previously, in the days when he had long hair and bell-bottom trousers!

Not to be forgotten is dark horse Colm Dunne from Kinsale, Ireland who last weekend won the Irish East Coast Championship in No. 134, ‘Allegro’. Colm seems to prefer a good breeze, and the huge 100 boat fleet might not suit him. Will his lack of experience in Cowes be a problem to him?

The Squib Class have approved Rondar as their new boat builder. Paul Young from that company will be sailing in one of the new self-draining boats, no. 901, ‘Shy Talk.’ Does he have the ability to win. Many Squib owners will be watching this space. My belief is that the self-draining qualities of the boat are more significant in exposed locations such as Abersoch or Lowestoft.

Paul Young and Rondar have recently competed a ‘hybrid’ Squib which involves putting the self-draining cockpit into an existing hull. David Lloyd‘s No. 33 ‘Incendio’ is the first boat to be completed, and race results this year show her to be quicker than previously.

In conclusion, I think we can expect different race winners in each of the races, so consistency in achieving top eight placings will be vital, and the avoidance of OCSs. The wind strength may well be a significant factor, because stronger winds bring different boats to the top. Will we have a surprise winner, probably not!

yandy101596

Y&Y report by Vincent Delaney

For full results visit www.lendycowesweek.co.uk

CANADIANS WIN NORTH AMERICAN TITLE

36821214_10155514804558021_1523038236870443008_n
After four days of sailing in big winds and sixteen races, the team aboard JACKPOT won the 2018 Viper North American Championship. This is Brad Boston’s (Port Edward, ON) sixth title, having won many with his boat partner Lee Shuckerow (Detroit, MI); this is their crew Nick Lounsbury’s first North American title.

Boston’s team took the points lead as of Day 2 and extended their lead throughout the remainder of the championship. The event was sailed out of CORK/Sail Kingston and hosted by the Kingston Yacht Club who, together, staged a world-class regatta.

In addition to the podium prizes, the following awards were presented:

Top Corinthian Team – Great Scott! Peter & Rachel Beardsley and Jay Rhame
Top Masters Skipper (over 55) – Justin Scott
Youngest Competitor – James Owen
Furthest Traveled – Somers Kempe’s and Butch Agnew’s crews from Bermuda and Jay Golison’s crew from Long Beach, CA.

In addition, a new North American Championship perpetual trophy was donated by the Kleinschrodt family for which each boat nominated another boat for enhancing the event both on and off the water. This year’s Sportsmanship Trophy was awarded to the crew of MEOW co-skippered b y Cole Constantineau and Eleni Asimacopoulos.

Viper 640 North American President Steve Chapman, Alcove, Que) noted that “It was really great to have this regatta in Canada and on the Great Lakes where the Viper fleet has enjoyed significant growth in recent years. The folks at KYC and Cork/Sail Kingston ran a superlative regatta. We’ll be back!”

Heidi Colburn from KYC added that “It was really a wonderful experience to have the Viper fleet come to Kingston. The boats are fun to watch sail, the people are great to be among, and their broad smiles after racing and cheerful thanking of the regatta volunteers has made it all worth while for those of us who planned the event.”

Tim Irwin, the Event Chair from CORK/Sail Kinston added, “CORK has been unexpectedly delighted to host the Vipers and it is very exciting to watch them race. They are a great bunch of sailors to host at a championship of this magnitude.”

Results here:
https://yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm…

Wilson Trophy 2018

The West Kirby Hawks have won their fifth Wilson Trophy after a weekend of the closest racing in recent years. 32 teams took part from all over the UK, with overseas visitors from Ireland, USA and New Zealand. The forecast for all three days was for very light winds but somehow the weather gods really smiled on the event, which enjoyed wall to wall sunshine and perfect breeze for team racing.

yandy202089

Photo by Alan Jenkins

By Saturday evening West Kirby Hawks were top of the league, closely followed by two extremely strong US teams, Yale Corinthian YC and 2016 finalists ‘Days of Thunder.’ Saturday night saw the always highly anticipated Wilson Trophy Dinner and Amanda Callahan from Days of Thunder was awarded the Joyce Evans memorial trophy for the crew who most embodies the spirit of team racing and crewing. She duly celebrated by getting everyone on their feet to learn four dance moves that she had picked up from previous Wilson visits.

Sunday saw a slight delay to wait for the wind to fill in, but it appeared by mid- morning to allow each team to complete 18 races, before the top eight teams advanced to the knockout stages. The quarter finals saw five UK teams, two US and one Irish making the cut, with the ‘Paddington Bears’ collecting the Wilson Plate as the 9th placed team.

The first three quarter finals followed the form book from the league ranking, with West Kirby Hawks defeating Royal St George Knights, Yale Corinthian beating the 2018 finalists Society. Days of Thunder beat SMVC in their deciding race and the fourth quarter-final saw Society Exodus defeat 2017 Wilson Trophy winners the Birdham Bandits. The semi- finals then matched the two US teams, with the two GBR teams facing each other, thus ensuring a US vs GBR final, which is always great for the crowds. The first semi final saw the Hawks defeat Society Exodus in two extremely hard-fought races and the all US semi went the way of Days of Thunder 2-1.

And so the scene was set for a repeat of the 2016 final between the West Kirby Hawks and Days of Thunder. The crowds lined the shore, packing out the grandstand or taking advantage of the glorious sunshine, sitting out on the rocks to get a real ring side view, all accompanied by expert commentary. Following on from the new event website and social media links, for the first time there was also live video and commentary streamed via Facebook from a RIB following the racing. There was immediate feedback from around the world that showed the future potential for this kind of innovation. Professional sports filming company VR Sports were also on hand and they produced some fantastic footage which can be seen on their website at www.vrsport.tv.

With the wind softening conditions were ideal for the Firefly dinghies to utilise their full range of roll tacks and roll gybes which are a real feature of sailing those boats. The first race was exceptionally tight with the three last boats testing the finishers by crossing the line within nano-seconds of each other, the US team taking the victory with a 2,3,5 combination. Race 2 saw the Hawks bounce back with a 1,2 breakaway to level the score, with race 3 also going the way of the Hawks with a 1,3,6 after another very tight finish. With the Hawks just one win away it was all to do for the US team and they looked to have the advantage going onto the final beat in a winning 2,3,4 combination, but the Hawks dug deep to put themselves back in contention. When one of the US boats was given a penalty for an infringement just 20 metres from the finish, the Hawks were able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with a 1,3,5 combination, to be crowned Wilson Trophy winners for the fifth time.

Next year will see the 70th Wilson Trophy and plans are afoot to make it even more special for the ‘Platinum’ anniversary event. For more details see the event website at www.wilsontrophy.co.uk and follow the links to our social media pages.

Report by Richard Cornah