IRC Classes join the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy

Image from the last Maktoum Sailing Trophy in 2008, copyright Jacques Vapillon.

by Sharon Allison

Two distinct elements form Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy this year; the first has already begun with the RC 44 Match Race, and the second, the IRC classes race will start in conjunction with the RC 44 fleet racing Thursday on a separate course in Mina Seyahi. Both organized by Dubai International Marine Club with the assistance of a full international Race Committee another eighteen boats will join the nine RC 44 teams.

There are three IRC class divisions split according to the size and weight of the boat with the largest boat at sixty feet in length and the smallest twenty-four feet. The wind tomorrow is expected blow up to eighteen knots and build towards the weekend with an early morning forecast on Friday of twenty two knots calming to nine knots in the middle of the day with predictions of twenty plus on Saturday. It all makes for interesting racing and for one of the teams, Go North, it will be quite an experience. All on board are below eighteen years old and skipper, Frederic Jacobs will be entering the Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy for the second time with a rookie crew as far as the Trophy is concerned. Taher Adil Ismail Mohd. Taher and Ahmed Ismail Mohd. Taher both from the UAE have been racing on Go North for two seasons with Frederic and have had many successes. They recently came first in the Jumeirah Regatta and were proud of the fact that they were the youngest competitors.

The IRC class boats had a practice race today in very light winds and racing will start at 10:00 on the 25th February with three days of fleet racing finishing with prize giving on the 27th February.

Entrants:
No. Yacht Name IRC No Skipper Name Owner Div
1 Drilling System 1.103 Francis Carr Francis Carr 1
2 Carrera Sun Glasses 1.156 Kristian Tzanov Kristian Tzanov 1
3 Yo! 1.238 Toby O' Connell Toby O' Connell 1
4 Team Premier TP 52 1.362 Hannes Waimer Hannes Waimer 1
5 Mattafix 1.049 David Rostant Gowen / Rostant / Thomson 2
6 TWISTER 1.020 Karen Rowlands Glywn Rowlands 2
7 Privateer 0.978 Matt & Bekky Britton Ed Bowen Matt , Bekky and Ed Bowen 2
8 Boracic 1.039 Calum Mckie Calum Mckie 2
9 MACE 1.010 Mike Jelfs Mike Jelfs 2
10 UNWIND 1.023 Dominique Leroux Emiliano Boccaletti 2
11 The Office 1.037 Michael Lawton Michael Lawton 2
12 Rush Knot 0.992 Phil Hosking Lee Turn Bull & Phil Hosking 2
13 VICTORIA (AMC TEAM) 0.868 Maxim Taranov Mikhail Rassudov 3
14 Go North 0.918 Frederic Jacobs Sh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan 3
15 DIMC 1 1.022 Peter Eldreige DIMC 3
16 DIMC 2 1.022 Conrad Schwindt DIMC 3
17 Kernowek 0.872 David Stuckey David Stuckey 3
18 Tosser 0.886 Bill Coutts / Tom Coldcott Tom Coldcott 3

Dubai International Marine Club