Press Release - 27 May, 2003

Race1 Ker 11.3s competed in four different events over the holiday weekend of 24th to 26th May, in both IRC and IRM competition in different parts of the country. This included the JOG Deauville Race, the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series on Loch Fyne and the IRM Championships in the Solent, and on the East Coast the Port of Felixstowe Regatta. As one would expect from the previous spectacular results under both handicap rules, the 11.3s either won or were in very close contention in each event.

In the JOG Deauville race, Race1 Ker 11.3 Class Chairman Anthony Richards not only won Class 3 for the bigger boats with Minnie the Moocher, but also comfortably won overall across the whole fleet of more than 40 boats, thereby winning the prestigious Coupe de Normandie.

In the very competitive racing of the IRM Championships, conditions allowed the bigger boats to dominate, but John Shepherd's Fair Do's V split the Farr 52s to take second place overall, also finishing ahead of all the IC45s and Farr 40s. This was a fantastic performance and follows on from Fair Do's V winning the IRM Class in the Red Funnel Easter Challenge and also winning both IRC Class 0 and IRM Class 1 in the RORC Cervantes Trophy race (with Nick Hartshorn's El Gringo second in both classes to make a Race1 Ker 11.3 one, two). What a start to the season!

In Scotland, Hamish Mackay and his team chartered Michael Cover's Blue Belle, winner of the last race in the 2002 Commodore's Cup. Despite not having sailed an 11.3 before and not having much preparation time, they won one of the races and were in close contention for one of the podium positions throughout the series in the hard fought IRC Class 1. Lying third equal on points going into the last day, a last race fifth meant they finally had to settle for fourth overall, just two points out of third. However, they also had the satisfaction of winning the Tarbert Shield for being first boat home in the offshore race and the Crawford McInnes Trophy for having the best young crew member.

Finally in Felixstowe, David Pinner helmed his boat Cracker to win the Port of Felixstowe Regatta Cup and Series.