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Beadsworth Snatches Closing Seconds Race Win While Gilmour Consolidates Overall Lead On Day Four Of The Kinsale Dragon Gold Cup 2024

With four races down and two to go Australia’s match racing legend Peter Gilmour sailing JPN56 YRed continues to hold a narrow lead at the Kinsale Dragon Gold Cup 2024 supported by Astra Construction Ltd. Race four got underway after an initial general recall and a line reset in glorious sun and a squally north westerly that ranged from the mid-teens to the mid-twenties. It was a cracker of a race with the results only decided right on the line.

Peter Gilmour took an early lead but was then constantly pressed by Portugal’s Pedro Rebelo de Andrade in POR89 First Things First, Belgium’s Xavier Vanneste in BEL82 Herbie, Britain’s Andy Beadsworth sailing TUR56 Provezza, and defending Gold Cup Champion Lawrie Smith in GBR815 Alfie. As the boats approached the finish line Gilmour looked good, but the day still had surprises in store, as Andy Beadsworth’s tactician Simon Fry explains:

“We had a very good start at the starboard end with Gilly [Peter Gilmour] and Lawrie [Smith]. The Aussies [Grant Alderson] made gains out to the hard right and a couple of people made gains out to the left. Gilly went to the top left and we kind of played the middled and rounded the top mark fourth. Luckily, we were on the inside, it favoured the gybe set so we got the gybe in. Then us and Gilly got away a little bit, but Xavier [Vanneste] was on our hip. If I’m honest we could have done with sailing a little bit lower and attacking Pedro [Rebelo de Andrade], but Xavier was thinking he would attack us. So Gilly escaped to about a 60m lead.

“We had a good second beat, closed in on Gilly, we both gybed and we beat him to the gybe back. We decided right gate, he went left. Coming away from the bottom mark, it was a small lefty, so we were straight back onto port and rotated inside Gilly. It became clear Gilly was a little bit exposed and we were worried about Pedro and the Aussies. Luckily Gilly dragged it back into the middle, because I think he was worried about Pedro, so it became a little bit of a shepherding job. Approaching the line a right came in and we were lucky enough to be on the right layline under Gilly and it was thanks very much and have a Guiness!” – Simon Fry, TUR12 Provezza.

As they came across the finish line Beadsworth narrowly pipped Gilmour for race victory with Alderson third, Andrade fourth, Vanneste fifth and Smith sixth.

In the overall standings Peter Gilmour has increased his lead over Lawrie Smith to six points. Today’s race win jumps Andy Beadsworth up into third, but tied on points with Michael Zankel who drops from third to fourth, while Pedro Andrade remains fifth.

In the Corinthian Division Spain’s newest Dragon team, ESP9 helmed by Javier Chacartegui, had a superb day to lead the Corinthians home and take eleventh overall. Jono Brown’s GBR753 Fit Chick was second with Dublin’s Neil Hegarty aboard IRL225 Phantom third.

After racing ESP9 crew member Leonardo Armas talked about his first Gold Cup experience – “We did it, we had a good race. A little bit windy, but we had a lot of fun. It’s our first Gold Cup and our first regatta in the Dragon Class. It was so hard because the wind was so strong, but I think we are improving a lot. We are trying to learn as much as possible, and we are sure that in the next regatta we will do it much better than this one. We’re looking forward to taking part in the Palma winter series, and our next big target is the Vilamoura Worlds next year.”

Also taking part in his first Gold Cup is Grant Alderson “This is my first Gold Cup. I’ve done a couple of local regattas at home, but nothing overseas. Today was interesting, we were able to just get off the line cleanly, play the shifts, play the compass and were able to be in the top bunch the whole way round the race.” His crew Emma Shand added, “We got lucky in some of the shifts. What’s wonderful about the Dragons is that the places change quite often within the fleet and that’s what keeps it interesting for the fleet and spectators, but we were really pleased with the result today.”

The Corinthian racing was somewhat marred by two of the teams being caught up in an incident at the first mark. Cameron Good’s IRL211 Little Fella and Colm Dunne’s IRL181 Ghost were on the starboard layline when another boat attempted but failed to force its way in on port. Dunne had no option but to take avoiding action and, in the process, caught Good’s backstay, bringing down the rig and leaving the two boats entangled. Both boats protested and requested redress, and each was given 10 points.

