Hyde Sails Squib Gold Cup 2024 at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club
by Petru Balau 6 May 14:55 BST
4-5 May 2024
Jack Grogan and Chris Agar, sailing on Helmut Shoing II, 105 won the 28th edition of the Squib Gold Cup at Royal Corinthian Yacht Club © Petru Balau Sports Photography / sports.hub47.com
Jack Grogan and Chris Agar, sailing in Helmut Shoing II, 105, won the 28th edition of the Squib Gold Cup, hosted by Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, over the Early May Bank Holiday, 4th and 5th of May, 2024.
21 boats competed over two days of perfect sailing conditions, with the easterly wind, 14 knots, gusting 17, allowing the Race Officer, Edwin Buckley and his Team Phoeby, to run smoothly the 7 races scheduled without too many issues.
Hyde Sails, the sponsors of the 28th edition of the Gold Cup, have a long running history with the Squib class and as one of the chosen sailmakers have supplied and supported the class for many years.
After a quick course alteration, due to wind direction change, the start of the first race saw Jack Grogan and Chris Agar, on Helmut Shoing II 105, take an early lead, which they kept to the end for the win.
They were followed by David Hyde and the helm du jour, Steve Hall, in Sophie 846 and Micky Wright and Alex Porteous in Spoof 811.
The second race started with a bit of a disaster for Jack and Chris, being OCS, but they took advantage of the clear air away from the fleet and worked their way up to second.
Micky and Alex took the first with Duncan Grindley and Julia Batchelor, in Surprise 760, finishing on 3rd.
Big heartbreak for Chip Cole and David Smith, in Dark n Stormy 787, who, despite being first over the finish line, were OCS.
Jack and Chris started the last race of the day with a cheeky port flier over the entire fleet, taking an early lead which they kept to the end.
Eventually, Micky and Alex distanced themselves from the pursuing fleet to join Jack and Chris at the front of the race, taking the second place, for Jack's first.
The tussle of the middle fleet was won by Chip and David, for the 3rd place.
Special mention needs to go to Royal Corinthian Yacht Club Otter Nathan Flynn, helming for Ian Simmons in Cheque Mate 157, who not only beat his dad, Mark Flynn, in Shifts & Giggles 848, but finished the first day on a well deserved 11th.
The first day activities concluded with a well attended Mexican dinner at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, with more than 120 people attending, followed by an entire night of DANcing, at Royal Burnham Yacht Club, to celebrate the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club Squib class captain, Dan Wastnage, 60th anniversary.
The first race of the second day saw the first and only, an uncommon sight for the Squib Fleet, general recall, due mainly to the tide.
The wind and tide conditions gave competitors quite a few tactical choices, with many boats yoyoing up and down the fleet on the downwind legs.
With the fleet adjusting to the conditions, the race was restarted under an U flag and had What's The Story 779, Nic Tolhurst, Ross Corbett and Carlos, the inflatable cactus, along with Duncan and Julia round the windward mark first, followed closely by Micky and Alex and Chip and David.
The group distanced themselves from the rest of the fleet and after a closely fought race, Micky and Alex took the win, Duncan and Julia came second, Nick, Ross and Carlos finished on third and Chip and Dave on 4th.
The second race of the day was won by Steve and Dave, on Sophie 846, followed by Malcolm and Jackie Hutchings, in Lady Penelope 819 on second, and Jack and Chris on 3rd, with Phil Aspinall and Dave Sheppard, on Guy Fawkes 72, taking the 4th, their best result of the day.
The third race of the day and 6th overall saw Jack and Chris take their 3rd win of the event, followed by Micky and Alex in second and Malcolm and Jackie in third.
With everything left to fight for, the last race saw the fleet engage in luffing battles across the board, with Malcolm and Jackie emerging as winners, followed by Jack and Chris in second and Ray Apthorp and Trevor Bowden, on Nemesis 806 taking the third.
