Drawing Inspiration from the Past - Cherbourg Race

18 september 2019 - Months ago we sailed the RORC East Coast Race and associated EAORA Sunk Race, earning a nice result. The race originated from West Mersea Island, long ago .......

a lawless bastion of buccaneers and smugglers -- but still retaining a certain independence and pace. Hence the trophies slowly made their way to us, first making a voyage back to Belgium like ill-gotten treasure, and finally arriving in Cowes - in time for us to collect them and bring home to Holland after this weekend’s classic Cherbourg Race.

This morning the Cowes RORC office I signed my life away for the two valuable permanent trophies, a venerable silver cup and tankard, etched with the names of past winners, top yachts of bygone times and contemporary high-tech speedsters.

The top ‘big boats’ have vied for the Blackwater Cup since the 1960s, and the same name is neatly engraved for 1965 as well as 2014. Piet Vroon and his ‘Tonnerre’ series of raceboats have consistently won, while helping to move our discipline forward with new and innovative sailboats (all named ‘Tonnerre de Breskens’ -- while also demonstrating top level teamwork and exemplary sportsmanship. Dear old Maverick managed to win the cup in 2016, and now Double Edge will be added to this illustrious list for 2019. Very humbling, and a reminder of the long history of our sport and our appreciation of those who moved the sport forward like Piet.

Similarly the top Big Boat in the Sunk Race captures the Mulberry Tankard, and the East England version of Piet Vroon, Richard Matthews and his run of outstanding ‘Oystercatcher’ racers, first won it in 1982 and again gained it as recently as 2014. This year we managed to win the Tankard on corrected time, but remain in awe of a team like Oystercatcher that can perform at the highest level across 4 decades.

Ken Parsons and I are readying Double Edge to set off this evening on our RORC season-closing Race, as 75 mile overnight ‘sprint’ from Cowes to Cherbourg. A strong field has entered in this classic race, with a groaning table of cups, tankards, bowls and plates (and French food) awaiting as at the finish. We hope to put our Fastnet retirement behind us, draw some inspiration from these trophies and the celebrated names on them, and perhaps add a piece of silver to our Pirate’s haul from England.