5th Nick Cousins Memorial Spring Regatta at the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club
by Bill Harris 1 May 05:51 UTC
25-26 April 2026
Class 6 during the 5th Nick Cousins Memorial Spring Regatta at the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club © Bill Harris
The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club's 5th Nick Cousins Memorial Spring Regatta, held in the beautiful arena of St Aubin's Bay over Saturday and Sunday 25th and 26th April, saw forty six boats turn out for this opening regatta of the new season.
The forecast was never for a lot of breeze although earlier in the week a little more wind seemed to be on offer for the second day. As it transpired, Sunday proved to be somewhat more challenging for both the race committees and competitors.
In line with established practice, the programme for the cruiser and fast sport catamaran classes was run under the auspices of a committee boat operating to the south of the Bay whilst an independent race committee ran the dayboat, dinghy and sport catamaran classes racing well inside the Bay.
Although racing was scheduled to get under way at ten thirty on Saturday it was not until an hour and a half later that a light south-easterly breeze filled in enabling racing to get under way. With light conditions and flat seas this was always going to be a regatta requiring patience and skilful sailing, across the board. The programme ran relatively smoothly throughout the first day with spectators being treated to the beautiful sight of every boat being on the course at the same time without the cut-and-thrust of breezier conditions.
Sunday also suffered a long windless delay until the south-easterly breeze reappeared at midday but, again, very light. Racing got under way shortly, thereafter, with the Hobie fleet opening, as before, to be joined by both the dayboat and dinghy fleet. Again, a very pretty sight, but concentration and patience being all, irrespective of class. Conditions deteriorated by two o'clock with the wind dropping and veering through forty degrees. Racing continued, however, with some races being abandoned. Whilst the cruiser classes were successful in completing their programme, the day boat and junior dinghy and sport catamaran classes' programme was foreshortened due to the dying breeze. The Hobie 16 and fast dinghy classes completed their programme, successfully, if rather more sedately than they might have hoped!
Despite the lack of breeze, however, the Regatta was deemed a great success helped by a super social programme in the RCIYC Clubhouse running alongside. Witnessed by a large attendance of competitors and volunteers, Vice-Commodore Charles Millard-Beer thanked Mrs Michele Cousins for very kindly sponsoring the Nick Cousins Memorial Spring Regatta in memory of her husband for the fifth year running. Mrs Cousins then joined race officers Bill Harris and Angela Raimbault in presenting the many place prizes to the many worthy winners. Proceedings were brought to a close with thanks to all who competed and all who had helped in any way to make the Spring Regatta such a great success.
More Regatta dates for the diaries:
- Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July - Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships
- Friday 4th to Sunday 6th September - Butterfield Jersey Regatta (www.jerseyregatta.com)
Overall Results: (Days 1 & 2)
Class 3a (YTC 1 - cruiser)
1 + 1 JAX - David Jones & Geoff Blackstone
2 + 2 Altair - Darren Stower
Overall - JAX
Class 3b (YTC 2 - cruiser)
1 + 1 Foxhound - Don Thompson
2 + 2 Jacamol - Karen Roworth
Overall - Foxhound
Class QT
1 + 1 - Fahrenheit - Team Fahrenheit
2 + 2 - Super Q - Team Super Q
Overall - Fahrenheit
Class 4 (Dayboat)
1 +1 Baloo - Ben Jones
2 + 2 Jamesina - Malcolm Annan
Sat 3 Jigsaw - Mike Harrison
Overall - Baloo
Class 5 (Hobie Tiger/Wildcat)
1 + 1 Hobie 618 - Adrian Jesson & Paul Martin
2 + 2 Sinbad - Simon Martin & Andrew Frigot
4 + 3 Easy Tiger - Graeme Monks & Julian Adamson
3 + 4 Lulu Blue - James Fullerton & Perry Stone
Overall - Hobie 618
Class 6 (Hobie 16)
1 + 2 Time2Spare - Luke Paxton-Garnier & Steph Egan
2 + 1 Ships & Giggles - Ollie Voak & Megan Rowarth
Sat 3 Hobie 16 - Fly Bi - Jamie Washington & Oliver Hunt
Sun 3 Hobie 16 - iGatto - Grant Neale & Karen Larose
Overall - Time2Spare
Class 7 (Dragoon)
Sat 1 - Ava Martin & Alice Capstick
1 + 2 Dragoon - Lottie Ohlsson & Capucine Bacquet
3 + 2 Dragoon - Henry & George Edwards
Sun 3 Dragoon - Cameron Castle & Freya Edwards
Overall - Lottie Ohlsson & Capucine Bacquet
Class 8 (Open Dinghy - fast)
1 + 1Laser Standard - Morgan Surcouf
Sat 2 Laser Standard - Paul Raimbault
Sun 2 RS200 - David Carter & Ian Simpson
Sat 3 Laser Standard - Peter Washington
Sun 3 Laser Standard - Matthew Thompson
Overall - Morgan Surcouf & winner of the Nick Cousins Class 8 Memorial Award
Class 9 (Open Dinghy - Junior)
1 + 1 Optimist - Izzy Ohlsson
2 + 3 Optimist - Emma Winchester
3 + 2 Optimist - Harrison Jesson
Overall - Izzy Ohlsson
Full results are available through www.rciyc.je/racing and 'Results'.