2024 Hurricane European Championship at Yacht Club de Carnac, France

2024 Hurricane European Championship at Yacht Membership de Carnac, France

by Howard Warrington 2 Might 01:44 PDT
26-28 April 2024

Having determined over a couple of beers, while visiting the Royal Yorkshire YC for an open assembly, that we must always try to go and enter the Eurocat occasion held annually in Carnac, Brittany. Having not been there for 30 years it appeared proper that the Hurricane fleet ought to return.

We made it occur and with the assistance of the organisers of the Yacht Membership Carnac, we turned it into our European Championship. Not having held one for, properly I am unsure how lengthy, it appeared becoming.

Entries got here from Starcross SC, Thorpe Bay YC, Stokes Bay SC and Stone SC. The ever gracious Geoff Tindale kindly loaning his boat to new sailors to the fleet, brothers Darragh and Donal McCarthy as the only Irish entry.

Double stacked and loaded up all of us left on varied ferries and shuttles and met up in time to have a rigging day on Thursday. We even managed a sail in lovely circumstances. The forecast wasn’t trying nice for the occasion so we thought we would benefit from it.

Race day arrived on Friday. We had a gap ceremony, principally informing us in regards to the varied colored bins that we must always use for recycling. Effectively achieved the French however as they do, what will be mentioned in 3 phrases took about quarter-hour. We did, nevertheless, really feel very welcomed and the organisers tried very onerous and succeeded, to placed on a great occasion.

We set off for a 3 race day. The wind was good at a good pressure 4 which steadily constructed by means of the day to a robust 5. Trapezoid programs had been set with a beat of about 1.2Nm to a yellow buoy. All properly and good till you noticed, fairly actually, round 40 yellow buoys between the beginning and the windward. We managed to search out the precise one finally.

The race officer was eager to crack on and began on time. 4 DNC’s had been among the many fleet who had been caught out within the launching queue. Just about from the off, TBYC pair, Alex Farrall & Alex Warrington gained a stable lead and held this till the top. Father and son group, George & Howard Warrington had been 2nd and Stone’s Richie Hanmore & Matt Kimber third.

Race 2 was just about a carbon copy so far as Alex & Alex had been involved; bang left and canopy for the 2nd bullet of the day. With extra boats making the 2nd race, Richie & Matt had been 2nd and TBYC’s Julian Reichert & Jeremy Sandford in third.

Race 3, guess what? Alex & Alex, now professionals at this sport, “hit left and canopy” labored but once more. It have to be mentioned that they had been crusing like demons possessed and obtained every thing completely spot on. 2nd place went to Richie & Matt once more crusing very properly and third Julian & Jeremy.

Race 4, dangle on! There’re solely 3 races scheduled….?? However Monsieur le Race Officer was having fun with the circumstances and a great way into his 2nd bottle of Chateau Hey There, determined that we must always go once more. Feeling fairly shattered and undoubtedly properly previous beer o’clock, we held on for an additional race. Discovering clear air was undoubtedly the secret as we had been beginning together with a big fleet of F18’s. The 2 Alex’s had been spherical the highest mark in eighth with George & Howard and Stone SC’s Trevor Bawden with new crew Ben Harden main the pack. With an superior 1 gybe kite leg with nothing to lose, Alex & Alex discovered themselves within the lead once more and took the 4th win of the day. Trevor & Ben in 2nd and the second father and son group; Paul & Bertie Plamer in third.

Day 2 was Le Grand Raid. An extended distance race of some 35 miles heading out from Carnac and following the coast of the Quiberon peninsula and around the Isle D’Houat and again once more. The wind was actually pumping and was a good 5-6 for a lot of the day. Stone SC’s Dan Tindale & Hugo Bull obtained off to a flyer with a tremendous kite run to the primary buoy off the Quiberon coast. George & Howard had been subsequent having gybed off and located some good stress. After the primary mark it was harden as much as a really quick fetch which was fairly epic. Crews on the primary sheet and each hanging on for expensive life ready for the second when all of it goes pear formed!

Richie & Matt switched on their engine, particularly Matt Kimber and a principal sheet and completely lit up. They tore previous George & Howard (as did just a little later, Trevor & Ben). The subsequent mark was a slight bear away spherical a cardinal mark after which by means of a gate between the rocks to begin move spherical the highest of the Isle D’Houat. This allowed for a screaming twin wiring kite leg for about half a mile earlier than dropping once more and fetching the again of the island. Within the meantime, Alex & Alex and Julian & Jeremy had been slowly clawing again on the George & Howard.

