Royal Thames Cumberland Cup

Royal St George Win Cumberland Cup 2010

With a close to perfect score, Andrew Fowler's team of Sam Hurst, Brendan Fafliani, John Sheehy, Nick Smyth, Guy O'Leary, Peter Bailey and Phil Lawton from Royal St George YC in Dublin, Ireland, won the 2010 Royal Thames Cumberland Cup from Ian Ilsley's team from Yacht Club de Monaco. Firm friend and arch-rival of the home side the Southern Yacht Club of New Orleans was third, claiming by dint of that result the Bourgne Cup, contested on each and every occasion the clubs meet, in whatever larger competition..

Over three days at Queen Mary Water hard by Heathrow airport the seven teams sailed a total of 54 races in the international yacht club contest, ferried to and fro from the RTYC's Knightsbridge clubhouse in that iconic symbol of London, a bright scarlet Routemaster double-decker omnibus.

Sailing in a fleet of eight carefully-matched modified J80s the competition began with a two-day double round-robin in which each team raced each other team twice. St George topped the league, winning 11 out of their 12 matches and losing only to the hosts and current holders, Royal Thames, and thus apparently setting the scene for the finals. It was a scene dramatically re-shaped by the winner-take-all nature of the Cumberland Cup's competition structure.

With teams travelling from across the globe to compete in this regatta, the organisers deliberately eschew a competition format that eliminates teams early from the competition, espousing instead a format that keeps every team sailing into the final round. The result is The Ladder, which as some teams including the hosts found to their cost might be better termed The Greasy Pole. On The Ladder, a win carries the double bonus of promotion to the next rung - but every loss earns the double-penalty of relegation. On The Ladder, it is just possible by dint of really good sailing to redeem a disappointing result in the round-robin and climb all the way to the top - as did the Monegasques - while the series leaders - in this case the Irish - must not put a foot wrong if they are to retain their fingertip grip on the crown.

Thus on Sunday The Ladder's first and lowest rung saw the Germans face-off against the Kiwis for a chance for stardom, while Royal St George had to wait patiently to see which of the Yanks (and it's not often the team from New Orleans are called Yankees!) and the Brits would be first to step up to try and knock them off their perch. As matters transpired, it was Royal Thames who beat the Southerners to race against the champs: to no avail. Royal St George won.

After Round One, the Brits began what turned out to be their slide down The Ladder, while the visitors from the Mediterranean climbed ever higher. The Southern, meanwhile, had to dispose of Royal Port Nicholson if they were to have a chance, in Round Three and the final round of The Ladder, of another crack at the leaders.

With Port Nich out of the way, the crunch race in Round Three was that between the Southern - highly vocal as always - and Monaco, who had quietly beaten Royal Thames when the latter earned one penalty too many, for 'sculling' the boat with the rudder while trying to slow down to block a rival.

Given that in the round-robin YCdeM had lost almost as many races as they had won (and then been penalised a further point for a violent T-bone collision in their early race against St George) it is not unkind to suggest that their presence, by Round Three, on the top rung of The Ladder had been predicted by few. But Ian Ilsley, their team captain who by his own admission 'hadn't team raced for years' had by now earned both the respect of his rivals and the nickname 'the Old Fox'.

Southern, in blue jackets, began by blowing the yellows away at the start to be a comfortable and apparently safe 1-2 at the windward end of the course - but somehow one of the YCM team managed to get close enough on the long run to engage a blue boat and suddenly it was Game On again. On the final beat all four boats were mixed together and the denouement came - as so often in this two-boat team racing where the crucial factor is that the team with the boat in last place loses the match - at, beyond, above and back round again to the finishing line, with a Southern boat blocking out one Monaco boat only to find his own way back blocked by the other Monaco boat. And vice versa. Finally a Southern boat crossed the finish line - only to cop a penalty by blocking the path of the last returning Monaco boat under the rule that says a boat no longer racing must not interfere with one that is still racing.

And so it was a Monaco-Ireland final. If anyone thought this would be a walk-over for the Irish, they were wrong. Monaco had their tails up and no mistake. Once again it was their down-wind sailing that kept them engaged and it was not until the final mark, when the Monaco boat in second earned a penalty, that it really was Game Over.

Monaco were justly pleased with their Ladder climb from 4^th place after the Round Robin - but none could nay-say the Irish for their win. 15 matches sailed and only one of them lost.

Click here for the Final Scores

Click here for the Round Robin scores.

Click here for Ingrid Avery's pictures from the racing days.

