4 Jul 2012

Wet and windy opening to 2012 Pendennis Cup

By Jason Holtom

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Poor visibility with low cloud and steady drizzle failed to dampen spirits on the first day of the Pendennis Cup as crews and spectators were treated to a spectacular finish, with the first three yachts crossing the finish line separated by just 27 seconds.

Principal Race Officer, Peter Craig managed to get the timing intervals of the staggered start just right, with the eight larger yachts in the Pendennis Cup class starting in two minute intervals to ensure a safe start and a close finish for the first of four races this week in Falmouth Bay.

There was plenty of wind right from the start, building up from 18 knots at the start to a solid 25 knots true at the finish, testing crews and equipment.


Even though it was hard work on the water for the VIP guests that Pendennis is hosting (over 300 to organise over the five days), those that ventured out were treated to some spectacular action as the 55.5m schooner Adela ghosted out of the mist with the 61.2m schooner Athos chasing hard on a close reach at over 14 knots, crossing the line just 16 seconds later with her 460 tonnes of steel and carbon (the rigs) carving through the waves.


The Andre Hoek-designed Athos, built by Holland Jachtbouw in 2010, is the biggest boat in the fleet and started last taking up a relentless pursuit on the 28 mile course. After an upwind leg the fleet had a long 10 mile broad reach to Gull Rock followed by a port tack biased beat back into the bay and a series of zigzag close reaches to the finish just in front of Pendennis Castle.


The 34m German Frers sloop Unfurled, built by Royal Huisman in 2000, and a regular on the superyacht racing circuit, set the pace with her closer-winded ability against the schooners. Unfortunately at the end of the first broad reach her Code 0 offwind sail, after being furled at the leeward mark, managed to ‘unfurl’ itself before the crew could get it down onto the deck and split right across.  This meant that she was underpowered on the three short reaching legs and even though she crossed the line 11 seconds ahead of Adela to take line honours, she was seven minutes adrift on corrected time for the overall result.



Fortunately Pendennis have set up a temporary large sail loft for North Sails in their shipyard, which was also used for the J Class regatta last week and so repairs could be made overnight.



The handicap winner was the 1915 Herreshoff gaff schooner Mariette, who started first and was only overtaken in the final closing stages of the race, crossing the line in fourth place.



The fleet of four yachts in the Little Dennis fleet sailed a shorter 18 mile course, with the 1904 William Fife designed and built classic yawl Tomahawk crossing the line just 34 seconds ahead of the 1964 S&S designed sloop Firebrand - owned and helmed by superyacht designer Ed Dubois.



Racing continues from Wednesday to Saturday with a layday on Thursday and the promise of continuing wind and rain.

Results Pendennis Cup Day One

Pendennis Cup Class	Elapsed Time	Corrected Time	Race One	Points Overall
Mariette of 1915	2:34:20	3:01:39	1st	1.0
Adela	2:13:42	3:07:43	2nd	2.0
Unfurled	2:11:31	3:08:28	3rd	3.0
Athos	2:09:58	3:10:08	4th	4.0
Breakaway	2:34:23	3:22:42	5th	5.0
Bequia	2:45:50	3:25:58	6th	6.0
Velacarina	2:53:50	3:29:18	7th	7.0
Marquita	2:54:35	3:34:23	8th	8.0
Bare Necessities	2:55:25	3:37:31	9th	9.0

                                                                                                                             

Little Dennis Classic Class	Elapsed Time	Corrected Time	Race One	Points Overall
Mikado	3:03:30	2:42:57	1st	1.0
Firebrand	2:59:24	2:47:34	2nd	2.0
Tomahawk	2:58:50	2:54:32	3rd	3.0
Pinuccia	DNF		4th	5:0

 

Pendennis Cup Entry List                                 

Pendennis Cup Class	LOA	Type	Design	Builder/Year
Adela	55.5m	Schooner	W.C Storey (1910) Dijkstra Partners (1995)	Pendennis 1995
Athos	61.2m	Schooner	Andre Hoek	Holland Jachtbouw2010
Bare Necessities	24.88	Sloop	Oyster 82/Humphreys Yacht Design	Oyster 2004
Bequia	27.66	Yawl	Stephens & Waring	Brooklin Boat Yard 2009
Breakaway	21.34	Sloop	Santa Cruz 70 /Bill Lee	Santa Cruz 1993
Marquita	38m	Gaff cutter	William Fife	Fife/Fairlie Restorations 2005
Mariette of 1915	42m	Gaff Schooner	Herreshoff	Herreshoff Manufacturing/Beconcini 1988
Unfurled	34m	Sloop	German Fers	Royal Huisman 2000
Velacarina	26m	Ketch	Truly Classic /Andre Hoek	Classen Jachtbouw 2004

                 

Little Dennis Classic Class	LOA	Type	Design	Builder/Year
Firebrand	13.11m	Sloop	Sparkman & Stephens	Clare Lallow 1964
Mikado	12.55m	Bermudian Cutter	William Fife	Fife 1904
Pinuccia	14.2m	Sloop	8 Metre/ Vincenzo Baglietto	Baglietto 1939
Tomahawk	14.8m	Bermudian Yawl	Olin Stephens	Barrett Boat Works 1938

Related Links

Pendennis Profile | Pendennis Website

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