In the overall Corinthian standings Cameron Good has now moved into the lead ahead of Jono Brown with overnight leader James Matthews dropping down into third. Fortunately Good was well on the way to replacing his rig by the end of the day so he hopes to be back on the race course tomorrow.

One of the highlights of the Dragon Gold Cup is the Nations Cup team competition. After the first race the three top scoring boats from each nation are selected to represent their country. With four races completed the British Team of GBR402 Meteor (Peter Cooke), GBR815 Alfie (Lawrie Smith) and GBR610 Rackham (Mark Dicker) currently lead the Nations Cup by just nine points from Germany’s GER62 Desert Holly (Stephan Link), POR90 Easy (Michael Zankel) and GER1075 Grace (Hannes Hollander). In third place are the Netherlands team comprising NED309 Furie (Guus de Groot), NED393 Cobweb (Richard Blickman) and NED352 Hestia (Frank Van Beuningen).

There are a number of beautiful Classic Dragons racing this week, including the famous GBR192 Bluebottle, which was raced by the late Duke of Edinburgh. But perhaps the most interesting Classic Dragon on the water here in Kinsale is IRL45 Titan, which was built in 1969 by Borresens as DK450. Exactly fifty years ago this year she won the Dragon Gold Cup in Le Harve in the hands of legendary Dragon sailor Nick Truman. Gerry Owens brought her to Ireland in 1975, racing her regularly both at home and abroad for half a century, including winning the 1983 Irish National Championship. She underwent a partial refit in 2012 and was then purchased by her current owner Ben Cooke in August 2020 who undertook a major restoration, relaunching her in 2021. Sadly, Nick Truman passed away earlier this year, but we are certain that he would be proud to see Titan racing again in a Gold Cup half a century after his victory.

The conditions this week have been pretty extreme for a classic, but asked about how Titan’s regatta is going Ben said, “She’s staying mainly in one piece. We were pretty much last round the first mark today because we went the wrong way, and we got back up to the late 30s, so we count that as a success. Nothing broke, although it was pretty much on the limit for us, as we start to run out of boat stiffness at around 25 knots and she just bends, so the pumps get a workout. Owning a boat like Titan is a real honour and I like to think that her previous owners would be delighted to see her still competing on the international circuit.”

Two races remain to be sailed in the six-race series which concludes on Friday 13 September and with just 14 points separating the top five boats in this no discard series it’s still all to play for. The forecast for the penultimate day is for more potentially blustery north westerlies and sunshine, so the race committee has announced its intention to start race five at noon.

PROVISIONAL OVERALL TOP FIVE AFTER FOUR RACES

1st – JPN56 – Yred – Peter Gilmour – 7, 1, 4, 2 = 14 2nd – GBR815 – Alfie – Lawrie Smith – 4, 8, 2, 6 = 20 3rd – TUR12 – Provezza – Andy Beadsworth – 6, 13, 7, 1 = 27 4th – POR90 – Easy – Michael Zankel – 13, 3, 3, 8 = 27 5th – POR89 – First Things First – Pedro Rebelo de Andrade – 2, 21, 1, 4 – 28

PROVISIONAL CORINTHIAN TOP FIVE AFTER FOUR RACES

1st – IRL211 – Little Fella – Cameron Good – 20, 17, 18, 10(RDG) = 65 2nd – GBR753 – Fit Chick – Jono Brown – 37, 10, 11, 14 = 72 3rd – IRL219 – TBD – James Matthews – 26, 16, 5, 26 = 76 4th – NED309 – Furie – Guus de Groot – 10, 25, 25, 18 = 79 5th – GER1075 – Grace – Hannes Hollaender – 26, 9, 25, 29 = 89

FULL RESULTS

NATIONS CUP RESULTS

EVENT WEBSITE

All images copyright Yochi Yabe Photography

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Why was Novgorod a unique city in medieval Russia?

As the most prominent and powerful city of northwestern Rus in the Middle Ages, and being very popular with European merchants, Novgorod was unlike any other settlement in the lands of the Eastern Slavs during that era.

Traditionally, medieval Russian cities grew around the main fortress, which was the political and religious heart of the community. Novgorod, however, emerged from a union of three settlements inhabited by different Slavic tribes. For them, it became a “new city” – this is how “Novgorod” is literally translated from Russian ( Novy – “new”, and gorod – “city”).

