RC1000 Regatta in Plymouth

First RC1000 Regatta of 2022, in Plymouth © Paul Gibbins Photography

The RC1000 fleet get the South West yacht racing calendar started

The first RC1000 Regatta raced in Plymouth the weekend of 24/25 April. As expected this early in the year, many seasons over two days, with 30 knot gusts on day one and barely 5 knots on day two. But the ten entries were undeterred, on the contrary, raring to get the racing calendar started.

The Plymouth based IRC fleet remained largely unchanged, a mix of 30 - 35 ft cruiser racers, all rating very close together. This is the heart of class: close competitive racing in the south west Devon, where rules of the Class allow boats with with an IRC rating of 0.990 to 1.015, where over 60 minutes the rating from top to bottom gives a difference of 1 minute 30 seconds on corrected time.

Hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club, the RC1000 fleet gathered for three races each day and five overall to count. Chris Arscott, Commodore said, "we're absolutely delighted to host the first regatta for this increasingly popular class, it's great to see so many local boats of such similar rating racing so closely together."

Race Officer Jerry Lock made standard use of existing port navigation marks for the windward leeward courses, familiar to all the boats. Plymouth offers a unique opportunity to race both north and south of the breakwater, each offering very different conditions. Most of the port's weather rolls on from the South West, but this weekend had a slightly chilly easterly, with high cloud, some spots of rain and a few breaks of sunshine.

Men Behaving Badly - First RC1000 Regatta of 2022, in Plymouth - photo © Paul Gibbins Photography

Day one made for a white knuckle ride for all, shaking off the winter layoff with a reminder of classic spring sail racing. Jon Harris' Jump'n'shout led the fleet out, maintaining a strong lead in all three races, with Altura & Muskox following closely behind and the newest joiner to the fleet, Men Behaving Badly, another Archembault 35, tucked in a close fourth. All credit to the team getting the boat race ready in a short time; it's a fast boat, definitely, one to watch through the season.

Also a mention for Saltheart, their first RC1000 regatta, moored nearby on the Yealm. They had an excellent first event finishing with a credible 5th place.

Sunday brought very different conditions, much lighter and for some a bit of relief. The first race combined with the Sunday Plym YC Club racing, breaking away for the last two races starting off a laid line in Plymouth Sound. As often with light wind racing, it became a bit of 'follow the leader', but rating so closely, no one was too far from each other so every tweak and adjustment was quickly realised, gained or lost, where literally seconds separated many of the fleet.

Jump n Shout - First RC1000 Regatta of 2022, in Plymouth - photo © Paul Gibbins Photography

Yacht Jump'n'shout scooped the top spot for this regatta, skipper owner (also the class chairman), Jon Harris, said, "it's been a great first regatta, more so with a win, but great to get the fleet back together for what promises to be another fantastic season. We're looking forward to welcoming back more boats for Regatta 2 in June, and as ever, all the boats need more crew, so if you're interested, drop a note via our Facebook page or the website, I'm sure we can get you on the water for some cracking Devon sailing!"

The RC1000 Class is now in its second year, sponsored by Salcombe Gin and supported by local businesses: AllSpars, Ullman Sails, PR Marine Systems, The Chandlery Plymouth, Stoneways Insurance, the Royal Western YC and Paul Gibbins Photography. With an established committee, a class constitution and some limited funding, the RC1000 continues to develop solid foundations to grow and create close competitive yacht racing in south west Devon.

More information on the class can be seen at rc1000.org

First RC1000 Regatta of 2022, in Plymouth - photo © Paul Gibbins Photography

Overall Results:

First RC1000 Regatta of 2022, in Plymouth - photo © Paul Gibbins Photography