June 18, 2009. Each year this Cup is awarded at the Association's annual general membership dinner for the best performance submitted by a member's S&S designed yacht. The criteria alternate biennially, and the racing has to be one organised by a nationally recognised authority. One year the award is for an offshore race of over 100 NM and an overnight passage, the next year it is for a race around fixed marks or buoys in daylight of at least 18 NM. For 2008/9 the award is for racing around the buoys. The key measurement to determine the winner is the boat's percent winning margin over her competitor. This year's Annual General Meeting was in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 12-14, and the Cup was awarded to Edgar Cato's Dorade, Olin Stephens' restored 1931 transatlantic race winner, for her winning performance in the 2008 Castine/Camden Classic Yacht Race (Maine/USA). She beat the 52 ft Q Class Falcon, followed by two New York 32s. Dorade's winning margin over her competition was 4.6%. The press release from Castine YC covering her win can be seen by clicking here.

Finishing 2nd for the Global Challenge Trophy was Ron Breault's Marionette, a Dolphin 24 racing in a two day event organised by the Off Soundings Club off Block Island/Newport (Rhode Island/USA) for their 75th annual Spring Series. Marionette  won both races in her Class of 12 boats beating a Morgan 28 and an O'Day 34, and winning her Class in the Around Block Island Race by 7 minutes against her next competitor. Additionally, she had the best corrected time in the Around the Island Race in the total fleet of 135 boats. Marionette's winning margin over her competition was 4.425%, a differential to Dorade's winning margin of 18 seconds! The website article covering Marionette's win at Block Island can be seen by clicking here.

Finishing 3rd was Lief Ramm-Schmidt's Tarantella II, a Swan 37 and a past winner of this award. She won the 2008, 26.2 mile Henry Lloyd race in Finland, organised by the Helsingfors Segelklubb, Helsinki, Finland, by 2.02% against modern competition.

The official announcement was posted on the S&S Association website which can be seen by clicking here and scrolling down to June 18, 2009 - or you can read it right here.

Published:18-Jun-2009

Global Challenge Trophy Award for 2008   The S & S Association Annual Global Challenge Trophy Award 2008-9 Members will remember that at the last AGM this trophy was awarded for the astounding win by Sunstone two handed round North and South islands New Zealand against contemporary ‘go-fast’ designs. Last year the cup was designated for an offshore race and this year it is for a round the buoys race of at least 18 Nautical miles. As usual I have had to beat the drums to elicit responses from competitors and this seems strange since it was advertised on the website twice. Nevertheless we received three responses - from Dorade, the redoubtable Tarantella II, and from the diminutive Marionette. Tarantella, a Swan 37 and  past winner won the 26.2 mile Henry Lloyd race organised by the Helsingfors Segelklubb by 2.02% against modern competition. Leif Ramm-Schmidt is to be congratulated on his winning ways. Dorade won the 19.6 mile Castine Classic Yacht Race by a margin of 4.6% against classic competition with the 52 ft Q Class Falcon second, followed by two New York 32s. This win which your webmaster witnessed, was also under the watchful eye of Olin Stephens on the Committee Launch. Olin was celebrating his 100th Anniversary and later told friends seeing Dorade win was the best birthday present he could ever have received! However, the most remarkable win was made by Ron Breault in his standard Dolphin 24 Marionette racing in a two day event organised by the Off Soundings Club on Long Island Sound for their 75th Spring Series. Marionette won both races decisively first in light air beating a Morgan 28 and an O’Day 34, and  won the Block Island Race by 7 minutes against the next competitor in class C6 with a total fleet of over 100. Because of a Dolphin’s shoal draft she can go into ‘Dolphin Territory’ where other yachts follow at their peril – a Dolphin can draw as little as 2ft 9 in. Keel yachts follow at their peril and many tens of thousands of dollars of keel damage have resulted over the years! In consequence the Cup has been awarded to Dorade.