NO SLEEP TILL TORBAY
It was a stellar collection of sailors that gathered in Torbay for the Darwin Escapes 2019 J/70 World Championship in September, crews having flown in from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA.
The event was hosted by the Royal Torbay Yacht Club and proceedings were got under way in fine style, with a pageant featuring members of Squadron 13, the club’s junior sail training club, parading the flags of the 20 participating countries – 78 crews in Corinthian and Open Classes.
Event director Bob Penfold, of Royal Torbay YC, introduced club vice commodore Phil Rumbelow, chief executive of sponsor Darwin Escapes Anthony Esse, and Key Yachting’s Marie-Claude Heys, who opened the regatta.
DAY 1
Big shifts and variation in wind speed tested sailors on day 1, but the race officers, led by Stuart Childerley, managed to get three races run.
In the Open Class, Joel Ronning (USA), racing Catapult, led the
