Lucky 7, Trike and Ting a Ling at the start of the 2021 edition of the O'Neal and Mundy Commodore's Race at Road Harbour on Saturday, January 8, 2022. Photo: RVBIYC/Facebook

The triumphant Ting a Ling team skippered by Chris Haycraft, right. Photo: RBVIYC/Facebook

Ting a Ling returning to Road Harbour in 1st place. Photo: RBVIYC/Facebook

Four trimarans took to the racecourse for a spectacular sail out in the Sir Francis Drake Channel. Blustery winds in the upper teens and gusting over 20 knots made for a wet ride, the perfect way to blow away those new year cobwebs!

The race started in Road Harbour, rounded Hog Valley Green to starboard followed by a fast ride down the channel to round Flanagan. With downwind boat speeds reported over 20 knots these boats are the speedsters of the VI and it wasn't long before they were headed back up between Norman and Peter Island to pass Dead Chest to port and return to the finish line in Road Harbour.

The newest trimaran to join the VI fleet, Trike, brings the Corsair 31's to two and as expected Sam Talbot and his crew shot off from the start line to reach the first mark first. The largest boat in the fleet, their challenge was to sail fast, sail smart and stay in front of the others. This they did, coming back across the finish line two hours and 39 seconds after the start.

Ting a Ling triumphs

The waiting game began with all eyes on the white spinnaker of Ting a Ling as Chris Haycraft and his team powered across the channel followed by Eddie Brockbank's Lucky 7 to finish second and third on the water. Some technical challenges aboard Whoop Whoop put them on the back foot right from the start and they were not able to recover any positions, crossing the line in fourth and staying fourth on corrected time.

The overall win went to Ting a Ling by just under two minutes on corrected time. Trike held on to second with Lucky 7 taking third and Whoop Whoop fourth.

The event, organised by the Royal BVI Yacht Club (RBVIYC), was sponsored by O'Neal & Mundy Shipping.