Around 20 entries have already signed up for the inaugural Royal Southern Yacht Club’s Biscay 2012 Offshore Race, starting in the Solent on September 16. The Race will be run under ISAF CAT 2 coding.
Peter Rutter and his Trustmarque Quokka yacht´s crew Photo by P. Wyeth/pwpictures
The Southern announced its technical partnership with Sunsail Racing last August and has access to its fleet of Beneteau F40 cruiser/racing yachts that can be chartered by Club members and other interested crews. As part of this relationship, the Royal Southern and Sunsail Racing are holding a ‘Sign Up’ Open Day on March 24th for anyone wishing to enter and to have a look over the F40, or to learn more about this new Race.
There is no need to be a Club member to come along and everyone is welcome to meet the Royal Southern’s and Sunsail Racing’s representatives, ask questions about Biscay 2012 and have a look over the yacht that will be moored on the Club pontoon between 10am-4pm.
Created as a legacy to members from the Royal Southern in its 175th Anniversary year, the Race will be run as a biennial and an international event. This year’s start line will include crews representing several European and international yacht clubs.
Closer to home, the former RORC Commodore Peter Rutter and 2011 IRC National Championship title winner, his Grand Soleil 43 yacht Quokka, will be racing in Biscay 2012 as part of their training programme for the ARC 2012.
Peter commented: “After many years of racing in the Solent and with RORC we have decided to set Trustmarque Quokka loose on wider seas. As members of the Royal Southern we were very excited to see the Biscay Race announced and immediately wanted to put it into our program. In addition for us, it will give us great training on our way to take part in the ARC racing division. We look forward to a competitive race with good company and as an extra incentive it will be my first time racing around the western end of Brittany as against just cruising. Come and join us.”
The Match 35 sailing yacht Erik the Barbarian, owned by Southern member Derek Blancke, has also signed up as has Andrew Hewett, with his Archambault A35 yacht Archibeau.
Entry details:
Competitors for Biscay 2012 are able to build their racing miles in the F40s in the Sunsail Racing Programme in the UK this year. The four Regattas in the Royal Southern Yacht Club’s 2012 summer racing programme and the Cowes-Deauville Race will also count towards crew familiarisation and in the latter case, part of crew qualification, for the Biscay 2012 Race.
The Notice of Races is also available to view and download on the Biscay 2012 website.
