Carey Olsen 25th Jersey Regatta
by Bill Harris 14 Sep 18:02 UTC
8-10 September 2023
Carey Olsen Jersey Regatta 2023 - Class 1 start © Simon Ropert
Light winds, sunshine, heat, patience, perseverance and all round fun were the principal features marking the combined clubs' Carey Olsen Jersey Regatta held over 8th to 10th September. This was the Island's 'flagship' event's Silver Anniversary with leading offshore law firm Carey Olsen in the sponsor's seat for the fourth year running.
A final entry of seventy-six boats raced over the three days with generally good attendances across the board. Given the prevailing light conditions, racing was limited to St Aubin's Bay and just a little to the south in the case of the cruiser classes. As ever, these and the F18 sport catamarans raced under the auspices of their own race committee whilst the dayboat, dinghy and sport catamaran classes competed inshore under the control of another. That number of boats in St Aubin's Bay is always a glorious sight for onlookers and competitors, alike!
Weather-wise, the only constant throughout the three days was the variability of the wind, always light and certainly variable. This was challenging for the race officers and mark layers in setting courses and very demanding of skippers and crews in terms of the patience and perseverance needed to succeed, attributes that were commendably evident. Any postponement was taken by many to mean an opportunity for a swim. For sure, there were retirements and postponements but the race programme was, in the end, successfully completed to allow the full list of trophies and prizes (trophies and place prizes each day for each class) to be presented at the closing ceremony.
The Regatta opened, formally, with a welcoming reception in St Helier YC on the Thursday evening with Commodore Jeff Speller and Carey Olsen's Chris Carpenter officiating. The racing programme got under way the next morning with a race for the cruiser classes, followed by the 'small' boat classes coming on scene in the afternoon. Friday's programme, traditionally, provides boats with an opportunity to 'warm up' and, for visiting boats, to familiarise themselves with local conditions and, of course, to suss out the opposition. These races are independent of the Regatta-proper where all racing on Saturday and Sunday count towards the Regatta trophies and prizes.
Allen Brown & partners' Melges 24, The Dog's........!, the only sportsboat to enter, raced with the IRC Class 1 fleet, the conditions undoubtedly helping her to put in the quickest time in all six races run over the three days and, consequently, collect the associated Class 0 prizes. However, the principal lure for the Class 1 fleet was the GBR IRC Class 1 Championship won by Guernsey's Kaya II (Sunfast 3600), a previous winner, with three wins out of five races, skippered by Roger Martel. Last year's winner, Alex Ohlsson and Neil Maclachlan's J109, Jai Ho, had to settle for second overall with Nigel Coxshall's Sunfast 3600, Solis Ortus, unnervingly one point behind.
Competition in the combined Class 2 and Quarter Ton Class was equally intense with Steve Pearl and partners' Conrad 760, Tom Bombadil, with two wins and three seconds to her name, clinching the GBR IRC Class 2Q Championship. Team Fahrenheit's Farr 727, Fahrenheit, skippered by Justin Horton, came second, missing a tie by just one point. Super Q, also a Farr 727, skippered by Jason manning was a close third.
The prizes for the GBR IRC Championships were, once again, very generously, provided by Spinlock.
Running under the RYA YTC rating system, Class 3 cruisers were split between 'spinnaker' and 'white sail' classes 3a and 3b, respectively. Guernsey's David Aslett's Van de Stadt Splinter, Dutch Courage, took all but one of the five races to win overall, Race 3 going to Jeremy Swetenham's Contessa 32, Jemmana finishing second overall with Don Thompson's Foxhound, Foxhound, third. Karen Roworth's First 21.7, Jacamol, racing in 3b, had a clean sweep to win the class, Michael Rabet's Nicholson 30, Troilus, taking second with Bernard Azuelos' First 32, Hamsa, third.
The conditions, unsurprisingly, took their toll on the Dayboat class. Malcolm Annan's Oysterman, Jamesina, won the day on Friday but it was Laurence Curtis' venerable centenarian 'Cherbourg OD' that won the Regatta overall, well clear of Andrew Sugden's beautiful Falmouth Working Boat, Lena. Anthony Gibbs equally lovely Woodnutts (Westmacott) 23 OD, Petrina (1938) was third.
On the sport catamaran front, it was Adrian Jesson and Paul Martin's Wildcat that won the F18 class' only race of the Regatta with Andy Hart and Michael Kinross' Wildcat taking second and Simon Martin and Andrew Fright third. Things were much brighter for the Hobie 16s with eighteen boats racing. Jersey is proud to boast such an active fleet with many of its members regularly sailing in national and international competitions. With five races run, it was Elsa Swetenham and her mum, Sandrine Martin, who took the Regatta two points clear of Luke Paxton-Garnier and Russell Walton. Kai Surcouf and Livy Forbes were third whilst Johnny Farrow and Evie James came fourth, well clear of the bulk of the fleet. Sunday proved to be the most challenging day with at least half of the fleet retiring just before the breeze, albeit light, came up... as ever! Just two boats raced in the Hobie Dragoon fleet with victory going to Lucas McAlister and Thomas Allo ahead of Ollie Hunt and Ilya McCarthy.
Thirteen boats raced in the 'fast' dinghy fleet. Ollie Boyle sailed his Laser to win two of the four races to win overall. Will Dengate's Laser, with a win on Saturday, was second, four points adrift. And just one point ahead of Martin Speller's Laser in third place. Paula Boyle, sailing her RS Aero 9 was fourth. It is worth noting that all but three boats sailed every race. Henry Edwards, sailing his Optimist, recorded a clean sweep through the whole three days to take the 'slow' dinghy class, Kirk Ingram, with one win, was second with his Topper and, just one point behind, Ralph Griffin, with one win, chalked up third with his Optimist.