In the 14th and 15th centuries, during its heyday as a commercial and political power, the city of Novgorod was officially known as Gospodin Velikiy Novgorod – literally “The Great Master Novgorod”. The city was almost an empire, controlling vast lands from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east, and from the White Sea in the north to the upper Volga in the south. After Kiev, it was the second most powerful city in medieval Rus.

Commerce: Making Novgorod great

Novgorod market in the 17th century

International commerce was the foundation of Novgorod's prosperity, which truly made it great and powerful. The local craftsmen – weavers and tanners, jewelers and glass blowers, potters and foundry workers, gunsmiths and locksmiths – were famous throughout the Russian lands. But Novgorod also did a brisk trade with Western Europe via the Baltic Sea trade routes.

By the end of the 13th century, merchants from the Hanseatic League developed strong trade relations with Novgorod. The Hanseatic League was the largest trade association of merchants from major German cities situated along the Baltic and North seas, but it also maintained four representative offices outside of the German-speaking world – in Novgorod, Bruges, Bergen and London.

Guests from over the sea, Nikolai Rerikh, 1901

The German merchants came to Novgorod to make wholesale purchases, and deals were concluded at the Hanseatic League's representative office. However, a merchant from any other Russian city couldn't enter the office's territory and make deals there.

European merchants were eager to come to Novgorod to sell prized luxury goods such as wine, expensive fabrics, ornamental stones, and precious metals. In return, Novgorod sold fine and precious furs such as squirrel, weasel, and sable. Novgorod also massively exported honey, leather, wax (which Europe needed to make church candles), and walrus ivory.

Boyar republic

Velikiy Novgorod

Novgorod’s political system was unique among the myriad of city-states and principalities of medieval Rus; it was ruled by a small circle of boyar families that owned huge fiefdoms both near the city and in remote northern lands. The title of boyar in Novgorod was hereditary, a fact that distinguished the city from the rest of Russia, where the title of boyar usually was bestowed upon military commanders who were close to the Rurikid princes. The fact that Novgorod was ruled solely by locally-born aristocracy was actually a prominent feature in the principality’s unique form of republican government.

READ MORE: Who were the Russian boyars?

Unlike the boyars in the rest of the Russian lands, the boyars of Novgorod weren’t military commanders. Rather, they were locally-born landowners and high-profile international traders who also were proficient in politics. The supreme authority in Novgorod was the Veche , a kind of parliament that included the wealthiest and most influential men in the city. The upper part of the Veche included at least 300 boyars – 14th century German sources report that the main assembly in Novgorod was called the "300 golden belts".

The Veche met in public on the square near the central market, and its convocation was announced by the famous Veche bell, a symbol of Novgorod’s freedom and independence. The veche was not unique to Novgorod, however, and it was also a feature of the political system in other cities of medieval Rus until the time when Moscow began to solidify control over the other principalities to form a centralized Russian state. Only in Novgorod did the Veche exist up to the 15th century.

The Veche was so powerful that it elected and could even expel the prince; it also issued laws, declared war and made peace, established taxes and duties. Also, the members of the Veche chose a posadnik , who was the managerial head of the city. He monitored whether the prince fulfilled the terms of the agreement with the city, as well as managed Novgorod’s possessions and was responsible for law enforcement, the courts, and even signed diplomatic treaties. The prince of Novgorod had to represent the city to the other Russian lands and was responsible for the city’s defense.

The political life of Novgorodians, however, was not limited to the central Veche; ordinary Novgorodians also had the chance to participate in the city’s local street and district veches. The boyars used these meetings to promote their interests and fight against their opponents.

The city’s religious authorities enjoyed great freedom ever since the people of Novgorod were able to secure autonomy for their archbishop. From the beginning of the 12th century, the Kiev bishop (known as a “metropolitan”) basically rubber stamped whatever candidate was proposed by the Novgorodians for this position. The archbishop had his own regiment for protection, participated in diplomatic negotiations and put his official seal on international agreements.

Liberty in princes

Yaroslav the Wise, Nikolai Rerikh, 1941-1942

Restriction of the rights of the princes began in Novgorod during the lifetime of Yaroslav the Wise (978 – 1054), who agreed to give special privileges to the Novgorod boyars vis-a-vis the prince in exchange for support in the struggle for control of Kiev. Novgorod did not develop a separate princely dynasty after the death of Yaroslav, because the city was at the source of the trade route "from the Varangians to the Greeks” and was closely connected with Kiev. When he died in 1054, Yaroslav the Wise bequeathed Kiev and Novgorod to his eldest son. As a result, the princely line that ruled Kiev usually chose a prince to rule in Novgorod, or Novgorod had the same prince as Kiev did.

