Royal Southern Oyster Week Repeating the success of the last Royal Southern Oyster Week in 2010, a fleet of nine Oyster yachts in two classes enjoyed five days of great racing on the South Coast, 4th-8th July 2016. The Oysters assembled at the Royal Southern Yacht Club’s new Prince Philip Yacht Haven on 4th July. Commodore, Chris Mansfield, welcomed them all and commented on what a fine sight they were lined up outside the Club while the competitors set to the serious social side of the week with the Oyster Welcome Party.
WORDS BY COLIN HALL // PHOTOS BY OWNERS & CREW OF YOHOHO
Vortec Marine sponsored the two races on Tuesday, interspersed with a lunch stop in Osborne Bay. Wednesday opened with a surprise visit from David Tydeman on the magnificent Oyster 825, Reina. Racing was sponsored by Stella Maris Yachts and Dolphin Sails and, with a planned passage to Yarmouth and no wind, CRO Graham Nixon shortened course and moved the start line to Beaulieu. Having finished at the George Hotel buoy off Yarmouth, fittingly dinner was at The George after the day prizes were awarded by Chris Gillingham of Stella Maris at the Royal Solent YC. Overall, positions were very close with three separate winners in each of the three races in each Class. Thursday’s race was predominantly downwind and down tide to Cowes with some windward work in the Eastern Solent on the way and some close racing. As requested by the ladies, the fleet moored up in Cowes in good time to dress for the prize-giving and dinner on the platform at the Royal Yacht Squadron, with the day’s prizes presented by James Kellett of Pelagos Yachts. At this stage just one point separated each of the big boats, with a tie in Class 2, but a discard would kick-in on Race 5 back to Hamble. A multi-leg course around the Central Solent was set and the wind built to 25 knots as the day wore on. Back at the Southern, David Tydeman and ViceCommodore, Karen Henderson-Williams, awarded the day prizes at the champagne reception sponsored by Oyster. Overall and even after discards, the places were only a point apart in Class 1, won by Great Bear V, while a tie break was still necessary to place YoHoHo ahead of Mythos in Class 2. OVERALL RESULTS Class 1 Great Bear V Infiniti of Cowes Sotto Vento
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Class 2 YoHoHo Mythos Maverick Degree of Latitude Little Morten Adastra