Sprint finish concludes 2025 YM Celtic Triangle Race

After practically two weeks and 600 miles, the YM Celtic Triangle race 2025 reached a profitable conclusion within the early hours of Thursday 19 June.

The brief, 100-mile leg from Tréguier in Brittany again throughout the Pendennis line in Falmouth Harbour was one thing of a dash for the 28 boats nonetheless racing who had earlier sailed legs of 190 and 300 miles from Falmouth to Kinsale and from Kinsale to Tréguier.

The leg started in calm circumstances and heavy fog, making it tough for the fleet to see one another and different vessels utilizing the slim river entrance. On the suggestion of the fleet, the race committee agreed to maneuver the beginning line outdoors the river entrance, and adjusted a set begin time to a half-hour window for yachts to cross the road subsequent to the Basse Crublent buoy earlier than reporting their begin time to the race committee in order that elapsed occasions may very well be calculated on the end. 

As soon as underway the fog financial institution cleared quickly, giving strategy to a lightweight south easterly and vivid sunshine, permitting the fleet to hoist spinnakers and head straight for Falmouth in champagne circumstances.

The end for many got here within the early hours of the morning, with Il Corvo, the JPK 1030 of Roeland Franssens and Astrid de Vin the primary boat throughout the road at 0254, adopted 54 seconds later (after practically 15 hours of racing) by Oliver Grogono and Simon Bamford aboard Sunfast 3300 Kestrel. Division two was gained by Tom Dunstan crusing solo aboard his Sunfast 3200 Little Wing, crossing the road 5 minutes later, with one other Sunfast 3200 Graciosa, sailed by Pierre Garoche in second place.

Among the many cruisers, Gary Heward and Russell Hawkins had been once more first aboard aboard Maxi 1100 AmyLou, adopted by Alistair Cooke crusing solo on Sundance, his Sigma 36, and Tim Stevenson and Invoice Darley on Rustler 37 Andrillot II.

Kathy Claydon, skipper of Arcona 370 Arcsine, mentioned:

‘It was actually tough to see the opposite boats within the fog in the beginning and I didn’t need to cling round there. The race committee have been incredible at listening to the rivals, and after we steered that the beginning line was moved at brief discover out of the river, and to vary to a begin window, they had been joyful to hear and decided shortly. Not all race committees are so versatile, and it has helped make the occasion actually gratifying.’

With all three legs full, elapsed occasions for every leg had been compiled to offer general outcomes, with awards given at a prizegiving lunch on Friday 20 June on the terrace of the Royal Cornwall Yacht Membership overlooking Falmouth harbour. Following their dominant efficiency, first place went to Roeland Franssens and Astrid de Vin crusing JPK 1030 Il Corvo, second to Dave Butters and Ian Braham aboard JPK 1010 Pleasure, and third place went father and daughter group Donal O’Halloran and Roisin O’Halloran aboard Sunfire, their Sunfast 3200 R2.

Class 1 was gained by the Il Corvo crew and sophistication two by the crew of Pleasure, whereas class three went to Gary Heward and Russell Hawkins aboar Maxi 1100 AmyLou, intently adopted by Andrillot II (Rustler 37, Tim Stevenson and Invoice Darley) and Darkish Horse (Mustang 30, Robert McGregor).

There have been additionally awards for:

Lowest combination corrected time – Il Corvo
First combined crew – Il Corvo
Historic mariners (a crew with a mixed age over 120) – Pleasure
Newcomer – Donal O’Halloran and Roisin O’Halloran
Younger Sailor (below 30 years of age) – Oliver Grogono
Private Contribution to the Occasion – Kuba Szymanski (Polished Manx) for all the time being prepared to assist and encourage his fellow rivals on the water and in harbour
Perseverance – Ossian, with Tim Greenaway and Steve Leigh for his or her refusal to retire earlier than the end within the mild airs on the finish of leg 2
Dedication – Ventura and David Faucher for participating within the slowest boat and sustaining his sang froid all through)

The Royal Cornwall Yacht Membership hosted a incredible occasion, and each veteran Triangle racers, newcomers to offshore racing, and battle-hardened racers from the Solo Offshore Racing Membership and the UK Double-Handed Offshore Sequence all agreed that the occasion had been totally gratifying, and that regardless of the variations in yachts taking part, an actual shared spirit had grown amongst the fleet. 

The occasion was generously supported by Hyde Sails, Salcombe Gin, Penrose Sailmakers, and Taylor Cash Ltd in addition to Yachting Month-to-month. 

Organisers are planning to run the occasion once more subsequent 12 months, earlier than resuming alternating years, bringing it into sync with different offshore occasions such because the Azores and Again (AZAB) race, for which leg two will stay a qualifying passage. The membership will likely be searching for a headline sponsor to assist maximise the potential of this distinctive occasion.

There are plans to incorporate a further ‘Cruiser’ class for boats that do not need an IRC score. Whereas they might have the identical security necessities, boats might race below the much less onerous YTC cruiser racer handicap system.