Seventeen Cape 31s lined up for the start of Round 2 of the 2024 31 Race Circuit, hosted by the Royal Thames Yacht Club. New owners and husband-wife team, Christian & Jacintha Hamilton-Love aboard Khumbu Red, led for the whole regatta and secured victory overall by a single point. Charlie Whelan’s Bodfather clinched the win in the Corinthian/pro division.
British Summer graced the Solent with three sunny days and wind conditions ranging from 6 to 16 knots across the weekend. Friday kicked off with a sunny start and 8-12 knots of breeze. Nick & Cara Phillips set the pace on Chaotic, winning the first race with a considerable lead. Khumbu Red dominated the rest of the day, claiming the next two victories. Bodfather, Bullit, and Khumbu Black completed the podium for Friday, marking a strong start to the regatta.
Saturday's forecast echoed Friday's conditions, though the fleet faced slightly lighter winds upon reaching the racecourse. Race Officer Tim Hancock and his team patiently waited for the breeze and eventually managed to conduct three races in the early afternoon. Khumbu Red maintained their consistency, but Lance Adam’s Katabatic emerged victorious with scores of 3, 1, 4 after struggling on Friday.
The teams enjoyed some sundowners, Pizza and live music from the amazing Johnny Michael in the Summer Garden at the Island Sailing club on Saturday evening after racing.
Sunday morning brought a bit more wind, coupled with an earlier start time, presenting a new challenge for the teams with a significantly different race course due to wind and tide. Tony Dickin’s Jubilee started the day with a commanding win.
Race eight saw several attempts before finally getting underway, ending in a general recall under Black Flag with eight teams being disqualified. While this sealed the fate of some teams for the weekend, those in contention managed to avoid penalties. Nick Phillips’ Chaotic had another solid day, finishing 5th before ending with two bullet wins. The overall title hung in the balance going into the final race – if Chaotic won and Khumbu Red finished 9th, Chaotic could snatch the regatta victory. Despite Khumbu Red’s worst results of the regatta on the final day (12, 3, 8), they held onto the overall lead by a single point - providing some real nail-biting moments for crew and spectators.
Consistent performances from Simon Perry’s Jiraffe – discarding a 7th – secured them third place overall. Charlie Whelan’s The Bodfather won Race 6 and finished second in Race 2, securing the Corinthian/pro division win and an impressive 6th place overall.
The Hamilton-Loves aboard Khumbu Red emerged as the overall champions of the regatta, showcasing remarkable consistency. The podium was rounded off by Nick Phillips’ Chaotic in second place and Simon Perry’s Jiraffe in a well-deserved third place. In the Corinthian-1 Professional Divison The Bodfather were first, Anthony O'Leary's Antix second and David Cummins Flurg third.
With the conclusion of this thrilling event, attention now turns to Round 3, set to take place in a few weeks at the Royal Southern Yacht Club.
Special thanks to the Royal Thames Yacht Club for hosting, and to our International Class Partners Doyle Sails, Quantum Sails, as well as our National Partners North Sails, Peters and May, Harken, Mount Gay, Ocean Art, and Hamble Yacht Services.
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