In 1136, a rebellion in Novgorod led to the expulsion of the prince. From then on, the Novgorodians invited princes themselves and concluded a temporary agreement with them, according to which they could not interfere in the affairs of city management, change the highest officials and acquire lands on the outskirts of the Novgorod republic. In case of any violation of the agreement, the prince was expelled from the city, and the Veche selected a new candidate. Such changes more than once had a serious impact on the life of all the principalities of Rus.

Despite such treatment of the princes, all the major figures of Kievan Rus, who were the builders of the future united Russian state – from Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Monomakh – reigned in Novgorod before ascending the throne in Kiev. Symbolically, Novgorod was also the first place where Rurik reigned in Russia.

The most literate city in Russia

Birch bark letter #1

On July 26, 1951, archaeological excavations in Novgorod found the first letter written on birch bark, with a discernible text carved on the surface. In total, more than 1100 such letters were found in Novgorod and about 100 in other cities of medieval Russia.

The analysis of Novgorod’s birch-bark letters allowed scholars to reconstruct the everyday life of the city and its inhabitants over the course of the 11th to the 15th centuries, which was the golden era of the Novgorod Republic.

The texts on birch bark testify to widespread literacy among the people of Novgorod who wrote to each other often and on a variety of matters, where they discussed household affairs, commercial transactions, as well as court decisions and simply the local gossip. Both men and women were literate, which was unheard of for Western Europe at this time.

READ MORE: How did single women survive in Tsarist Russia?

The birch-barks showed that the position of women in Novgorod society was quite prominent, and they conducted their own affairs, concluded commercial transactions, dispatched their husbands orders, as well as appeared in court, including on financial issues; and in general were actively engaged in economic activity.

Among the letters there were also touching declarations of love, such as the famous letter written by an unknown young woman in the 12th century: "I sent to you three times. What evil do you have against me that you did not come to me?" Another birch-bark letter contains one of the first records of Russian cursing.

Novgorod's heroes, its tragic fall and legacy today

Sadko, Ilya Repin, 1876

Novgorod’s political structure and the nature of its economy created special cultural and real heroes. Unlike the characters of the Russian bylinas who spend their time lying on the stove and waiting for an opportunity to stand up for the fatherland, Novgorod's main hero, Sadko, who is a handsome man, as well as gusli player and merchant, is relentless in his pursuit of money and fame. He successfully swindles the sea tsar and wraps him around his finger, and once he is rich, he swears to buy up all Novgorod’s goods. In some versions of the legend he even succeeds.

Another atypical Novgorod hero, one not from a bylina but rather someone from real history, was the leader of the local resistance against Moscow. Marfa Boretskaya (or Marfa Posadnitsa because Marfa's second husband was a posadnik) came from an influential boyar family and owned vast tracts of land that were already in her family’s possession, as well as those lands that she inherited after the death of her first husband.

The taking away of the Novgorod Veche bell. Marfa Posadnitsa. 1889

When in the 15th century the Grand Prince of Moscow, Ivan III, began to unite the Russian lands by conquering other cities, Marfa entered into negotiations with the Lithuanian Grand Duke to propose a merger with Novgorod on the condition that it maintains its rights of autonomy.

READ MORE: How Russians executed... bells

Having learned about the negotiations, Ivan III declared war on Novgorod, and in 1478 the republic ceased to exist. As a sign of the abolition of Novgorod’s Veche, the famous bell was taken to Moscow, and the most promised townspeople were repressed. Marfa's lands were confiscated, and she herself soon died.

Nevertheless, while Novgorod has long disappeared from the map as an independent political entity, its legacy resonates today in the modern era. At the dawn of Russian history Novogorod accepted Rurik to reign, thereby laying the foundation of Russian statehood. Also, the city and its republican form of government showed that the path to rigid centralization and the absolute power of the Grand Prince was not the only possible political path for Russia.

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The Top 12 Things to Do in Novgorod, Russia

Russia as we think of it today has existed since the 16th century (excluding that pesky Soviet period) but the city of Novgorod has existed since the 9th century and was once one of Europe's largest cities!

