Red Funnel Easter Challenge at Cowes March 21st – 23rd by Claire Bateman
BY CLAIRE BATEMAN
Red Funnel Easter Challenge at Cowes March 21st – 23rd.
After two days of frustration and all racing cancelled owing to bad weather at the Red Funnel Easter Challenge, Day 3, Easter Sunday, produced some thrilling racing in the Solent with plenty of spills and thrills.
Class IRC SZ produced some spectacular racing and the class was won overall by Niklas Zennstrom’s TP52 Rán an early entrant for Cork Week 2008.
In Race 1, Class 0, the brand new Ker 39, Silk Glove, owned by Colm Barrington and as of April 1st, 2008, on charter to Anthony O’Leary of Cork to be sailed as Antix Eile, in the Rolex Commodore’s Cup, won her maiden race in an extremely competitive class with O’Leary at the helm and yacht designer Jason Ker forming part of the crew. A superb performance by Simon Henning’s Far 45, Alice II, saw them claim second place by 36 seconds on corrected time followed by Klaus Diederich and Grant Gordon’s Swan 45, Fever. In Race 2 David Lancefield on his First 45, Poppy of Portland Marina, won the last race of the day from Barrington’s Silk Glove with Fever once more in third place. Silk Glove won the class overall and James Hynes, Barrington’s Captain was very pleased with her first run out. He said “it’s a great boat and there is more speed in her to come”. Second in Class 1 was Fever with Poppy of Portland Marina a very close third.
In Class 1, Race 1, the top four boats finished within seconds of each other on corrected time. Eamon Rohan’s new Mills 40, Blondie 1V and Jerry Otter’s Ker 49, Erivale III fnished neck and neck with Blondie winning by a second on the water and by seven seconds on corrected time. Rob Bottomley’s Prima 38, Sailplane was close behind in third place. In Race 2 Conor and Denise Phelan’s Ker 37, Jump Juice, had a superb result, beating Eamon Rohan’s Blondie 1V by just 21 seconds on corrected time. Erivale III was in third place. Eamon Rohan’s Blondie 1V won the class overall from Conor and Denise Phelan’s Jump Juice with Jerry Otter’s Erivale III in third. All three boats will be competing for the Rolex Commodores Cup later in the season.
In Class 2, Eamon Crosbie’s Ker 32 Voodoo Chile the small boat on the Irish Commodore’s Cup White Team was unfortunate to break her boom in the heavy conditions and had to retire before the start.
No comments yet.