Captain of Racing's Blog

Captain of Racing's letter to members interested in racing

Dear RTYC Racers,

The racing committee are finalising the racing programme for 2009 which should be published shortly. However, there are three racing events in 2009 that I would like to draw your attention to now, as I would like to see the RTYC represented in these events.

Firstly, RTYC will receive an invitation to the Jackson Cup in Boston. This takes place in April – final dates are TBC but 2008 took place on the 12-13^th April and I expect similar dates in 2009. The Jackson Cup is a team racing event and attracts the best team racing yacht clubs such as NYYC, Seawanhaka and Southern to name just three of them. If you would like to represent the club at this event please let me know.

For more information on the 2008 event: http://www.bostonyachtclub.net/Racing/JacksonCup.htm

Secondly, the RLymYC Challenge Cup which takes place Thursday 25th - Saturday 27th June 2009 and is an Interclub 3-boat Team Championship being organized by the Royal Lymington Yacht Club
BOAT/TEAM ELIGIBILITY: A team shall consist of three boats, one from each of the following rating bands:

Class 3 0.970 – 1.000 DLR not to exceed 250

Class 2 1.001 – 1.025 DLR not to exceed 250

Class 1 1.026 – 1.070 DLR not to exceed 250

More information can be found at:

http://www.rlymyc.org.uk/challengecup/

Please contact us if you would like your boat and crew to represent the RTYC at this event.

Finally, we have received an invitation to NYYC World Invitational Cup. This event is a fleet racing event and will be raced in NYYC Swan 42s. NYYC will be chartering their fleet to competitors for this event. This takes place on the 15-19^th September 2009 in Newport, Rhode Island. The closing date for this regatta is the 1^st November 2008. I am looking for expressions of interest from both crew and skippers to charter a boat for this event, or other members who may wish to support a team going out to NYYC.

More information about this event can be found at: http://www.nyyc.org/WorldInvitationalCup/

If you are interested in taking part in any of theses events please let me know either via racing@royalthames.com or by calling the Sailing Office.

Kind Regards

Thomas Brennan

Captain of Racing

Captains Blog, RTYC Sunday, July 06, 2008

During a Race Committee a couple of months ago, I was silly enough to mention that it would be good to have regular updates on the website in the form of a blog. It has taken some weeks to produce this (which I hope to get out on a regular basis), the reasons for which you will be able to see if you read on.

Racing

There have been a number of successes for the RTYC on the racecourse. In particular there has been Mike Slade's Leopard braking three records - transatlantic, BMW Round Ireland and JP Morgan Round the Island records. In the latter, Leopard was part of the RTYC team that won the Round the Island Methuselah trophy along with Zana and Chernikeef 2. I was sailing on the super maxi Zana and it was a fantastic day - key memory of the day was achieving 27.8 knots down the back of the island - great stuff!

There were numerous other successes enjoyed by RTYC members winning their classes. Congratulations to all the winners and those who took part.

RTYC has again been competing in the City Challenge - racing First Class Eights at Royal Victoria Docks in the evenings. I am please to confirm that RTYC has qualified in our heat for the final in September. We just need to finish above sixth - where we have finished for the last two years! Thanks to Victoria Scott for organising our entry this year. Having done it for the last two years I know how hard it is to organise the team especially when you have to deal with last minute cancellations. Please try to make it along to the final to support the RTYC team if you can.

Congratulations to all the RTYC members involved in this years Commodores Cup especially those members on the winning team GBR RED.

Team Racing

RTYC has already had a number of successes in team racing winning the Carmela Cup, Cumberland Cup & the Borgne Cup. This has been a great achievement and congratulations goes out to all involved.

One of the memorable ‘trips' was to New Orleans in March to take part in the Southern Nichols. The racing was great and the partying was even better. I do not think this will be the last time that we venture to New Orleans. If you do go remember to pack the aspirin!!

Transatlantic Crossing

Whilst Leopard 3 was breaking the transatlantic record I was taking a more sedate sail across the Atlantic on my maiden transatlantic voyage aboard Skyhunter, RC Finance George Ehler's J42. The passage plan was to go from Boston to Gibraltar with a stopover in the Azores to allow for a change of crew. The passage had numerous beautiful sunsets and daybreaks but the most memorable part was when we encountered a severe storm 11 (58+ knots) in which we ‘sailed' along at seven knots under bare poles. I am drafting a full report, which I hope to publish in due course. Special mentioned has to go to George's selection of wine - which was ‘interesting' and could explain why he managed to acquire them at such bargain prices. Thanks to George for such a memorable voyage that will live long in the memory.

My next event will be the Cognos Illingworth Challenge. This is a JOG race from Cowes to La Trinite, some 400 miles. After the transatlantic I am very much looking for to this shorter journey.