The Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club Regatta 2011 was held in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, between Friday 19th > Sunday 21th August; incorporated within it was the J105 Nationals 2011.

Photo credits to  www.jakesugden.photoshelter.com

After a windless 5^th weekend with no racing, the J/105 fleet went into the last race of the Warsash Spring Series with only a point between the first 3 boats, though Paul Griffith’s Fay-J having changed owners was sadly not racing.  Journeymaker, Java and Jos of Hamble all took clean starts towards the pin end and Java narrowly led at the first mark, but Journeymaker and then Jos slipping through early on the downwind leg as boats fought the IRC fleet for clean air.  Close racing followed, including a marginal spinnaker reach where planing in the gusts and waves gave thrilling J/105 conditions.  A long downwind leg gave Rob Dornton-Duff’s Java an opportunity to reclaim the lead, which she extended to claim the race and series by a single point to Chris Jones’ Journeymaker, and Clemency Ives driving Jos of Hamble finishing 3^rd.  Fay-J’s DNC was discarded to leave them in 3^rd in the series, and a big thank you and fond farewell goes from the class to Paul of his efforts as Class Captain.

After a break for Easter the Warsash Spring Series recommenced on Sunday 11 April in really testing conditions with a gradient North Easterly that varied in strength from 15 knots down to 7 knots and very variably in direction by up the 30%. An individual recall at the start at Flying Fish saw Java (Rob Dornton-Duff) return, but only after incurring a penalty and sadly Jos (Roger Williams) fail to return (ultimately finishing third on the water). Java despite having to return spotted the shifts well to reach the first windward mark just ahead of Journeymaker (Chris Jones) and Fay J (Paul Griffiths). There then ensued classic one design racing with the lead changing hands regularly between Java, Fay J and Journeymaker until a decisive break by Java on the long final beat up to Burgess Salmon, where again they seemed to get in sequence with the shift that noone else managed,, to win by a sufficient margin from Fay J to cancel out their one percent penalty. Great racing!