Click here for Ruth Tracey's pictures of a somewhat windless Practice Day

Click here for the Racing Schedules

Click here for the Sailing Instructions

LATEST UPDATE AT 6TH MAY 2010:

With a week to go to the start of the 2010 Royal Thames Cumberland Cup International Yacht Club Contest, the event has all the hallmarks of being another very closely -fought regatta. This year, the Royal Thames is welcoming competitors from our reciprocal clubs in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Monaco, USA and Ireland– all of whom are fielding highly-competitive teams.

Moving from the previous venue in London’s Docklands, the 2010 event will be raced for at Queen Mary sailing water in the RTYC’s new fleet of J80s, jointly-owned with the Royal Yacht Squadron. Transport to and from the venue will be in one of London’s most iconic vehicles – the London Routemaster Bus and, with the event’s Opening Reception being hosted at St James’s Palace, competitors can be assured of a very ‘London’ sailing event.

Racing is scheduled as a triple round-robin competition where every team races every other team three times to determine their ranking on the Finals Ladder. This will be sailed in three rounds on Sunday 16^th May. On the ladder, 7^th races 6^th, 5^th races 4^th, 3^rd races 2^nd to determine those places: meanwhile, the series leaders sit out to see who from the 3^rd v 2^nd match will emerge to have a crack at toppling them from their perch. Round Two follows in smaller pattern, but using the new rankings determined from Round One. Round Three will determine the final placings in the contest, including the winner of the 201 Royal Thames Cumberland Cup. The Club’s J80s provide the perfect fleet for team-racing with responsive, easy to race boats that give great performance in the right hands.

The sailing venue, home to Queen Mary Sailing Club, offers unbroken views of the race course while two-boat team racing itself is probably the easiest discipline in the entire sport to follow from on shore: 'last boat loses' is the dictum, for the scoring system is such that the team that has the boat in fourth place loses the match. If the racing is as close as it promises to be, spectators will have a great chance to see some excellent team-racers at work.

The social programme matches the vigour of the sailing. There is a welcome party for our visitors here in the Knightsbridge clubhouse at 1930 following the main skippers' briefing. On Thursday there is a reception at St James's Palace in the presence of HRH the Earl of Wessex, himself hot-foot from the South Coast where he will have been competing in another Royal Thames event, our Sea Cadets' Royalist Regatta under the guidance of past Vice-Commodore Peter Hunter. Friday – the busiest day on the race course – has been left free and there will be a Regatta Dinner here in the Clubhouse on Saturday. For those not racing, we have an interesting shore-based programme involving a visit to the home of the Royal Household Cavalry and a tour of one of the city’s most historic areas – St James’s.

These social events are for all members, not merely those competing in the Cumberland Cup: indeed it is hoped that as many members as possible will come and both support this, our major international regatta, and add to the welcome to our guests from all over the world. For those attending either or both the St James's Palace reception or the Regatta dinner, the welcome party on Wednesday is free-of-charge.

For more details on these events and the rest of the regatta, please see the links below. To book for any of the social events, email Victoria Scott on cumberlandcup@royalthames.com or call Victoria on 0207 201 7267.

The Royal Thames Cumberland Cup is the international Yacht Club team racing contest hosted by the Royal Thames Yacht Club in London – the only major international keelboat event regularly hosted in the UK's capital. It was last held in May 2008 and it is planned that the next world-wide event will be in May 2010. Racing in 2010 will be in the Club's newly-acquired matched fleet of J80s and will take place on the superb open waters of Queen Mary Reservoir, London's largest lake, in the west of the capital near Heathrow.

The racing for the Cumberland Cup attracts some of the best team racers in the world, sailing against each in closely-matched small keel-boats. Racing runs virtually non-stop with each two-boat team competing against every other team. With such high quality sailing the Cumberland Cup is very exciting and yet relatively easy for spectators to understand – the winner in each case is the team that avoids having the last boat across the line.

Two-boat team racing has all the competitive ingredients of match racing – like the America’s Cup – but is more intense, more tactical and better spectator value. It is particularly interesting when held close to the shore in close-quarters with no tidal stream or current, while the natural amphitheatre provided by the shape of the reservoir and the balcony of the hospitable Queen Mary Sailing Club where the sailing will be held will provide superb spectator viewing.

