Posts by Zoe Whittaker

Season Opener 2024

The details of the season opener are here!

Z81 - a brand new Victory fit for the Class’s 90th year!

Commission a brand new Victory, Z81. Built by David Heritage in Cowes.

2024 Save the Dates!

2024 is a big year for the Class as we shall be celebrating our 90th Anniversary. To make the most of the year we have released a set of key dates for your diary’s

Victory Class 90th Celebrations

Save the date!

2024 is the 90th anniversary of the Victory Class and we are hosting a very special prizegiving…

Race Report - Tuesday 4th July - 2023 Visitors Race

2023 Visitors Race

Class Captain, Matt Salt, has organised a massive turnout for the visitors race but unfortunately couldn’t organise sunshine and champagne sailing…

Possibly the wettest race of the season (so far!)...a wet front came in at 1800 just as crews, helms and visitors were getting ready to go racing, this rain was soaking everything in sight and penetrating through all waterproofs, even the trusty MPX weren’t safe!

…. Fourteen Victories were forecast to race but two dropped out (Z76 and Z53), leaving a whopper turnout of twelve on the start line! With the wind and rain coming from the West, the course was set with a laid mark and Sapristi forming the start - KB p - Linington p - Gate KB p - Linginton p - PSC s - Finish at Suffolk Sails.

After a ten minute postponement to wait for the visitor on Z69, Tokyo 2020(+1) Olympian Eilidh McIntyre, the fleet got off to a fairly fast start with Z70 and Z74 leading the fleet. Z70 rounded the windward mark in first place and trundled off with their spinnaker to Linington.

The spring tide was pushing the fleet North and into the harbour entrance with boat passing between the nav aids before the wind swiftly died whilst everyone struggled to make it through the gate. Unfortunately Z67 was pushed into the channel and had to retire, Z68 promptly retired due to the soggy windless conditions. Z78 was wondering if the fleet would make it home in time for pizzas… ! Somehow Z74 kept moving and made it through the gate first (not before two squeaky tacks!), Z69 followed and then Z80, Z77 and Z75.

After a lot of bobbing and shivering - apparently it was July but temperatures felt like December - the wind filled in a smidgen and the remaining Victories crept towards KB. Thankfully Maxine on RIB Phame was on the water which allowed the course to be shortened and finished at KB.

The results were-

1st Z74 - Ross Partridge

2nd Z77 - Chris Fluett

3rd Z69 - Eilidh McIntyre

4th Z75 Oliver George Taylor

5th Z80 Dick Batt

6th Z78 Morgan Allan

7th Z54 Ben Holloway

8th Z73 Colin Church

9th Z70 Ben McInnes

Z67 RET - Neil O’Leary

Z68 RET - Ryan Deane

Z9 RET - Neil Millerchip & Stuart Evans

The OODs on Sapristi were Liz Ballard, Sid Dollery, Mike Ellison, Harry O’Leary and visitor Sarah O’Leary, plus rib support Maxine Reeves. The soggy sailors returned to Portsmouth Sailing Club and feasted on pizzas, cupcakes and beer.

Thank you to all the Victory owners for taking out a visitor and thank you to all the visitors for enduring a very very soggy race. We hope to have you back for future races, I can assure you we usually order sunshine !

See you on the water,

Zoe, Z78

Cowes Week Knowledge Share Session

Please see details about the Cowes Week knowledge share session

Race Report - Saturday 22nd April

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Prize Giving and Class Dinner 2022

ROLL UP! ROLL UP!!

Whilst we still have your attention from the Cowes Week antics, here are the details to celebrate the 2022 season in November.

Sign up early to keep the social team happy!

Preparation in full swing for Cowes Week 2022

With Cowes Week starting this Saturday all boats are pulling out all the stops as they get ready for the week ahead. Cowes Week is the highlight of the Class’s season, we have 11 boats entered this year and the forecast is looking good with a south-westerly breeze for most of the week. Z80 will be looking to defend their crown as overall winners for the week from 2021, but this is no mean feet as we have had 5 different winners in the last 5 years!

The public slipway in Old Portsmouth was busy this morning with 3 boats being pulled out for a good scrub and an extra coat of antifoul.

The yard was also a hive of activity with the Z69 getting the power tools out, we are not sure if this was last minute modification or crew training… all will be revealed next week.

One of many challenges of Cowes (other than hangover management) is knowing where you are going, so Crews are searching high and low for their copy of Winning tides (or will it be mid-fleet tides this year?) to help them navigate the Bramble bank.

It will be a busy week both on and off the water, with 7 races planned and 2 social events. On Saturday we have an informal BBQ in CCYC
and on Thursday we are holding our Class Dinner at the Island.

You can follow all the racing via the Cowes Week YouTube Channel which will be showing all the race starts live, our first start is at 1245 on Saturday of the
Squadron line. Race results will be posted every day, shortly after racing on the Cowes Week website and watch our Facebook page for the
race reports! Plus, do tune in to Cowes Radio, especially on Thursday as Liz will be live on air!

As always Cowes Week is looking set to be a great week and one the Class looks forward to every year. There will be some great racing around
the cans, and we’ll have just as much fun off it in the bars and pubs along the high street!