Regates Royales 2019

The 41st Regates Royales, organised by the Yacht Club de Cannes, will be held on 22nd to  28th September 2019 in Cannes, France.  This year, the organisers have included a division for "classic" One Tonners, being those "yachts designed or built from January 1965 of 22ft RORC minimum rating for yachts built before 1971, including One Tonner having participated in 1965/1966 editions having a design or construction prior to 1965, and 27.5ft rating minimum IOR for yachts built between 1971 and 1976 (yachts produced industrially from IOR plan are not allowed)". The regatta will use the ORC measurement system, and  more details can be seen on the event website here.

Doug Peterson's breakthrough One Tonner Ganbare, now owned and sailed by Don Wood, has competed in this regatta with some distinction over previous years.  The attached photographs were taken last year when she flew her new downwind sail wardrobe, including a modern take on the blooper.  The blooper was built by Peter Sanders, of Sanders Sails of Lymington UK - Classic Sails Division.  Sanders has been making sails since the 1970s and so his loft has a lot of experience in IOR sailplans, and made the remainder of Ganbare's sails which have helped Ganbare to victory in the Panerai Med Classic Challenge two years running.  

Wood notes that two of his crew used to race in the heydays of the IOR, so have had some fun recalling and using their skills in the optimal setting of a blooper sail, which involves trimming not just the sheet, but the halyard and tackline as well, while also trimming the spinnaker sheet and brace!

An earlier article noting a new allowance for bloopers under ORR can be seen here.