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Royal Thames Yacht Club Cumberland Cup – Day 2

by Richard Bundy
11-13 May 2012

Day 2 of The Royal Thames Cumberland Cup, supported by Audemars Piguet, dawned warm and sunny with a gentle northerly breeze of 10 knots – ideal team-racing conditions.

Having completed 19 out of 28 races on day 1, the Race Committee started racing as soon as possible, completing the first round-robin before moving on to a second, complete round-robin, the aim being to maximise the amount of racing time for all teams.

The lighter breeze enabled teams to engage in some very competitive team racing, as the team from Eastern Yacht Club noted: “We're battling from start to finish”, commented team captain Larry Ehrhardt. “The lead changes four or five times in a race with the finishes being pretty nail biting in most instances. The light air is really giving us a chance to race aggressively, which we love”.

The Race Committee took the decision not to use spinnakers, giving teams a further opportunity to focus on team tactics. The teams were unanimous in agreeing that this really added to the team-racing element of the competition as opposed to focusing efforts on boat-handling skills.

The Event is raced in RTYC-owned J80s from Queen Mary Reservoir; the racing venue proved to be, yet again, a resounding success. With facilities overlooking the water visitors, guests and racers were able to watch all the action, creating a really vibrant atmosphere in the clubhouse.

Results after Day 2: (end of round robin 1)

New York YC: 6 points
Seawanhaka Corinthian YC: 6 points
Eastern YC: 4 points
Southern YC: 3 ½ points
Royal Northern & Clyde YC: 3 points
Royal Thames YC: 3 points
Island Royals: 1 ½ points
Royal Perth YC: 0 points

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