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Displaying items by tag: Elmo tophy

Ten team racing teams, comprising many of the country’s top youth sailors, competed for the second Elmo Trophy in the Royal St George Yacht Club last weekend. A windy forecast for Sunday meant for a long day on Saturday. Light winds made for challenging conditions for race officer Peter Bayly, but all in all it was a great day of very high quality team racing and all the races from the preliminary leagues were completed.

The experienced Schull team (with the Durcan brothers and Florence Lyden at the helm) set the early pace and dominated the first day where each team sailed 8 races. Joining Schull in the Gold League on Sunday were Team 420sOut (a team of recent 420 sailors captained by Douglas Elmes), the National Yacht Club team captained by Daniel Raymond), Toby Hudson Fowlers’ George Indigo, and the youngest of the 4 RStGYC teams, George Magenta, captained by Peter Fagan.

Blue skies and fresh breezes on Sunday saw Storm sails fitted, and race officer for the day, Ger Owens, managed to get a full round robin in for both the Gold and Silver fleets in freshening winds. Credit is due to all of the teams who managed to still produce some excellent team racing in challenging conditions. The Gold final saw Schull Sharks victorious over 420’sOut, with the RCYC team beating Rush Sailing Club in the Silver final.

All in all a great weekend of sailing was had by all involved and the growth of the event is a testimony to the level of interest in team racing amongst our talented young sailors and to the work done by organisers such as John Sheehy and Elaine Malcolm. It is great that the event gets young sailors involved and creates a community for all to enjoy, all in remembrance of the late Graham Elmes who surely would be proud of the event’s continuous growth and great atmosphere.

Elmo trophy team racing Schull Sharks (Johnny Durcan, Rosa Lyden, Harry Durcan, Claire Gorman, Florence Lyden, Ronan Cournane) – pictured here with Frank O’Bierne (Rear Commodore) and Frank Elmes

Results

Overall Winners - Schull Sharks (Johnny Durcan, Rosa Lyden, Harry Durcan, Claire Gorman, Florence Lyden, Ronan Cournane)
Second - 420’sOut (Douglas Elmes, Peader Lawlor, Colin O’Sullivan, Conor Neville, Niamh Doran, Meg Tyrrell)
Third - RSGYC Magenta (Peter Fagan, David Fitzsimons, Hugo Kennedy, Tara Coakley, Jack Fahy, Sarah Fogarty)

Published in Team Racing

The Half Ton Class was created by the Offshore Racing Council for boats within the racing band not exceeding 22'-0". The ORC decided that the rule should "....permit the development of seaworthy offshore racing yachts...The Council will endeavour to protect the majority of the existing IOR fleet from rapid obsolescence caused by ....developments which produce increased performance without corresponding changes in ratings..."

When first introduced the IOR rule was perfectly adequate for rating boats in existence at that time. However yacht designers naturally examined the rule to seize upon any advantage they could find, the most noticeable of which has been a reduction in displacement and a return to fractional rigs.

After 1993, when the IOR Mk.III rule reached it termination due to lack of people building new boats, the rule was replaced by the CHS (Channel) Handicap system which in turn developed into the IRC system now used.

The IRC handicap system operates by a secret formula which tries to develop boats which are 'Cruising type' of relatively heavy boats with good internal accommodation. It tends to penalise boats with excessive stability or excessive sail area.

Competitions

The most significant events for the Half Ton Class has been the annual Half Ton Cup which was sailed under the IOR rules until 1993. More recently this has been replaced with the Half Ton Classics Cup. The venue of the event moved from continent to continent with over-representation on French or British ports. In later years the event is held biennially. Initially, it was proposed to hold events in Ireland, Britain and France by rotation. However, it was the Belgians who took the ball and ran with it. The Class is now managed from Belgium. 

At A Glance – Half Ton Classics Cup Winners

  • 2017 – Kinsale – Swuzzlebubble – Phil Plumtree – Farr 1977
  • 2016 – Falmouth – Swuzzlebubble – Greg Peck – Farr 1977
  • 2015 – Nieuwport – Checkmate XV – David Cullen – Humphreys 1985
  • 2014 – St Quay Portrieux – Swuzzlebubble – Peter Morton – Farr 1977
  • 2013 – Boulogne – Checkmate XV – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1985
  • 2011 – Cowes – Chimp – Michael Kershaw – Berret 1978
  • 2009 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978
  • 2007 – Dun Laoghaire – Henri-Lloyd Harmony – Nigel Biggs – Humphreys 1980~
  • 2005 – Dinard – Gingko – Patrick Lobrichon – Mauric 1968
  • 2003 – Nieuwpoort – Général Tapioca – Philippe Pilate – Berret 1978

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