J/105 Diablo-J blir RORC Yacht of the Year

RORC är coola. Visst gillar man TP52or, flotta båtar och gentlemen i club-blazers. Men när man skall utse Yacht of the Year så blir det en doublehandedbåt, tufft seglade J/105 Diablo-J. Foto: Beken/Peter Mumford

Kanske sänder det en signal till någon kungliga klubb att doublehanded numera hör hemma på de stora racen.

• Somerset Memorial Trophy – Yacht of the Year
• Grenade Goblet – IRC Three
• Psipsina Trophy – Two-Handed Class

2012 was Nick Martin’s year. The RORC member has raced his J/105, Diablo-J, Two-Handed through many RORC seasons, consistently finishing at the top end of the leader board. Shorthanded racing has a growing number of devotees who take pleasure from the physical and mental demands of racing. Snatching mere moments sleep and going through manoeuvres other boats do fully crewed means that racing competitively against the main fleet requires stamina, grit and determination. Diablo-J’s achievement cannot be underestimated: to win the Two Handed class is impressive, and to win IRC Three extraordinary, but to then place 3rd in IRC Overall is outstanding.

Diablo-J’s 1st place in IRC Three follows a 4th placing in 2011 and they came through to beat the previous two time winner, Foggy Dew, into 2nd place. Foggy Dew, the JPK 10.10 raced by Noel Racine, raced to victory in class in the 50th Deauville Race/Cervantes Trophy but finished 27.2 points behind Diablo-J in season’s points.