J-Dream spikade i Round the Island Race

Round the Island Race lockade i år 1.647 båtar i 25 klasser. Inger problem med deltagandet där… Snygg film också. En sådan skulle man velat se från helgens race här hemma?

Stort grattis till J/111 J-Dream som spikade IRC1 (118 båtar). De var ju med i Spi Ouest så där fick vi en ganska bra värdemätare… Foto: Eddie Mays.

The 81st J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race started from the Royal Yacht Squadron line on Saturday 30 June 2012. The rain cleared in time for the start of IRC1 at 0730 with a moderate south-westerly breeze. There were six J/111s entered in IRC1 and Manic (Riccardo Pavoncelli) led the fleet from the line to St Catherines. Unfortunately for them, they were OCS and subject to a penalty.

With wind of 20 knots plus going out of the Solent, there was some reasonable swell between Hurst and the Needles which the J/111s appeared to relish as they passed many larger boats, including J/122s Jolly Jellyfish and Nutmeg IV and a host of First 40s. A kite reach for part of the leg to St Catherines saw the fleet fade away behind as the wind continued to build. A launch of the big spinnaker at St Catherines and gybing to keep out of the adverse tide, whilst enjoying the gusts of 25/26 knots and the resultant increase in boat speed, saw J/111 J-Dream take the lead on the water in IRC 1from Manic. By Bembridge the J/111s had passed the end of IRC0. A fetch back up the Solent removed the concern of the restricted area at Seaview, allowing the fleet to enjoy watching Eleanora tack for the finish line. Their wind shadow would make the wind holes in Osborne Bay pale into insignificance!

J-Dream convincingly won IRC Division 1A by six minutes on the water from Zephyr (First 40) and Jua Kali (Grand Soleil 43). In IRC1 the J/111 won by 24 secs on corrected time from Jaguar Logic (Tim Thubron) with Gratte Brothers (John Danby) in 3rd. In 2012 there were 120 entries in IRC1 of the 1647 entered and this is the second year in a row that the J/111 has won the class in J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.

“We are absolutely delighted to have won and the J/111 is proving her versatility whatever the wind strength as today we had 13-26 knots. My crew complained that they missed the spectacle of watching the spinnakers stretching as far as you can see in both directions, because we rounded the corner at Bembridge too quickly – there is no pleasing some! However to see Actual do a “flypast” and to watch Eleanora was apparently consolation and particularly for crew member Herbie Harford (16 years old) who was on his first trip round the island,” was the rather long quote from David Apthorp.