The overall winners were Jack Grogan and Chris Agar, in Helmut Shoing II, 105, followed by Micky Wright and Alex Porteous, in Spoof, 811 and Steve Hall and David Hyde, in Sophie 846.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Boat Name | Sail No | Helm Name | Crew Name | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | Helmut Shoing II | 105 | Jack Grogan | Chris Agar | WMYC/DSC | 1 | 2 | 1 | ‑5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 2nd | Spoof | 811 | Micky Wright | Alex Porteous | RCYC | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ‑11 | 2 | 5 | 14 |
| 3rd | Sophie | 846 | Steve Hall | David Hyde | RCYC | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 5 | ‑12 | 28 |
| 4th | Lady Penelope | 819 | Malcolm Hutchings | Andy Carley | RCYC | 9 | 7 | ‑10 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 31 |
| 5th | Surprise | 760 | Duncan Grindley | Julia Batchelor | Cowes Corinthian YC | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | ‑11 | 4 | 31 |
| 6th | Nemesis | 806 | Ray Apthorp | Trevor Bowden | RCYC | 4 | 11 | 4 | ‑16 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 33 |
| 7th | Dark n Stormy | 787 | Chip Cole | David Smith | RBYC | 5 | (OCS) | 3 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 36 |
| 8th | Buccaneer | 20 | Emma Prime | Samuel Prime | Royal Victoria YC | 8 | 6 | 8 | ‑10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 46 |
| 9th | Artemis 2 | 36 | Philip Rust | Chris Rust | Brightlingsea SC | 10 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 8 | ‑13 | 13 | 53 |
| 10th | What's The Story | 779 | Ross Corbett | Nic Tolhurst | RCYC | 6 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 13 | 14 | (DNC) | 56 |
| 11th | Guy Fawkes | 72 | Phil Aspinall | Dave Sheppard | RCYC | ‑16 | 14 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 8 | 62 |
| 12th | Firework | 192 | Dan Wastnage | Andy Dodd | RCYC | 13 | 10 | ‑17 | 7 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 66 |
| 13th | Humphrey | 823 | Robert Coyle | Nigel Grogan | RCYC | 12 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 7 | 12 | (DNC) | 69 |
| 14th | Squabble | 854 | Ian Scott | John Martin | RCYC | 14 | (NSC) | 12 | 14 | 19 | 8 | 10 | 77 |
| 15th | Nenuphar | 619 | Portia Hutchings | Jo Tribe | RCYC | 18 | 12 | ‑19 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 85 |
| 16th | By The Lee | 868 | Jason Phelps | Carl Anderson | RCYC | ‑19 | 19 | 18 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 6 | 86 |
| 17th | Zoom | 167 | Keith Gilmore | Kirsty Wantsome | RCYC | 17 | 17 | ‑21 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 16 | 90 |
| 18th | Atalanta | 815 | Gavin Kemp | Nick Milton | RCYC | 15 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 17 | (DNC) | 94 |
| 19th | Cheque Mate | 157 | Ian Simons | Nathan Flynn | RCYC | 11 | 8 | 13 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 101 |
| 20th | Shifts & Giggles | 848 | Mark Flynn | Jonny Beal | RCYC | 20 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 19 | (DNC) | 105 |
| 21st | The Black Pig | 727 | Ben Luddington | Chris Brown | RCYC | ‑21 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 113 |
| 22nd | Squib | 11 | Dick Batt | Pete Richards | Royal Victoria SC | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 138 |
The event finished with the Prize Giving Dinner, a delicious 3 course meal provided by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club chefs, which saw the Gold Cup awarded to the winners, along with the holdalls graciously sponsored by Hyde Sails, to helms and crews of the top 3 boats.
The other important moment of the evening was the presentation of the Dick of the Day jacket, an award presented to the winner based on a good story, not necessarily encumbered by facts.
One of the nominees was Nigel Grogan, for crewing Robert Coyle to the bottom part of the fleet, yet the winner was Phil Aspinall for graciously allowing most of the fleet to pass him at the windward mark, while having a break, head to wind.
The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club is eager to host the Squib fleet again, towards the end of the month, for the second part of the Squib MAYhem, the East Coast Championship, to take place over the weekend of 25th and 26th of May.