Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the Royal Yacht Squadron, Erivale III last weekend, won the Myth of Malham Trophy.

Mike Greville’s Ker 39, Erivale III took the RORC Myth of Malham trophy from Yves Grosjean’s J/133, Jivaro, by just under 15 minutes on corrected time. Piet Vroon’s Lutra 56, Formidable 3 was in third place overall.

Erivale’s Skipper,  Mike Greville said:

“We went through just about every sail in the locker.”

“We saw 20 knots at the start which gradually built during the day to 30 knots plus by the evening, the highest gust was 46 knots.  Sunday morning conditions had eased to about 10 knots and we finished the race in only 5 knots of breeze.

The lively conditions led to several boats retiring, including John Shepherd’s highly fancied, Ker 46, Fair Do’s VII who decided to retire as a precaution when they found water in the anchor locker.

A Pan Pan was issued by the crew and the Coastguard was on hand but thankfully they did not require any assistance and all 12 crew made it safely to shore.

Piet Vroon’s Lutra 56 won Class Super Zero despite breaking a spinnaker halyard on the reach to Eddystone.

Piet Vroon said:

“It was a tough race, especially the beat back to the finish.”

“At one stage we had two reefs in the main and the no.4 up, every second wave we were just slamming into the seaway but the crew did a great job and we arrived at the finish in one piece, all credit to Erivale III, they sailed well to win the race.”

Formidable 3, now has a considerable advantage in the season’s overall points table for Class Super Zero.

In Class One, the Army Sailing Association’s A40RS, British Soldier won class by just over half an hour, on corrected time, from Tim Hayhoe’s, Prima 38, Mostly Harmless. Global Yacht Racing’s, Reflex 38, Panther was third.

British Soldier’s victory pushes them to the top of the season’s points table for IRC One.

In Class Two, Noel Racine’s JPK 9.60, Foggy Dew, continued their impressive form with their third class win in a row and must be seen as early contenders for the overall RORC season’s points championship.

Second place in class but winner of the Two-Handed division was Simon Curwen’s J/105, Voador who had a cracking start off the Yacht Squadron line. Third in Class Two and Second in the Two-Handed division was another J/105, Michael Boyd & Niall Dowling’s Slingshot.   It is Boyd and Dowling’s first season with Slingshot and they showed great tenacity by continuing to race, even with a torn mainsail.

Class Three saw Paul March’s S&S one off, Clarionet, take first place by a slender margin on corrected time from Russell Walker’s, Baltic 37, Cosmic Dancer III.

Earlier in the race, there was some concern for Paul March and his crew as their emergency distress beacon became active, however the RORC Race Office successfully contacted the crew and confirmed that there was no cause for alarm and the authorities were immediately notified.  David Hunt’s X-332, X-To-Sea was third. Clarionet is currently top of the season’s points table for IRC Three.

The full RORC racing programme Click HERE:

Isle of Wight Community News @Island Pulse.