Race Report - 21-22 June (Yacht Club de France Visit)

This week's report comes from Lionel Cazali, YCF visit coordinator and Hon. Treasurer, RLYC. Racing was by Royal Yacht Squadron, under John Thorn.

For the third year in a row, the French crews from the YCF returned to Cowes with great enthusiasm — and once again, the sun and the wind were there to welcome them! A heartfelt thank you to our hosts from the Daring Class for their warm and generous welcome, which made this weekend all the more memorable.

Saturday 21 June

The Daring class opened its arms to French sailors in a spirit that was both relaxed and convivial — but with the competitive edge that makes these events so special. Saturday’s racing took the place under light rain and a steady breeze, providing perfect sailing conditions and plenty of action on the water.

In Race 1, Many eyes were looking at Dauntless, fully crewed by the French visitors, and she flew around the course and finally won! ...If by winning, we count the greatest time elapsed rather than the least. Dynamite actually won the first race, followed by Streak and Doublet.

Race Reports - I enjoyed the additional commentary!

At least she finished though because, while eventually the sun rose, the tide did not and it seems that some boats found rocks for a pit stop and to enjoy the sun before reaching the first mark, Colette, in Osborne Bay.

Unidentified boat aground...although the Race Officer seemed to know

In the second race, the absence of pit stop on the rocks for Doublet helped her to finish first, followed by Streak and Debutante. Dauntless decided that the spinnaker was just too "foreign" and, having crossed the start line almost 10 minutes after the rest of the fleet, finished a firm last!

Ed: you only finished 12 minutes after the rest of the fleet, so I would call that competitive!

After the racing, crews gathered for a drink at the Squadron before heading to a lively dinner at the Royal London Yacht Club, where the evening was brought to life by the ever-entertaining Matt and his live music.

Always a sociable weekend

Sunday 22 June

On Sunday, racing resumed under a strong breeze for a first downwind leg. Five were eventually and eventfully under spinnaker, while two didn’t fly the kite. Streak took the lead of the fleet from the start and didn’t give it back until the finish line. Boats were not easy to keep on a steady course, were swinging in the waves and under the wind gusts, with wind against tide. The upwind leg between Colette and Snowden was thrilling and beautifully contested. Streak finished first, followed by Dreamer and Doublet.

Ed: yes, I was watching from the shore and this is pretty much what the first leg looked like

Those 3 races were a true highlight of the weekend but a farewell lunch at the RORC was the perfect way to end these two wonderful days, filled with laughter, camaraderie, and a shared desire to return in full force in next weekend.

A huge thank you to the Daring Class for making this such an enchanting weekend.

Ed: particularly Debutante, Darius, Dynamite, Dreamer, Streak and Defender who offered places, and the other boats for coming out to race!

Please pencil in your calendar the date of 25-26 October for the return invitation to La Trinité-sur-Mer. Detailed information about this weekend will follow soon. In the meantime for any information about the journey please contact Lionel, lionel.cazali@gmail.com, +44 7920 540 357 / +33 6 87 42 15 13.