The CBYA has entered TOM28 yachts into the 5 Clubs Regatta at Calpe on numerous occasions in the past, but due to the unfavourable TOM28 ORC rating, we have to race in the ORC-B class, and have never been able to compete against the bigger yachts. The best results have always been achieved in very light winds conditions with flat seas – we once managed to finish 5th!
Click HERE to see video from S/Y Blade. Look out for the TOM that tacked right in front of them at the start without even looking before the tack (not a CBYA boat)!!!
In order to encourage increased TOMs participation in this event, the CBYA asked the Real Club Náutico Calpe (RCNC) to arrange for the TOMs to be re-rated. They felt that this was an unjustified cost, but instead suggested that we could set up a separate TOMs Class in the 5 Clubs Regattas at Calpe, provided we could jointly enter a minimum of four TOMs. After some effort, the CBYA managed to put together two TOM crews, and RCNC arranged for two crews from the Club Náutico Altea and the Club Náutico Javea to also race. We therefore had our minimum of four TOM entries and could race in our own class for the first time! This meant that we could race each other, on the same shorter course as the ORC-C class, and no longer had to compete against the larger yachts.
The fleet of 25 – 30 yachts all started the race at the same time, with the much smaller TOMs getting swamped on the Calpe start line as usual. We then raced to a windward mark, before racing down the coast to round the Albir fish farm, and beating back to the Calpe finish. We experienced extremely variable conditions during the 2.5 hour race, ranging from virtually no wind, to up to force 3 -4!
The TOMs class was won by Club Náutico Javea, with the CBYA TOM crewed by Hugh Epsom, Ian McKay, Paddy Bettesworth & Gary Mudge finishing second.
The Club Náutico Altea TOM was third, and the the CBYA TOM crewed by Al Mason, Monique Neyzen, Phil Bethell & Peter English were a close fourth.
Great day of sailing, enjoyed it!
The Javea crewed Tom28 just beat us on Blade over the line. Not sure if they did their penalty as they tacked onto a port tack just over the line and we had to bear off to avoid a collision !!
Well done TOMs sailors!!
Enhorabuena CBYA TOMS. . Very well done in strong winds out on the open sea!!