Jäger sets the pace as Scarborough Yacht Club North Sea Race returns

The yachts from the UK and Holland set sail in perfect weather conditions.

The race was organised into three classes, IRC (International Rating Certificate) where both British and Dutch vessels competed, and two SYC (Scarborough Yacht Club) classes, SYC A where only the faster SYC vessels ran, and SYC B, a slower group.

IRC yachts are fast, and the shortest corrected hours to cross was 35 hours and 25 minutes achieved by Dutchman Dick Koopmans on yacht Jäger.

The yachts left via South Bay firstly crossing the North to South start line before turning east.

However, it wasn’t all easy sailing, as on Saturday night skipper Alan Smith on Revenge noted ‘last night was the worst I have been through’ and two crew on Icon suffered severe seasickness, with Icon cruising the last few miles with a reduced crew to Ijmuiden to stabilise the yacht. Although the later-race weather wasn’t bad sometimes the race itself, and wind and wave patterns can conspire to upset stomachs.

Results: IRC: Jäger, owned by Dick Coopmans in 35 hours 25 minutes;

SYC A: Tomtit, owned by Ralph Pickard, Gary Walker, and Mike Atkinson in 51 hours and 18 minutes;

SYC B: Chansa, owned by Andrew Boyes in 50 hours 20 minutes.