Not surprisingly, a majority of activities in today's Novgorod relate to its long history of being more important, within and outside Russia, than it currently is. Here are the top 12 things to do in Veliky Novgorod, which translates to "Novgorod the Great" (and is not to be confused with Nizhny Novgorod, which sits over 600 miles away!).

Crash the Kremlin—No, Not That One!

Lite/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0

One thing you might not realize if you've never traveled to Russia is that (basically) every city has a Kremlin —the word roughly translates to "citadel." Novgorod's Kremlin, to be sure, is less ornate than the one you find in Moscow , but it also happens to be free. If you're visiting during a warm time of the year, you'll enjoy the Kremlin's proximity to the Volkhov River, which flows just outside its walls.

Rent a Bike—or Rollerblades

Though Novgorod's city center is relatively small and quite walkable, having a pair of wheels makes exploring the attractions yet to come on this list much faster (and, depending on the weather, more enjoyable as well). For a method of getting around that's as much of a throwback as some of Novgorod's ancient attractions, consider renting a pair of rollerblades.

Return to Where it All Began

User No 101/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0  

Novgorod is older than Russia-proper, having been founded in 859, nearly 700 years before the first Tsarist State. Physical evidence of this remains, and even if it's almost certainly re-constructed, you can see it with your own eyes. Rurikovo Gorodische sits just over a mile south of Novgorod's city center, and is generally regarded as the place where Novgorod began.

Celebrate a Different Sort of Millennium

When you hear the words "Russia" and "Millennium" in the same sentence, you probably hearken back to the hopeful energy that existed in the year 2000; when memories of Boris Yeltsin's hopeful presidency were more representative of modern Russia than Putin's shirtless horseback rides. Novgorod's Monument of the Millennium of Russia actually commemorates the 1,000 years of history that took place between the city's founding and the year 1862, when it was build.

(TIP: This is located within the Kremlin's walls, but you should think of it as a separate attraction.)

Go to Church(es)

A. Savin/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 3.0

Like most historical Russian cities, Novgorod is positively brimming with churches. Though you will probably succumb to "cathedral fatigue" long before seeing all of them, a few of Novgorod's houses of worship are among the top things to do in the city. Most notably, Yuriev Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage site , while the gold-and-silver domed St. Sophia's Cathedral is conveniently located inside the Kremlin.

Walk Through a City of Wood

Andrew Syria/Wikitravel Creative Commons/ CC BY-SA 1.0

The Vitoslavitsy Museum of Folk Wooden Architecture is located less than a half hour from Novgorod's city center, but it feels centuries away in terms of time. A collection of wooden houses from around Russia that were shipped to this site during the 1960s, the Vitoslavitsy Museum pays homage to a building style that was once the norm throughout Russia, but might well have been forgotten entirely if it wasn't for places like this.

Admire Novgorod from the Water

A Savin/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 1.0

What is it about Russian cities all being so close to beautiful bodies of water? Whether you take a boat tour on the Volkhov and watch the Kremlin reflect in it (TIP: This is a particularly good idea when the citadel is illuminated at night), or simply board a utilitarian boat taxi and enjoy views to whatever quotidian destination you're bound for, Novgorod is at least as enjoyable from the water as it is on land.

Feel Good During Festival Season

Ninaras/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY 4.0

Novgorod might lack the fanfare of Moscow and St. Petersburg, but it has its own special flair several times throughout the year. During summer, admire the traditional Russian costumes that locals wear as part of the Sadko festival. Or, if you're visiting earlier in the year (April, specifically) you can attend the King Festival , which spotlights local plays, dance performances and puppetry at several venues throughout the city.

Buy a Birch Bark Painting

Russia's innumerable birch trees are beautiful in their own right, but artists in Novgorod take them to the next level by painting beautiful landscapes right onto their bark. You can find many examples of this at the handicraft market at the city's Sennaya Square, which is a great spot for Novgorod souvenir shopping in general.

Get Out of Town

mlyutin/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY 2.0

There's plenty to do in Novgorod to keep you busy for a few days, but you can also choose from several day trips to spice up your itinerary. Head to Tver, a small city on the Volga River that actually once rivaled Moscow in terms of power and influence within the young Russian state. Or choose Pskov, whose own Kremlin is slightly more impressive than the one you find in Novgorod (though you'll have to go yourself to verify this subjective opinion!).

