Sailing Spectacle Begins at South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club

Image Source: 76th Edinburgh Cup 2024 Race 1 winners Bluebottle GBR 192 © Emma York

The 76th Edinburgh Cup at South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club kicked off on Tuesday, July 9th, and it’s already shaping up to be an exciting event! Sponsored by The Warren Resort & Spa, this year’s cup brings together a fleet of 30 Dragons from Great Britain, Ireland, Portugal, and Japan.

After a three-hour delay due to poor conditions, the fleet finally set sail for the first race. The strong ebb tide and a south-westerly breeze caused a general recall at the start, but the Dragons got off cleanly on the second attempt. Many boats opted for a hard beat into the Abersoch shore to take advantage of the tide, which paid off for Graham Bailey in Bluebottle GBR 192. He led the fleet to the windward mark and maintained his lead to the finish line, securing the first race win of the Edinburgh Cup.

The downwind leg saw a split strategy, with some boats staying right and others hoping to gain from a reaching angle. As the wind eased further, the final beat proved crucial, with many positions changing hands. Ultimately, Bluebottle crossed the line first, claiming the victory.

Owen Pay, helming Furious GBR 777, took fourth place and was the top Corinthian of the day. He described the challenging conditions: "Today was hard. Hard keeping the boat going, keeping concentration, keeping the boat moving, and just looking out for those little increases, a puff of one knot that made all the difference."

Denis Bergin and his team on Sir Ossis of the River IRL 161, who finished fifth, also found the conditions tough. Bergin commented, "Today was trying, light, hard going in the boats, hard to keep the boat tramping along. We got a good start, stayed out to get clear air and managed to stay ahead of the big pack and that helps. We hope we have more wind tomorrow and the rest of the week too. We hope for stronger winds."

Race 1 Results:

1. Bluebottle GBR 192 - Graham Bailey, Julia Bailey, Will Bedford, Killian Boag
2. Jerboa GBR 831 - Gavia Wilkinson-Cox, Mark Hart, Jake Hardman, Ffion Wood
3. Alfie GBR 815 - Lawrie Smith, Goncalo Ribeiro, Ruairidh Scott, Martin Wrigley
4. Furious GBR 777 - Owen Pay, Chris Brittain, Tom Hicks
5. Sir Ossis of the River IRL 161 - Denis Bergin, Joey Bergin, Rory Byrne
6. Ran GBR 430 - Crispin Blythe, Charlotte Jones, Neil Pavley, Hugh Blythe
7. Sleeping Beauty GBR 704 - Peter Marchant, Andy Biddle, Pete Richards
8. Louise GBR 833 - Grant Gordon, Luke Patience, Elliot Hansen, Faye Chatterton
9. Flotation GBR 790 - Richard Davies, Martin Payne, Emma York
10. The Knucker GBR 808 - James Budd, Geoff Edwards, Christopher Thorn

Races two and three are scheduled to run as planned on Wednesday, July 10th, with the first race warning signal at 10:55.

Full race results can be viewed at www.britishdragons.org/76th-edinburgh-cup-results

Stay tuned for more updates!