The RORC Morgan Cup Race 2008, out of Cowes on Friday, was won by David Lees High Tension 36, Hephzibah, in a lightening quick race to Cherbourg from the Solent.

The race, started from the Royal Yacht Squadronin Cowes to the East around marks and finished at Cherbourg, the course choice ranged from approximately 88 to 132 miles.

Last years Morgan Cup was a Gallic fantastic with French boats winning four of the six classes. This years race saw a huge variety of yachts all racing under IRC; in all there are 30 different yacht designs competing for the Morgan Cup.

RORC Racing Manager, Ian Loffhagen said:

It was a picturesque start at Cowes as the fleet unfurled spinnakers in a west, north westerly, breeze of about 14 knots and sped off east out of the Solent.

The last boat finished just before midday on Saturday. It was a race of high speed sailing for the competitors.

Once the fleet left the Solent the breeze picked up further and the yachts enjoyed downwind surfing conditions making their way to the first Channel mark, Ocean Safety. The fetch from Ocean Safety west to the RORC Channel buoy proved the decisive leg of the race.

Formidable 3 Boat Captain, Matt Trautman said:

It was a fast race for sure.

We hit a top speed of about 18 knots on the run down to Ocean Safety, but then we were virtually beating into tide for about three hours which really knocked our VMG. There were a few squalls coming into Cherbourg but we carried the same kite all the way through to the finish from RORC.

Piet Vroons Lutra 56, Formidable 3, was the first to cross the line in Cherbourg covering the 132 mile course in a rapid; 11 Hours 23 Minutes and 31 Seconds.

In Class Zero, Mike Grevilles Ker 39, Erivale III continued to be impressive, winning class Zero by a handsome margin. Global Yacht Racing’s, Stimson 42 was second, on her first ever offshore race and Edward Broadway’s, Farr 40 Hooligan VI, was third. Erivale III now leads Class Zero, Season’s Points Championship by some distance.

Class One was probably the most competitive fleet with less than 40 minutes separating the winner from tenth place. Phillippe Delaporte was the first Class one boat over the line and also won on handicap from Peter Rutter’s Corby 36, Quokka 7. The Army Sailing Association’s A40RS, British Soldier, posted yet another podium finish, to take third in class.

Class Two was won by Pascal Loison’s J/105, Night and Day with Michael Boyd & Niall Dowling’s, J/105, Slingshot, second by just nine minutes on corrected time. In third place was Adrian Lower’s J/109, Jaguar of Burnham who had a great start off the Squadron line. Slingshot are currently leading the Season’s Points Championship for Class Two but by a slender margin from Jaguar of Burnham.

Winner of Class Three and the overall winner of the Morgan Cup race was David Lees and his crew on Hephzibah.

“It has been a delight to return to RORC racing after being absent for over twenty years.”

Second in class was David Crawforth’s Sigma 33, Sigress and third was Julian Berney’s Sigma 41, Houdalinqua II. Hepphzibah’s win has moved them up into second in class for the RORC Season’s Points Championship behind Clarionet.

The Two-Handed Division was won by Night and Day with Slingshot second. In third place was Nick Martin’s J/105, Diablo-J. Slingshot now leads the Two-Handed Season’s Points Championship by some margin.

This was the first RORC race to finish in France since the beginning of May and competitors were invited to the Yacht Club de Cherbourg after racing.

RORC medallions will be presented on Tuesday, 10th June at 1930 in the Clubhouse and The Morgan Cup trophies presented at the Royal Thames Yacht Club prizegiving dinner on Tuesday, 11th November 2008.

Isle of Wight Community News @Island Pulse.