Socially, the event was a great success particularly with regard to Saturday's Regatta Party & Supper at the Royal Channel Islands YC where local band 'Out of the Blue' had people on the feet until very late. They come highly recommended!
The event closed with supper and the prize-giving in St Helier Yacht Club on Sunday evening when Carey Olsen's Group Marketing and Business Development Director, Chris Carpenter and Regatta Chairman Bill Harris thanked the competitors, committee boat owners and skippers, race committee members and all who had participated or helped in any way. Bill Harris thanked Carey Olsen for their keen involvement and sponsorship, Ports of Jersey for providing complimentary berthing and the Department of Infrastructure Parking Control Section for the use of the temporary dinghy park at the RCIYC. After presenting the many trophies and prizes, including the UBS Volunteer Trophy to Angela Raimbault for her long-standing support on and off the water, Chris Carpenter, to great applause, concluded proceedings by announcing that the Regatta will continue to run under the Carey Olsen banner in 2024.
A diary date....
The fifth Carey Olsen Jersey Regatta is scheduled Friday 9th to Sunday 11th August 2023
Principal Results: (Detailed results are available on www.jerseyregatta.com)
IRC Class 1 (+ 0)
Friday
(1 The Dog's........! - Allen Brown & Partners);
1 Jai Ho - Alex Ohlsson & Neil Maclachlan; 2 Seventh Sun - Carol-Anne Stapley; 3 Solis Ortus - Nigel Coxshall
Saturday (+ 0)
(1 The Dog's........!);
1 Kaya II - Roger Martel; 2 Killing Time - Alastair Bisson; 3 Jai Ho
Sunday
(1 The Dog's........!);
1 Jai Ho; 2 Solis Ortus; 3 Kaya II
Overall
1 Kaya II (6); 2 Jai Ho (10); 3 Solis Ortus (11)
IRC Class 2Q
Friday
1 She Does - John Leveridge; 2 Mic Mac - Malcolm Le Couteur
Saturday
1 Tom Bombadil - Team Tom Bombadil; 2 Super Q - Team Super Q; 3 Fahrenheit - Team Fahrenheit
Sunday
1 Tom Bombadil; 2 Fahrenheit; 3 Super Q
Overall
1 Tom Bombadil (6); Fahrenheit (7); 3 Super Q (9)
YTC Class 3a (Spi)
Friday
1 Jemmana - Jeremy Swetenham; 2 Foxhound - Don Thompson;
Saturday & Sunday
1 Dutch Courage - David Aslett; 2 Jemmana; 3 Foxhound;
Overall
1 Dutch Courage (4); 2 Jemmana (7)
YTC Class 3b (White Sail)
Friday
1 Troilus - Michael Rabet
Saturday
1 Jacamol - Karen Roworth; 2 Troilus; 3 Hamsa - Bernard Azuelos
Sunday
1 Jacamol; 2 Troilus
Overall
1 Jacamol (4), Troilus (8)
Class 4 (Dayboats)
Friday
1 Jamesina - Malcolm Annan; 2 Moana - Laurence Curtis; 3 Baloo - Ben Jones
Saturday
1 Moana; 2 Lena - Andrew Sugden; 3 Petrina - Anthony Gibb
Sunday
1 Moana; 2 Lena
Overall
1 Moana (5); Lena (8); Petrina (15)
Class 5
Sport Catamaran (F18 Hobie)
Sunday
1 Wildcat 618 - Adrian Jesson & Paul Martin; 2 Wildcat 517 - Andy Hart & Matt Le Clerq; 3 Wildcat 565 - Simon Martin & Andrew Fright
Overall
1 Wildcat 618 (1)
Class 6 (Open Sport Catamaran - Hobie 16)
Friday
1 Rob & Tyler McAlister; 2 Luke Paxton-Garnier; 3 Johnny Farrow & Evie James
Saturday
1 Aaron Le Cornu & Rachael Smith; 2 Elsa Swetenham & Sandrine Martin; 3 Luc Richard & Thomas Harris
Sunday
1 Luke Paxton-Garnier & Russell Walton; 2 Kai Surcouf & Livy Forbes; 3 Elsa Swetenham & Sandrine Martin
Overall
1 Elsa Swetenham & Sandrine Martin (14); Luke Paxton-Garnier & Russell Walton (16); Kai Surcouf & Ivy Forbes (20)
Class 7 (Open Sport Catamaran - Hobie Dragoon)
Saturday
1 Ollie Hunt & Ilya McCarthy; 2 Lucas McAlister & Thomas Allo
Sunday
1 Lucas McAlister & Thomas Allo;2 Ollie Hunt & Ilya McCarthy
Overall
1 Lucas McAlister & Thomas Allo (3);
Class 8 (fast dinghies)
Friday
1 Ollie Boyle (Laser Standard); 2 Peter Raimbault (Laser Standard); 3 André & Alex Le Rossignol (Enterprise)
Saturday
1 Will Dengate (Laser Standard); 2 Ollie Boyle; 3 Paula Boyle (Aero 9)
Sunday
1 Ollie Boyle; 2 Martin Speller (Laser Standard); 3 Will Dengate
Overall
1 Ollie Boyle (7); Will Dengate (11); Martin Speller (12)
Class 9 (Slow Dinghies)
Friday
1 Henry Edwards (Optimist); 2 Ollie Braithwaite (Topper); 3 Charlie Hewgill (Optimist)
Saturday
1 Henry Edwards; 2 Kirk Ingram (Topper); 3 Ralph Griffin (Optimist)
Sunday
1 Henry Edwards; 2 Charlie Hewgill; 3 Ralph Griffin
Overall
1 Henry Edwards (7); Kirk Ingram (12); Ralph Griffin (13)