Half Ton Classics Cup 2025 at the Royal Torbay Yacht Club

by Nicky Symonds 14 Aug 23:40 NZST 2-8 August 2025

Day 1 - Racing Cancelled Due to High Winds

The Half Ton Classics Cup 2025 kicked off with a strong international presence, as teams from Belgium, France, Ireland, Norway, and Great Britain gathered in Torbay for a week of thrilling racing. Unfortunately, Day 1 was hit by fierce winds, gusting up to 38 knots, which forced the Race Committee to cancel all racing. While the conditions were too extreme for sailing, the competitors were undeterred. The event's opening was celebrated with a vibrant Pontoon Party, hosted by Peter Rutter (Quokka), where sailors shared stories of their travels to Torbay.

Day 2 - Sea Breezes, Sun, and Fierce Competition

The Race Officer Bob Penfold succeeded in getting four races under way on Day 2, including three windward-leeward races and a final race around the cans. The conditions provided exciting racing, with sea breezes of around 15 knots and plenty of tactical challenges.

• Race 1: An interesting first race saw a strong sea breeze over 15 knots. A 30-degree shift in wind direction caught several boats off guard. The class was in tight formation crossing the start line with Collector having to return after being called OCS. 2 Farr lead from the start and won the race.
• Race 2: After a general recall, the fleet had a clean start with all boats showing off their spinnaker skills. 2 Farr made an impressive recovery from second place to win the race.
• Race 3: Conditions started to build, with gusts and sunshine. The fleet split evenly across both sides of the bay. Despite Quokka's crew mishap (a member slipping off the boat), the team was quick to recover. Conditions changed on the reach back to the finish line causing several Half Tonners to broach in the gusting winds. 2 Farr won once again.
• Race 4: The day ended with a round-the-cans race. While there were few opportunities to change positions, it was a clean and competitive race, with 2 Farr taking another victory.

The day saw tight racing with only seconds separating the boats at the finish line. Racing continued the next day, with four more races scheduled.

Day 3 - AP to Champagne Sailing

A delayed start on Day 3 was a result of light winds, forcing the Race Committee to hoist the AP. By mid-morning, however, the sea breeze filled in, and four races were successfully completed.

• Race 5: On their first leg it was an even 50/50 split to the first mark. Surprisingly, 2 Farr did a hard left to port and it was Général Tapioca who were first to the mark closely followed by Superhero. By the second lap 2 Farr was first to the gate and won the race.
• Race 6: Champagne conditions greeted the fleet, with 10 knots of wind and sunny skies. Checkmate XV and Hullabaloo XV were OCS and returned to restart. There was an even split across the fleet with split gybes while racing down to the gate. 2 Farr took the lead early on, resulted in them winning the race overall.
• Race 7: The fleet started strong, but a premature start led to a general recall. After a clean restart, Harmony maintained the lead to take their first win of the day, with HeadHunter finishing closely behind.
• Race 8: The wind dropped to 7 knots with a 30 degree shift. This didn't stop the fleet starting in tight formation and enjoying good downward legs. Harmony won the race.

The day's racing featured tight competition, with 2 Farr and Harmony trading wins. The fleet demonstrated impressive skill, with competitors commenting on the close, competitive nature of the racing. The Race Committee's management was also highly praised for its timely decisions.

Day 4 - Long Race Along the Coastline

Day 4 saw the Half Tonners take on an offshore race, a 32-nautical-mile course that included a long reach to Emsstrom wreck, a stretch towards Dartmouth, and a return to Torbay. The conditions were perfect, with winds between 12-17 knots from the southwest.

The fleet started cleanly, with 2 Farr gaining a significant lead early on. Per Elisa commented, "The race was wet and wild! For the length of the race, it was great to see how many boats were so close together at the end. It was a lot of fun gybing between the kelp farm beds."

2 Farr finished first, taking just over 5 hours to complete the course. All boats completed the race within the time limit. The sailors had an excellent time tackling the challenging course.

Day 5 - Round the Cans to Finish the Regatta

On the final day, Race 10 started under light conditions, with an AP hoisted early on. A round-the-cans course was set, and the race started fiercely.

The fleet began the final race with an intense start, but the conditions soon settled with about 7 knots of breeze. Per Elisa took a commanding lead and held it throughout the race, finishing first with Quokka and 2 Farr following behind.

Due to light conditions the Race Committee made the correct decision to cancelled the final race. The Half Ton Classics Cup 2025 concluded with a celebratory Prize Giving and Dinner at the Imperial Hotel. The event was a fitting end to a successful regatta, with all participants enjoying the camaraderie and competition of the week.

The Prize Giving ceremony celebrated outstanding performances throughout the regatta:

• Ladies Trophy: Midnight X
• Vintage Trophy: Insolent
• Half Ton Corinthian Trophy: Harmony
• Half Ton Class True Spirit Trophy: Oplite
• Half Ton Classics Cup 2025 Winner: 2 Farr

