Kempe is King of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club's Race Week

Three final class winners crowned in Bermuda International Invitational Race Week


The 400th anniversary trophy for the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club's Race Week. Image copyright Charles Anderson.

by Talbot Wilson

Somers Kempe (Bermuda) made a clean sweep of all three top prizes in the IOD class today with another sterling performance on a sparkling Bermuda day. Under bright sun and with a gusty 16 kt north wind, the IOD class had only one race to complete their full thirteen-race series. Kempe won the seven-race IOD ‘A’ Series, the six-race IOD ‘B’ Series and wins the thirteen-race Vrengen Gold Cup overall series, too. Crew for the winners included Craig Davis, Grant Valentine, and Matthew Cairney.

Kempe and Crew also have won the special 400th Anniversary Celebration Trophy for beating the second place overall boat by the biggest margin of any of the fleets. This prize is being awarded to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Bermuda’s settlement.

In the ‘A’ Series Hubert Watlington was second and Kevin Farrar came third. Joining Kempe on the podium for ‘B’ Series prizes were co-skippers Patrick Cooper and William McNiven (Bermuda) in second and Dan Faria (Newport, Rhode Island) in third. For the overall series co-skippers Hubert Watlington and Kevin Horsfield came second, followed by past IOD world champion Kevin Farrar (Connecticut) in third.

In the International Etchells Class eleven-race series, local Bermuda skipper Tim Patton with crewmates Peter Martin and Paul Fisher took the K.F. Trimingham Trophy without sailing the final race. With a drop of seven points for not sailing, Patton still had an unbeatable lead. Californian Ed O’Sullivan and Bermudian Ben Nichols went into the final race tied for second. Today, Nichols got the best of it coming second in the class with a second place in race eleven versus a fourth for O’Sullivan who took third.

The J24 group sailed two final races today to complete their thirteen-race series. Trevor Boyce with crew Carlton Adams, Samantha Mallory,Gary Taylor, Jorge Chiapparro and (r) Anna Kinsten held on to the lead that they took into the day’s action and with a 2-1 score won the J24 Gipper Trophy, for the second year in a row, with nine points to spare. Sixteen year old Lance Fraser and his all-Bermudian, all-16 year old crew held on to second place, two points ahead of Tim Lynch. The top three J24 teams were all from Bermuda.

From Thursday's finals:
Peter Vessella won the Lasers by a point while Team ‘Not Mine’ sailed away with third straight J105 prize

Thursday Peter Vessella completed in his first Bermuda International Invitational Race Week and took the Laser’s Race Week Championship trophy home to San Diego California.

Vessella earned it the hard way by defeating perennial Race Week winner Malcolm Smith by a single point after eleven races. Brett Wright was third just five points behind.

In final class action on the Alpha course, ‘Not Mine’, skippered this year by Alan Williams, won the series and the B. W. Walker Memorial Trophy without having to sail the final race. This is the third consecutive Race Week class win for the ‘Not Mine’ crew. Four Bermudians have co-owned two J105’s named ‘Not Mine’ because when their wives asked them whose boat it was they all said, “Not Mine.”

About the 2009 Bermuda International Invitational Race Week

The 2009 Bermuda International Invitational Race Week is sponsored by Bermuda Premium Spirits Limited, local distributors of Bacardi® rum. Racing will be held on two courses. The Keelboats- IODs, J105s, International Etchells class and J24’s- will be on the Alpha course. Lasers will sail the Bravo. Global competitors will represent Australia, Sweden, Norway, Canada, US and the UK against the usual strong contingent from the Bermuda classes.

Racing starts at 1100hrs on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for both courses. The ‘Bacardi Gras’ Celebration on Race Week’s ‘Bat Tuesday’ leads into a ‘No Race’ day on Wednesday, just right for international guests to enjoy the sights and non-sailing activities of Bermuda. The ‘Bacardi Gras’ Bat Tuesday party is open to competitors and the public.

Bacardi also presents a daily prize at the RBYC Terrace Bar post race party. THE BACARDI SAILING SPIRIT PRIZE, for the day’s significant sailing achievement, is awarded ceremoniously each afternoon.

The Prize Giving Party at RBYC concludes Race Week on Friday the 24th of April. In addition to the fantastic sailing competition, the week is sprinkled with fleet parties.

Inaugurated by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in 1927, Bermuda International Invitational Race Week has become an established international yachting fixture each spring - attracting top skippers from all over the world. Bermuda Premium Spirits Limited, local distributor for BACARDI® rum, is the sponsor and has been for the past nine years. All classes with an active local racing program in Bermuda may invite international sailors to participate in the 2009 Bermuda International Invitational Race Week. International participation is required for a fleet to compete.

RBYC