RCYC make their mark on the Carmella Cup 15 Jan 2008
With little team racing experience, the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club began the Carmella Cup by beating the Team Racing World Champion and his team from West Kirby. With modest gusto, the eight-strong team went on to win the silver league after an intense weekend of racing.
The event, based in the London docklands during the first weekend of the boat show, brought together yacht clubs and associations from around the UK in a two-boat team racing event.
Sailing in First Class 8’s provided by Berkeley Marine, the Royal Corinthian was represented by Jon Noonan, helming one team and crewed by Martin Makey, Richard Elphinstone and Toby Harris. The second boat was helmed by Matt Gill and crewed by Mark Wade, James Holmes and Jess Makey.
As two-boat team racing, it is the boat in last position that determines the losing team and therefore a knowledge of the rules and team racing tactics is required to ensure that neither your boat, nor your partner’s, is trailing. As renowned fleet racers, the Royal Corinthian entered the event with trepidation, knowing the competition we faced.
But by lunch time on Saturday we had beaten the favourites – West Kirby, BUSA (British University Sailing Association) and St Andrew’s University. Confidence was beginning to build, except in the shifty conditions of the London docks, we could not maintain the momentum and subsequently lost to Warwick University, Edinburgh University and the Royal Thames Yacht Club.
Subsequently we began Sunday morning in the Silver league. Our battle began with the Army who, despite some early nerves, were soon dispatched in an easy victory. A harder fight was necessary to beat St Andrew’s University and only five yards from the finishing line Jon Noonan flagged for an umpire’s decision on a windward/ leeward incident. With Matt Gill and team already across the line it was the umpire’s decision that would determine the result and, by imposing a 720 penalty on St Andrews, the Royal Corinthian had all but won the silver trophy.
It was a thrilling, often intense weekend of sailing that we all enjoyed. No doubt the Royal Corinthian will return next year looking for similar success but in the gold fleet!