Friday, August 4, 2017

Challenging RORC Channel Race

RORC Channel Race start (Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- The Royal Ocean Racing Club's Season's Points Championship continued this past weekend with the Channel Race. It was the 10th race of the series, and the last RORC offshore race before the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race. For those teams vying for class honours for the championship, starting the Rolex Fastnet Race in pole position, is highly desirable, and with most of the RORC season now completed, favorites are emerging for the 2017 RORC Season's Points Championship, the world's largest participation offshore racing series.

Over 100 yachts entered the Channel Race, which featured a flexi-course starting and finishing in The Solent, lasting approximately 24 hours. In IRC 2 Class, Fournier & Migraine's French J/133 PINTIA were hoping to get to the top of the class with a good result in the Channel Race.

With 28 teams competing, IRC Four was the largest class in the Channel Race. Robert Nelson's British J/105 BIGFOOT was sitting just 10 points back in 2nd place for the season series going into the race.

J/133 Pintia- French sailing teamIn the end, it was a great outing for Fournier & Migraine's French J/133 Pintia, taking a second place in the race to elevate them into the overall series lead for the season. Sailing fast was Andy Theobald’s J/122 R&W, taking fourth place, just 3 minutes out of 3rd place!

In the IRC 3 Class, the J/109 MOJO RISIN’ took 4th place, with Chris Burleigh’s’ J/109 JYBE TALKIN in 7th.

As a result of the Channel Race, J/crews are sitting in 4th to 7th place in the IRC Doublehanded series- Nick Martin’s J/105 DIABLO-J in 4th, Bob Nelson’s J/105 BIGFOOT in 5th, Chris Schram’s J/120 MAVERICK in 6th, and Jerry Freeman’s J/105 JULIETTE in 7th.

For the IRC 2 Class main series scenario, the J/133 PINTIA is leading and Theobald’s J/122 R&W has jumped up to 5th place. Plus, Schram’s J/120 MAVERICK is sitting in 8th place.

In the IRC 3 Class, Trevor Sainty’s J/109 JELENKO sits in 5th overall, followed by the J/109 MOJO RISIN’ in 6th, Nick Martin’s J/105 DIABLO-J in 7th, and Jerry Freeman’s J/105 JULIETTE in 10th.  For more RORC Channel Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.