In addition to the sailing action, the event organisers and participants are able to take advantage of all that holding a major regatta in one of the liveliest and vibrant capital cities of the world has to offer. Many competitors stay in the Royal Thames Yacht Club's elegant clubhouse in Knightsbridge, some in nearby hotels. There is a full social programme both for competitors and their companions, along with a parallel day-time programme for those not directly involved in the yachting. A particualr highlight will be the Cumberland Reception to be held in St James's Palace - London's oldest and most historic Royal palace - for competitors and their guest. In 2008 the Reception was hosted by the Club's Commodore, His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Duke of York. In 2010 our host will our Commodore's brother, HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, who just the day before will have been competing in another Royal Thames-organised event, the Royalist Regatta held in Portsmouth to raise funds for the Sea Cadet Corps.

Entry fee for the Cumberland Cup is £2,000 per team - or just £250 per sailor.

Truly, the Royal Thames Cumberland Cup is a very special event. Don't miss it.

For information about the 2010 Royal Thames Cumberland Cup click here.

For an invitation to the event and an entry form, click here.

For the Notice of Race click here.

For the Outline Social Programme, click here.

UPDATE AT 25 FEBRUARY 2010

We have five teams confirmed – Southern YC, YC de Monaco, Royal St George (Ireland), Port Nicholson (NZ) and of course ourselves – and another with whom we are just sorting final details. We are hopeful of two more teams to give a total of eight, an ideal number for three days of two-boat team racing in our newly-acquired six J80s, owned by us jointly with our friends at the Royal Yacht Squadron.

OUTLINE PROGRAMME

Wednesday 12^th May – teams arrive.

Registration and settle in. Welcome reception and buffet supper at 60 Knightsbridge.

Thursday 13^th. Transport from Knightsbridge to the sailing venue. Practice sailing in the J80s.

Return transport in time to shift for the Cumberland Cup Reception in St James's Palace, with welcome by HRH the Earl of Wessex (Prince Edward).

Friday 14^th. Transport to the sailing venue. Full day of two-boat team racing.

Return transport and evening free to enjoy London.

Saturday 15^th. Transport to the sailing venue. Full day of two-boat team racing.

Return transport and Cumberland Cup dinner in our Clubhouse here at 60 Knightsbridge.

Sunday 16^th. Transport to the sailing venue. Finals of the Cumberland Cup.

Informal awards-ceremony and BBQ at the sailing venue. Return transport to 60 Knightsbridge. Evening free to enjoy London, if you have the energy. Alternatively, and if flying from Heathrow on Sunday, transport direct to Heathrow from the sailing venue can be arranged – journey time about 15 minutes on a good day.

AND THAT'S ONLY THE SAILING PROGRAMME!

Nancy Lees, whom those who have been to a Cumberland Cup before will recall puts together a non-sailing social programme that is enough to tempt one off the water, has been busy. This is what Nancy plans for what the world of football and golf calls Wives and Girlfriends:

Thursday 13 May

09.45 Visit to Hyde Park Barracks, home of the Royal Household Cavalry

We have been invited to watch the Troop Inspection followed by a private tour of the Barracks with a visit to the Stables, Saddlers and the Quartermaster’s Store. The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, in addition to performing a full-on military role, is the foremost ceremonial cavalry regiment of the British Army and is composed of one squadron from each regiment of the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals, being the two Cavalry Regiments of the Household Division, which has a special responsibility to ensure the safety of Her Majesty the Queen. In addition to that duty the Household Division carries a full military role and, at this moment several elements of the Division are actively deployed in Afghanistan.

A contribution of £10 will be donated to the Household Cavalry Charities

Afternoon Free to titivate for visit to St James Palace!!!!!!!!!

Friday 14 May

10.00 Walking Tour “St James for the Ladies”

Tour to begin at Green Park Tube Station

This is a delightful area to walk around. Always associated with gentlemen St James’ has a wealth of association for ladies too. The tour profiles personalities such as Nell Gwynn, Ada Lovelace and the Duchess of Jermyn Street (Rosa Lewis, an East London girl who became a legendary hotelier) and Nancy Astor (an American success story).

Our tour ends with a real treat: a visit to Floris, on Jermyn Street since 1730, and where you will hear from their perfumier how fragrances are created.

The tour will cost £25pp plus £5.00pp for the visit to Floris

12.30 Lunch at Le Caprice/the Wolsey Numbers are limited

Saturday 15 May

11.00 Visit to Borough Market

www.boroughmarket.org.uk

15.00 Visit to and Trip on The London Eye

www.londoneye.com

OTHER INTERESTING THINGS TO DO

The Wallace Collection www.wallacecollection.org

Portobello Road Market www.portobellomarket.org

Tate Britain Henry Moore Exhibit www.tate.org.uk