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My wife and I with 2 teenagers (2 girls 13 and 15) are coming to St.

Petersburg in May. We are going to book several tours with Best Guides Group. By the way, who ever heard about them? May be someone on this forum already used their service? I found them through Google and their website looks more than attractive. Among many other tours they advertise one day trip to Novgorod. They described Novgorod as a very outstanding place, almost "must see". The trip takes 10-12 hours and is rather expensive. I haven't seen any other companies who advertise such a trip. Does it really worth to see? We are going to spend in St. Petersburg 5 days and after it we are planning to visit Moscow for 2 days. Thanks for the suggestions.

If you are interested in Russian history, Novgorod is a must-see place. Much before St. Petersburg and Moscow, this was the principal kingdom of the ancient Rus, and offers great sights like Cathedral of St. Sophia.

Although I have not visited, I am also planning a trip to European Russia, and will be visiting Novgorod. Also, since Novgorod lies in between Moscow and St. Pete, you may choose to leave St. Pete in early morning, spend the day here, and leave for Moscow by the 9:20 pm train (please confirm).

Hope this helps. Regards,

For a family traveling with teenagers Novgorod trip is a nice choice - it is mainly outdoor. Children of any age usually like the open-air wooden architecture museum Vitoslavlitsy. While in St.Pete you will be almost overwhelmed with palaces and gold and imperial grandiose. Novgorod is exactly opposite - small, intimate, more "natural", easier.

It is an expensive day trip mainly because of the distance and time but it is worth it.

Unfortunately there are no regular trains to connect St.Petersburg and Novgorod - only commuter trains and buses. Both options are not comfortable especially if you travel with the luggage.

That's why due to the transport situation it is easier to book a day trip from St.Petersburg rather than stop in Novgorod overnight on the way to Moscow

Have a pleasant journey!

This post was determined to be inappropriate by the Tripadvisor community and has been removed.

I went to Novgorod for a couple of nights in oct 2010, its very easy to reach via a coach in st petersburg. Cost is cheap, i dont remember exactly but about $10 each way.

The Novgorod people are very friendly, its probably a nice place during the summer months.

If i had my trip again, i wouldnt visit Novgorod. There isnt alot to do there, there is so much to see and do in St Petersburg i would stay there instead.

Anyone else notice the creeky floor boards in every building in Novgorod? I renamed the place Cr-eeky Novgorod.

Volkhoz Hotel is ideally located but the rooms are awful. All part of the experience if you go though.

I've also been considering this, looks like a fantastic place.

It really is worth visiting, if you have enough time...you can plan the trip the way you first see Moscow or St.Pete, and then take a train to Novgorod - also great opportunity to enjoy the country side while on the train...Some travel agencies offer this kind of program, combining visits to different cities in Russia, giving you the opportunity to see the most interesting sights in Russia...

Hello Sasha23,

We are going to Russia this summer, and are also considering going to Novgorod for a day trip. We will be leaving from St Petersburg, taking the bus there, then the night train to Moscow. We would like to hear your experience. Did you go to Novgorod? How was it? How did your girls like it? We have a 10 year old son, so would like to know if Novgorod is interesting to kids..

Thank you for your reply!

I am considering using Davranov Travel in May for a one day trip to Novgorod as I am traveling solo. Does anyone have any more info on them?

They are favorably mentioned in a previous post.. http://www.davranovtravel.ru/en/

Can any one tell me where to join the one day trip to Novgorod and how much ? Thanks

I plan to do the opposite, go to Novgorod from Moscow and then to St Pete. How bad is that idea? Or rather take the train from Moscow to St Pete and take a day tour to Novgorod in another day?

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• September 11, 2023

By Gery Atkins

Last month was the Vela Classica Menorca and myself and the rest of the Viveka crew were absolutely delighted to take part again for the second year in a row and try and defend our first place in the big boat class . The lack of boats in this class, there being only three, did not matter a bit as the other two boats were none other than our old rivals the mighty Halloween and new rivals the majestic Mariska , both of which are great competition for Viveka to race against.

Day 1 saw a two hour delayed start due to very unstable weather conditions over Menorca with a series of isolated storm cells blowing through. For safety reasons, we did not get away until 3 pm. On the start line the wind had settled into an ENE direction of about 10 knots. The course was a loop around Bravo mark on the south side of the island leaving Isla del’ Aire to port on the way there and port on the way back.

