Chernikeeff 2 shows the way

PETER HARRISON, the backer who has sunk a reported £22m into Britain's America's Cup Challenge, was last night wearing his widest smile of the week after his Farr 52 Chernikeeff 2 won the showcase IRM High Performance Class's 24.2 mile coastal race.

While the morning chill and cloud cover when the fleet set out from Crosshaven suggested the promise of a little more breeze than the regatta has enjoyed so far, the Easterly failed to build to anything at all exciting and the grand prix class was settled as much by size and superior firepower from the sail inventories, as tactical and navigational skill and the ability to coax the final fractions of a knot of boat speed.

With ex-470 Olympian Pete Newlands calling tactics and former J-24 European Champion Dave Bedford steering and UK/McWilliam Sailmakers’ Tom McWilliam trimming, Chernikeeff 2 was first off the start line on the short windward leg, with all three of the Farr 52s rounding close behind one another. On the following reach Chernikeeff set a hi-tech job top headsail giving her an extra surge of speed and they immediately opened a margin which was scarcely challenged. Astern Nick Hewson’s identical Team Tonic elected to set an asymmetric spinnaker and ended up lower on their course, allowing the third of the 52 foot trio Bear Of Britain to pass.