Kempe Is 2014 National Match Race Champion
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club [RBYC] Commodore Somers Kempe was crowned the 2014 Bermuda National Match Racing Champion on Saturday [July 26], with the regatta held in Hamilton Harbour in near perfect conditions.
A spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Sailing Association [BSA] organised the event, and it was hosted by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. It was great fun to see three sailing veterans and their teams fighting it out for the title and the resulting free entry berth into the Argo Group Gold Cup in October.
“The wind never reached the forecasted 20 knots and the beautiful International One Designs were a sight to behold under sunny skies and a steady breeze from the southwest, veering west-southweast.
“Principle Race Officer Charles Tatem, assisted by his practised race management team with the addition of BSA President Martin Siese and Board members George Hayward and Allan Williams, set windward/leeward courses in the harbour with each match lasting about twenty minutes.
“We were very fortunate to be able to secure the services of Bermuda’s own International Umpire, who has both America’s Cup and Olympic experience, Peter Shrubb to adjudicate the rules on the water and to make sure that infringements were awarded the appropriate penalties.
“RBYC Commodore Somers Kempe, with his crew of Adam Barboza, Will Thompson and Paul Ring, quickly showed their dominance with an early win over Patrick Cooper with his crew of David Hillier, Richard Neame and Robert Zuill. In spite of Cooper’s considerable track record, he was not able to match the match racing experience of his opponents.
“By the end of three flights, the score was Kempe with two wins and the third skipper, Pete Ramsdale, with one win. The latter, with his crew of RBYC Rear Commodore Jonathan Corless, Ann Symons and Jeff Roach, showed excellent boat speed upwind but was often unable to hold the lead on the downwind legs, ensuring that the matches were always close with several changes of position.
“Ramsdale also gave the umpires their only work of the day, collecting two penalties over the course of four matches.
“The result of the Round Robin was four wins for Kempe, and a tie with one win each for both Cooper and Ramsdale. Under the Appendix C scoring for breaking a tie, Cooper went through since he was the winner of the last match between the two of them.
“The final was thus sailed between Kempe and Cooper, with Kempe choosing the boat for the first match, leaving Cooper with the favoured starboard entry. The second match saw a boat swap and an entry switch and Kempe did not miss a beat as he sailed the final to a quick two match win.
“As the sailors and the race committee came off the water, the heavens opened.”
