St Peter Port Race

 

THE Royal Naval Sailing Association's Plymouth to St Peter Port Race off the Stonehouse Camber attracted 15 yachts to the start.

Martin Wood in Red Wine and Chris Hughes' Riverdance were both over the line at the start but only Hughes returned to restart.

All the yachts were slowed crossing the Channel by light to no wind overnight with X Rated (Charles Gurney) reporting a four-hour windless spell.

While Just 4 Fun (Simon Mather) was apparently 'kept company' by a nearby ODAS buoy overnight.

Unfortunately, conditions led to both Red Wine and Djinn Seng (Jeremy Stevenson) retiring overnight.

Although the conditions were not ideal for competitors, it did prevent a possible international sailing incident at the finish where 124 French yachts were unexpectedly found to be starting their second leg to Perros-Guirec from the RNSA's finish line.

Tidal influences and light winds meant that only one of the eight PY yachts entered could finish by the 6pm deadline but all six IRC yachts managed to record a time.

After just over 19 hours Exocet Strike (John Dyer) was first over the line in the IRC Fleet followed 10 minutes afterwards by Bare Knuckles (Nigel Mashembo). But both were beaten by the Devonport's in Musk-Ox on corrected time.

Just 4 Fun took second place with X Rated in third and Imarra (Rob Davis) fourth. The Devonport's also took the IRC Two handed honours. Similarly, Nigel Philpott's Quid Non? won both PY crewed and two handed classes. Crews thoroughly enjoyed the prize giving reception hosted by deputy Mike Garrett of Deputy Head of Guernsey Culture and Leisure in the magnificent grounds of Castle Cornet.