This year's event saw the inclusion of several new boats, and it was a pleasure to welcome them into the Half Ton fleet. It was clear that the regatta had been an enjoyable experience for all, with family members also playing key roles as crew and support.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sai lNo	Division	Class	Corinthian	Ladies Trophy	BoatName	Nat	OwnerName	Helm	Club	IRCTCC	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	Pts
1st	IRL 2269	One‑Off	Modern			ARR	IRL	Patrick / David / Robert Boardman / Kelly	Patrick Boardman	BSC & RSC	0.957	1	2.5	1	1.1	1	1	‑3	2.2	1.5	‑5	11.3
2nd	GBR2769R	One‑Off	Modern			Per Elisa	GBR	John Darbyshire & Ed Bolitho	Paul Pullen	Royal Cornwall Yacht Club	0.956	‑4	2.5	‑4	2.2	2	2	4	3.3	3	1	20
3rd	IRL 1484	One‑Off	Modern	Corinthian		Harmony	IRL	John Swan	John Swan	HYC	0.948	3	4	2	4.4	‑5	3	1	1.1	6	‑11	24.5
4th	BEL 7548	One‑Off	Modern	Corinthian		General Tapioca	BEL	Philippe Pilate	Philippe Pilate	Brussels Royal Yacht Club.	0.949	‑7	1	7	3.3	3	4	6	5.5	4.5	‑12	34.3
5th	GBR 8185	One‑Off	Modern	Corinthian		Quokka 9	GBR	Peter Rutter	James Crew	RYS	0.941	6	‑7.5	‑9	5.5	7	6	5	6.6	13.5	2	51.6
6th	GBR 5694	One‑Off	Vintage	Corinthian		HeadHunter	GBR	Adam Ovington/Nathan Batchelor	Nathan Batchelor	Royal Northumberland Yacht Club	0.955	2	5	6	‑7.7	4	5	2	‑8.8	22.5	6	52.5
7th	IRL 2016	Production	Modern	Corinthian		CHECKMATE XV	IRL	Phil Cook	Phil Cook	CARDIFF BAY YACHT CLUB	0.944	5	6	5	6.6	12	‑13	7	‑17.6	12	13	66.6
8th	FRA6806	Production	Vintage	Corinthian		INSOLENT	FRA	Charles Benoit	Charles Benoit	Saint Hernot Yacht Club	0.885	12	10	3	‑13.2	6	12	10	‑15.4	16.5	3	72.5
9th	FRA8239	One‑Off	Vintage			DALTONER	FRA	Legrand Romain	Legrand Romain	VDP 29	0.944	8	9	‑11	9.9	8	10	9	‑14.3	21	4	78.9
10th	GBR 108	Production	Vintage	Corinthian		Hullabaloo XV	GBR	David Evans	David Evans	Walton and Frinton Yacht Club	0.913	9	11	13	8.8	11	‑14	13	(DSQ)	9	8	82.8
11th	FRA8330	One‑Off	Modern			OPLITE	FRA	Louis Hubert	Louis Hubert	Yacht Club de Granville	0.944	‑18	12	10	‑16.5	13	7	12	7.7	15	7	83.7
12th	BEL1633	One‑Off	Vintage	Corinthian		Farther Bruin	BEL	Jan‑Jakob Muyls	Jan‑Jakob Muyls	VYN	0.908	15	16	‑17	11	14	9	8	4.4	10.5	(DNF)	87.9
13th	GBR 5384	One‑Off	Modern	Corinthian		SUPERHERO	FIN	Toni / Janne Stoschek / Tulokas	Toni Stoschek	RORC	0.956	14	15	(UFD)	14.3	9	8	11	11.6	7.5	‑16	90.4
14th	FRA8797	One‑Off	Modern	Corinthian		Freelance	FRA	Charles‑Marie Le Bihan	Charles‑Marie Le Bihan	Yacht Club de Roscoff	0.924	10	13	‑16	12.1	15	11	‑16	9.9	18	14	103
15th	FRA9060	One‑Off	Vintage	Corinthian		Collector	FRA	Mathys Delbaere	Mathys Delbaere	Brest Bretagne Nautisme	0.924	13	14	12	‑15.4	10	‑15	14	11.6	19.5	9	103.1
16th	BEL 8444	One‑Off	Modern	Corinthian		Halfajet	BEL	Bernard Coppens d'Eeckenbrugge	Charles Edward Poncelet	BRYC	0.947	11	7.5	8	‑19.8	‑16	16	15	13.2	24	10	104.7
17th	NOR4525	Production	Vintage		Ladies Trophy	Midnight X	NOR	Ellen Sundby	Ellen Sundby	HTCN	0.906	16	‑17	15	‑18.7	17	17	17	16.5	25.5	15	139
18th	GBR4080T	Production	Vintage	Corinthian		Crakajax	GBR	Richard & Ursula HOLLIS	Richard HOLLIS	Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club	0.902	17	‑19	14	17.6	18	18	18	‑19.8	27	17	146.6
19th	BEL503	Production	Modern	Corinthian	Ladies Trophy	Sea You 3	BEL	Janssen Bert	Janssen Bert	KLYC	0.943	19	18	18	‑22	20	19	20	‑20.9	30	18	162
20th	FRA9010	Production	Vintage			PICHENETTE	FRA	Yann PRIGENT	Yann PRIGENT	YCRB	0.917	‑20	20	19	‑20.9	19	20	19	18.7	28.5	19	163.2

Looking Ahead: Half Ton Classics Cup 2026

The Half Ton Classics Cup will return next year to Hankø, Norway, hosted by the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club from 1-7 August 2026. The invitation for next year's regatta will be sent out in September, with more details to follow during the Half Ton Class Europe annual meeting in Antwerp on 22 November.

We'd like to thank the Royal Torbay Yacht Club for their excellent organisation and hospitality, the Race Committee for their dedication, and, of course, the competitors who made this event one to remember.

See you next year in Hankø!