With a short upwind leg to the offset mark we hit then line a bit too early and were forced away to the pin end leaving us as the most leeward boat. Halloween were in the middle and Mariska had a perfect start at the committee boat end. Once around the windward mark our giant A2 and Golly were set, we were ahead on Halloween and set about hunting down Mariska. Once through the gap between Menorca and Isla del’ Aire we gybed in shore whilst Mariska took a more offshore route. This paid off well and we got down to Bravo mark ahead of Mariska. However, the wind had lightened to 8 knots and with the big Jib, staysail and fisherman back up we could not hold on to Mariska who points like a hunting dog and loves the light airs. She increased her lead on us to Isla del ‘ Aire and all the way back up the harbor into Mahon to take line honors and beat us by roughly 1 min 30 on corrected time. Halloween bought up the tail very closely.

Day 2 began with some tired arms after a late day 1 finish. The wind was forecasted relatively light at 10 knots and building from a more easterly direction. The race committee set the same course as before except rounding a mark further along the south coast past mark bravo. Overall, it was 27 miles.

Halloween got off to the best start with us slightly to leeward of them. Mariska was quite late on the line. However, she made up for it by her extreme pointing and got to the offset mark first again with us right behind her. At the mark all boats were ready to ease sheets and reach down to the gap between the islands but a quick shift in wind to the south east saw us all upwind again and charging for the lead. Mariska and Viveka were neck and neck having close port and starboard crossings. However, a good call from our boat to stay close to the rocks saw us gain slightly on them and reach Isla del’ Aire first with Mariska 1 minute behind and Halloween 2 behind them.

The wind continued to haul into the south so no kites were set and Mariska clawed her way back into the lead as the wind dropped in her favor. Some time later at the bottom mark we decided to peel to the A3 and come back reaching with that. We also switched our J2 out for the J1 in case we were to be overpowered on the A3. Try as we might we could not regain our lead on Mariska and she pulled comfortably ahead. At the bear away with Isla del’ Aire to port we peeled from A3 to A2 and set the gollywobbler as well. I feel we regained a little on Mariska but the damage was done on the earlier light reaches and she sailed up the harbor to win by 3 mins on corrected.

Day 3 saw a predicted forecast of 10 knots from the south east and a new course to the north was set leaving a mark to port close to Isla de Colom and beating back to Mahon. If we could get a first today, then there was still everything to play for on the final day. Myself and the rest of crew were very optimistic.

On the start line Mariska’s helmsman carried out a perfectly executed hook on us forcing us into a quick tack to get back into a favorable position. This paid off as Mariska were a little early on the line and had to bear away with Halloween underneath them leaving us with clean air to get away fast. With two tacks up to the offset mark Halloween was able to hold off Mariska much to our delight and get round the buoy in second place, behind us. With our A2 and golly flying well we now had to keep in the patchy breeze that blew us northwards. But Mariska again was able to haul down both Halloween and us in the lighter airs. She pointed lower and faster than both Halloween and Viveka. We were able to hang on to our lead till the buoy rounding it to port in first place but as soon as we were upwind we again watched our hard earned lead slip away into the distance as Majestic Mariska outpointed and outperformed our own lovely schooner. There was a small gate that we had to pass through on the north side of the fort at the entrance to Mahon. I timed Mariksas and our passing and did a quick calculation taking into account the shortened course and by my dodgy maths we were still 20 seconds in the lead on corrected! I raised the crew and helmsman’s spirits and spurred them on for one final push and bit of fortune….. but alas, once again Mariska sailed off into the port of Mahon to take first over the line again and a victory of 3 mins on corrected. The trophy was theirs!

Day 4 we awoke to some stronger wind form the east of 20 knots. We on Viveka were raring to go as this was surely better conditions for us to beat Mariska. After a delayed start the race committee decided to cancel the racing for safety reasons. The regatta was done.

The big boat class stood third place Halloween, 2nd place Viveka and a well-earned first place for a beautiful Mariska! Congratulations to Dan and the crew! You sailed very well and deserve the glory!

Thank you to Jono and Sandra and the rest of the VCYC team for your continued perseverance and hard work in what is a great club that we are happy to be part of! See you in Cannes everybody.

Viveka. Out.

All images & videos: Gery Hatkins & The Viveka Crew

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