2011 Racing Season Round-up

2011 has been another fantastic season, so here’s a little round-up...

The year started Caribbean-style with our chartered Beneteau First 50, under the guidance of co-skippers Philippe Falle and Tim Thubron competing in the RORC 600, St Maarten and Antigua Race Week. The RORC 600 is the Caribbean offshore, and if it wasn’t for that pesky wind-hole off the back of Guadeloupe... still, 4^th place was a fantastic result! A quick trip up to St Maarten for the Heineken Regatta, and a 1^st place trophy!! What a start to 2011 - we can’t wait to be back for more in 2012!

Meanwhile, back in the UK, our long-time favourite Warsash Spring Series was severely lacking in wind. Visit Malta Puma had to settle for 3^rd, after the light airs gave advantage to our friends on the Beneteau 40.7.

Clearly, the wind was all being saved for the offshore racing which saw a very windy Eddystone / Myth of Malham race (with several yachts retiring with damage) and an even windier Morgan Cup, which only 15 boats finished, including 3 of ours!  

Sailing Logic were thrilled to enter 7 boats into the Fastnet Campaign with 59 individual crew plus skippers and mates. With a comprehensive training programme, qualifying races and lots of socials, the shore team were kept equally busy! Quokka was one of the race favourites, and set the pace early winning the RORC DeGuingand Bowl and Myth of Malham races.

Even the 80^th Anniversary Round the Island race in June saw a record number of retirements as strong winds battered the 1800 strong fleet; our Visit Malta Puma did exceptionally well to finish 4^th in class.

In July we competed in the IRC National Championships against a tough fleet (achieving a fantastic 5^th place) again to strong winds, but with bright sunshine and some amazing action photos! Our Cowes Week teams had a fantastic time and finished 8^th (of 32) but with one main sail less!

Between racing, our diary was filling up with corporate hospitality days, team-building match racing events and we even ran our very own regatta for a global insurance firm!

August’s main event was the Fastnet of course! Finally the season of strong winds came to a close and mixed conditions characterised Fastnet 2011. Quokka came 3^rd in class, followed closely by Visit Malta Puma in 10^th. Then both teams were ready to welcome the remaining five Sailing Logic crews in and thoughtfully show them to the beer tent... Everyone partied so hard – it’s a good thing the race is only every two years!

For others, the exclusive sailing day on ICAP Leopard was just as incredible as she sailed at 17 knots in only 14 knots of breeze! And the teams in Dartmouth battled it out on the race-course and in the after-parties to secure 3^rd & 4^th place.

On the corporate side, our team won the 40.7 racing division in the Manches Cup, we had 5 corporate teams in RTI, we came 2^nd in the Silicon Cup and 5^th and 8^th in Little Britain.

With a mix of race training courses, RYA Sea Survival and ISAF Offshore Safety courses woven into the season, the year was rounded off with the popular Garmin Hamble Winter Series. Despite both Puma and Jaguar having to visit the local boat hospital after being t-boned (never before in SL history, then twice in one campaign!!) Visit Malta Puma brought home another 1^st place trophy, and Jaguar 5^th.

All in all, an expensive year for sail repair but some great results, more trophies in the cabinet and the RORC Schoolboat of the Year trophy retained. And most importantly everyone had fun along the way – so a big well done and a huge thank-you to all of our enthusiastic racing crews, our patient and passionate skippers and the mates who work tirelessly to make it all look like it’s easy!

We look forward to more exciting racing with you in 2012!