In conditions which could scarcely have been bettered, 12-20 knots of South Easterly breeze which flecked the dark nay waters with white horses, and relentless sunshine, Lady Courrier may have come of second best to David Dwyer’s Crosshaven, Cork based Marinerscove.ie in both windward-leeward races today, but the Lille entrepreneur and his 12 strong crew, which included his student son Nicholas, posted a final scoreline of five first places and two second places.
The depth of competition in the IRC Class 1 fleet was emphasised as he lead no fewer than four past winners of this prestigious trophy including Cork’s double winner Anthony O’Leary in third on the new Ker 39 Antix Eile, Cork’s 2007 winner Conor Phelan in fourth on the Ker 37 Jump Juice, the Clyde’s three times winner Jonathan Anderson in fifth on his First 47.7 Playing FTSE, and 1990 winner Geoffrey Howison with the BH41 Local Hero XXI in sixth.
With four Transatlantic races and three Tour Voile round France races to his credit as well as twice winning the English based international team regatta the Commodore’s Cup, and placing third overall in last year’s classic Fastnet Race, Trentesaux and his La Trinité based crew set themselves several targets this year. So far they have won their home Spi Ouest regatta, and, today the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series before heading to the UK IRC National Championships, next month’s Commodore’s Cup before a December date with their first Sydney Hobart race.
Trentesaux has raced with his own boats here in 2000 and 2002. Second time here he and his crew would have won Class 1 but for an unfortunate error when they took an invited guest sailing which took them over their prescribed crew limit. He has raced six times here, often with his long time Scottish friend Grant Gordon.
“We have never won this regatta and so it has been great to do so with such great conditions. I am going home to work tomorrow with sunburn and the trophy so I am really happy. It is great to work hard and to play hard. We have a crew which have been together for ten years or longer and a fast boat. It was tougher today because we took a few more risks but the racing has been great and very well organised.” Said Trentesaux, “This is such a wonderful place I will be back and will hopefully bring back more French boats next time.”
IRC Class 2 went to the wire with the Howth based Corby 36 prevailing by a single point over Jim MacGregor and his young team on the Solent based Elan 410 Premier Flair. Second in today’s second race behind Premier Flair was enough for overall victory to Roy Dickson’s Irish favourite which placed second last year.
Premier Flair took second place in the first race of the day by a matter of only two seconds on corrected time behind Nigel Biggs and his crew on the J109 Sail4Cancer who finished third overall in the regatta’s biggest class at 22 boats.
Best overall performance by a Scottish boat in the IRC Handicap classes was the Clyde based Carmen II, a Beneteau First 36.7 sailed by Paul Scutt and Alan Jeffrey and their crew based out of Helensburgh on the Clyde. They won IRC Class 3, while in IRC Class 4 it was the X302 of John Allen from Whitby.
The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series top award, the Scottish Series Trophy, has gone to France for the first time as Gery Trentesaux and his crew on the new Philippe Briand designed First 45, Lady Courrier, topped the 14 boat IRC Class 1 at the annual four day regatta on Loch Fyne which attracted 170 entries. 
