2023 Cruiser Fleet Report
The RYYC handicap class enjoyed a full calendar of racing throughout the season, featuring both bay racing and coastal races, primarily to Filey and back. This year, the class adopted the newly developed YTS handicap system from the RYA, which proved to work well across the diverse range of boats, from Contessa 26s to the Elan 33 Diva.
The season kicked off with the Top Dog All Class Pursuit, including Dart cats from Blyth Park. The race was won by Aquaholic, with Mike Abbey and his regular crew setting the pace for the season.
The weather in 2023 was quite variable, often presenting either very little wind or, at times, too much for some. Despite this, there were few cancellations, and all races in the coastal series went ahead. The Filey course always presents challenges with varying wind strengths and directions, tidal conditions, and landmass configurations. Garry Kaye in Sunfire emerged as the overall winner of the coastal trophy.
The Aimee race faced poor conditions and was postponed, later included in the next available coastal race. Sunfire won this race as well, thus lifting the Aimee trophya popular victory.
The Sherriff Loft Trophy, awarded to the oldest helm, was also won by Garry Kaye, adding another piece of silverware to his collection. Given the nature of this award, it's likely Garry will continue to hold this title as long as he keeps sailing!
The mid-season evening races saw low attendance, but the club experienced a good turnout for the annual lifeboat exercise evening. This involved yachts, powerboats, and the local coble society, with most boats hosting a sea cadet or two to rescue "Dead Fred," the lifeboat's floating casualty. Each boat performed the rescue several times, demonstrating the difficulty of the task even in good weather. The evening concluded with a warm welcome in the clubhouse for the Flamborough and Bridlington crews, complete with a finger buffet and drinks, and the annual presentation of funds to the local lifeboat stations.
The Sea Cadets, under the supervision of their officer in charge, Bob Taylor, assisted during the evening.
The Regatta report is covered elsewhere in this handbook, but it's worth noting that enthusiasm remained high for the end-of-season Gallon Race. Despite a gale forecast for the Sunday race, and after much debate, the race was moved to Saturday. This was a unique situation, as typically a notice of race cannot be changed to bring a race forward, but all entries agreed to the adjustment.
The Gallon Jug was won by Aquaholic, capping an exceptionally successful season for Mike Abbey and his crew, who secured most of the handicap silverware. The prestigious "Chaos" Trophy, presented by the late Geoff Kaye, was awarded to the yacht of the year at the APG. This honour went to Mike Abbey, Sue, Max, Harry, Nat, and other periodic crew members for their consistent and commendable performance throughout the season.
The annual boat owners' meeting, held on 29th October in the clubhouse, generated several good ideas. The programme for the next season is being finalised, with a promise of more trophies and a shorter series for the coastal races. Although the tide times for 2024 are not ideal, we anticipate a robust calendar for all to enjoy.
We look forward to an excellent sailing and racing season in 2024.
Last updated 3:33pm on 8 July 2024
