Royal Temple Yacht Club and Yacht Club Boulonnais Link Cup
by Karen Cox 20 May 22:59 PDT
18-19 May 2024
Link Cup Sunday start line © Malcolm Kirkaldie
Last weekend (18 -19 May 2024) the Annual Link cup weekend was hosted jointly by the Royal Temple Yacht Club and Yacht Club Boulonnais. This was the eighteenth year that the race from Boulogne to Ramsgate has taken place and over that time warm friendships and friendly rivalries have grown.
Day 1 - Saturday 18 May
The race started from Boulogne on the Saturday with a close fetch to ZC2 off Cap Griz-Nez in a 10 knot northwesterly breeze that fell away to 5 knots during the day. Then a beat across the channel to the Varne Light Vessel, passing Deal Pier. On to the B2 buoy off Sandwich Bay to Pegwell Bay, passing the Kent Decking buoy and finishing at the Royal Temple Club line. Due to the light airs the race took over 9 hours to complete the 36 mile course.
French boat Mefie Te, Beneteau Figaro, skippered by Adzier Popieul lead the fleet of 12 boats all the way to the finish to take line honours closely followed by Stiletto, X362 Sport of Paul Woodward and John Barrett RTYC and Carpe Diem Felling 850, Gravelines YC, Jean Marc Devos,.
Overall Results:
1st Stiletto, X362 Sport of Paul Woodward and John Barrett, RTYC
2nd Mefie Te, Beneteau Figaro, skippered by Adzier Popieul, Yacht Club Boulogne
3rd Carpe Diem Felling 850, Gravelines YC, Jean Marc Devos.
A prize-giving was held on the Saturday evening when a special mention was made of the youngest crew on Mefie Te, young Leopold who was only 6 1/2 but already a seasoned sailor with a couple of cross channel legs under his belt.
Day 2 - Sunday 19 May
This was an inshore race organised by Royal Temple Yacht Club in champagne sailing conditions with a northerly wind of 10-12 knots and sunny. In total there were seventeen yachts competing for IRC and Cruiser class.
It was a windward leeward course of 2 laps using Ramsgate Channel Mark 2 as the windward mark and Brake as the Leeward mark.
Peter Jackson's Assassin, a Pronavia 42 Sport with the highest handicap lead the fleet and finished under 2 hours followed by Grant Forward and Matt Green Sidewinder Fareast 31 followed by Stiletto and then Buccaneer II, a Hod 35 helmed by Peter Pearson.
Closely matched Stiletto and Buccaneer II passed every mark neck and neck however Stiletto managed to win overall by just 1 minute for the day and finished first overall for the weekend.
Overall Results:
IRC
1st Stiletto, X362 Sport of Paul Woodward and John Barrett, RTYC
2nd Buccaneer 2, Hod 35 of Peter Pearson and Co, RTYC
3rd Assassin, Pronavia 42, of Peter Jackson, RTYC
Cruiser Class
1st Carpe Diem, Felling 850, Gravelines YC, Jean Marc Devos
2nd Bad Boys a Corby 26 owned by Anthony Dale, RTYC
3rd Pippy, a Sun Odyssey 37, John and Michelle Stoneley, RTYC