Spherical the underside of the island and a few tacks to clear a big rock, it was bear away time and onto one other quick and livid fetch. No less than this time we had been on the opposite tack! Alex & Alex eased previous George & Howard. By this time the three in entrance had all however disappeared. There was then a 3 boat twin between the three Thorpe Bay boats. Alex & Alex main with George & Howard proper on their rudders. Julain & Jeremy making an attempt to keep away from the battle however take the quicker and straighter line inside the opposite pair. Crew’s working principal sheets like by no means earlier than. Chilly and really drained however very thrilling.

Up forward, the rocket ship of Richie & Matt managed to take the lead from Dan & Hugo and took the win. They sailed astonishingly quick, really wonderful. Trevor & Ben had been residence in third. Then after some 3.5 hours of very quick crusing, Alex & Alex, George & Howard, Julian & Jeremy all completed inside 30 seconds of one another! There have been loads of thrills and spills alongside the best way with TBYC’s father and daughter group, Simon & Sophie Boygle taking a flying trapeze journey around the entrance of their boat and spending the following 20 minutes making an attempt to proper a turtled Hurricane – not one thing you apply usually!

It was ending the race that was the nice feeling of the day (not the OCS that George & Howard had been awarded). Many very drained and ashen trying sailors dragged their boats up the seaside but feeling elated to have turn out to be “Un Raider”…! Phrase of the day – BROKEN! As that is how all of us felt!

Good meals and beaucoup du vin being the nice healer, all of us had been again for the ultimate day of the thirty sixth Eurocat.

Day 3. It was a day of defend and consolidate for Alex & Alex but for Trevor & Ben it was go like hell! Richie & Matt, after their wonderful win the day earlier than had been additionally very a lot within the hunt. It was Alex & Alex’s to lose in the event that they weren’t cautious!

2 races at present and all to play for. We had been held ashore with subsequent to no breeze however the RO was assured that it could arrive, as soon as he is completed his petite déjeuner. Everybody rigging for a lightweight day, how flawed we would be! With a really respectable 3-4 now coming from the West, race 1 noticed Trevor & Ben doing simply what they got down to do – go like hell! Taking their first win with Robert & Bertie Palmer in 2nd and one other father and daughter group; Doug & Izzie Smith from Starcross, discovering some nice tempo in third. Mixing up the numbers was Stokes Bay’s Adam Charlesworth & Richard Robinson in 4th. Alex & Alex had a shocker for them and got here seventh. Wow, this was going to be an

exiting day! A number of squalls got here in with the wind constructing on a regular basis. The RO held us again while the most important rain squall got here and went. Programs had been moved not less than 3 instances however lastly the wind settled as a great 4-5 and in pretty sunshine as well. With the numerous course adjustments and the same old mêlée of orange buoys, the fleet break up off up the primary beat. Alex & Alex with their favoured “go left” together with the opposite TBYC boats of Julian & Jeremy and George & Howard. The Stone posse headed off proper. Wanting forward, it appeared there was an enormous header by the best way the main boats had been going. Or was {that a} large bear away! They had been main us to the flawed mark! After realising our error and with a great many toys being thrown metaphorically into the ocean, all of us discovered ourselves on a quick fetch to the right mark that the Stone crews had discovered. Trevor & Ben had been off to the races once more with Dan & Hugo, Richie & Matt all chasing onerous. Had they achieved sufficient and had Alex & Alex thrown it?

The remainder of the race was a sport of catch up for a couple of and in a beautiful breeze that the Hurricane 5.9 SX really loves. Trevor & Ben took the win with Dan & Hugo 2nd and Richie & Matt third.

The outcomes had been achieved, however not for the primary time through the occasion they had been flawed. So with some fast calculations the lead 2 boats had been on equal factors. However with 4 bullets it was a robust depend again and Alex Farrall and Alex Warrington had been topped the 2024 European Champions. Many congratulations boys on an outstanding regatta. To not point out the very onerous struggle that Trevor & Ben and Richie & Matt delivered to the desk. 1 level break up all 3! It is powerful on the high of the Hurricane fleet.

Thanks to Yacht Membership Carnac for internet hosting an outstanding occasion and for all of the Hurricane sailors who made the massive effort to be there and participate. It made the occasion with you all there, little doubt. It was particularly good to get to know Darragh and Donel and hope you’ll be part of us once more this yr.

As for subsequent time – it is all the way down to us, the Hurricane Class to search out all the opposite European Hurricane 5.9’s and see if we will host one other occasion both subsequent yr or the next.

Merci et a bientôt!

Full results can be found here (PDF format)