Banks Sails : Banks > Reports and results

Our congratulations to Peter and Andy Picket on winning the RSYC double handed series Class 2, despite missing 2 races their 2008 Checkmate Pentex Sails Still had the edge, proving once again Banks Sails are the Driving force…

COOL British Moths!
Banks Sails have recently been working on some new generation British Moth sails with some spectacular results, Our 2009 mainsail is now pointing higher and sailing faster than ever before. Roger Witts well known British Moth sailor reports:
“As for the Polyflex Sail ….caused quite a stir at the Frampton Moth Open on Saturday !!!!
Many many comments …some disliked it but most thought it was “cool” and certainly different.
I thought it was great and the shape was really good…thanks to Terry and Daryl and all involved in making it”

“The sail worked great and I won the first race by almost 3 minutes, and two 3rds in the next two races to take 2nd overall in a high –calibre 21 Boat Fleet. Never tried the sail before I went out …it was straight up the Mast and Race !!!”

Roger Witts and Laura Honey sail numbers 871 and 700
Contact the loft for more information.

Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race 2009
Our congratulations to Mike and Francis McDonnell, on winning this year’s Race;

RIDIRE BAN, A Westerly Ocean 33 , of Tralee Bay sailing Club skippered by father and son team of Mike and Francis McDonnell and crew have won the Cruiser Class in the 320 mile offshore classic D2D race.

With the biggest entry of 37 boats the race was ran in record time with strong NE winds on the Irish Sea and along the South coast resulted in a wild downwind charge over most of the coast.

The race started in Dublin Bay on Sat. 6th June at 10.00 and Ridire Ban led the fleet on handicap to be first to at the Tuscar Rock of the Wexford coast. From there we headed West through the night towards the Fastnet Rock I50 miles away. At 03.00 just South of Conninbeg Buoy we blew out the heavy spinnaker in 35 knots of wind with 13 knots on the clock. As we hardened on to the wind with reefed main the South coast disappeared as we surfed along to reach Mizen Head by Sunday afternoon. Here the winds died and we waited 7 hours for a light NE to fill in to beat all the way up the West Coast staying outside all the rocks and islands until we passed the Skelligs at 02.00 on Monday morning. From here we had a hard beat to Dingle where we finished at 08.00 hours in 12th place overall and winning the Alice Shanahan Perpetual trophy for first place the Cruiser Class. As one of the smallest boats in the fleet we were more than happy with this result.

Cowes Week Winner 14.08.09
Cowes Week 2009 Winner

Ben Goodland posts a magnificent set of results to convincingly win the multihull class in this year's Cowes Regatta.

Ben attributes his speed to the D4 Carbon mainsail built by Banks Sails in 2006, despite trying other sailmakers Ben saw the light and sailed the complete regatta using his 3 year old mainsail, proof that Banks Sails are superior FAST and DURABLE.

Ben's more recent purchase was a replacement Carbon Membrane jib supplied this year, helping him with superior height and complementing our 3 year old D4 mainsail nicely.

29.07.09
Team G.O.S.H. and the 3 peaks race

logo "Having received a totally new set of sails provided by Banks Sails I was very impressed with the obvious high quality, attention to detail was flawless and the construction, whilst light, was seemingly bullet proof. The key to our success was the black Assymetric spinnaker. Its shape and structure enabled us to fly it in situations where all of the other boats around were still under normal headsail. It was also superb in the very light winds, especially when flown with the very light sheet as recommended.

The advice on IRC Ratings and subsequent performance was equally as impressive and fundamental to Team GOSH being ranked 2nd IRC team in the 2009 Three Peaks Yacht Race on their first outing.

The section of the race where the winds were the lightest was from Caernarfon to Whitehaven where we were the second fastest yacht over the water, beating several J’s (92, 105, 109, 120 and 122), a brand new Beneteau First 50, a 40.7 an A35, Reflex 38, HOD35 etc. Not bad for a 22 year old 31ft cruiser!

The quality of the sails was only surpassed by the customer service, advice and support given by Daryl and all at Banks Sails . It was a daunting task to equip the newly purchased boat with a quiver of sails that would deliver the performance and longevity that we required. We listened to the advice given and not once did we regret this, he and the team at Banks Sails made the whole process a pleasure.

I would avidly recommend Bank Sails in the future and thank everyone for their support."

Lt Huw Reynolds (Skipper) & Jez Bygraves (Owner)
‘Talisman’ First 305'

07.07.09
Marchwood Madness

Trevor Barry on his First 33.7 Hydra Wins the Evening Series 1, Race Fleet.

With 4 out of 6 races to count Trevor and his crew posted 3 1st places and a 3rd to convincingly win the first round of the Marchwood Yacht Club Evening series. Banks Sails are proud to have been chosen by Trevor as his sailmaker and wish him continued success in the future.

Trevor is setting a Main and Genoa made from HMT Twaron Membrane complete with taffetas giving him speed and durability for around the race course or Performance Cruising further afield.

01.07.09
More RTI2009 Successes: 1st place Sportsboat Rule Sonar

Andy Cassell, leads the way using our latest 2009 spinnaker design and his 2008 Main and Jib, to a convincing win in the Sonars.

30.06.09
1st Place in Classic Racing Yachts

Our congratulations to Brian Haugh, 1st place Classic Racing Yachts.

Brian recently took possession of 2 Dacron® Banks Race Headsails, and has used these to devastating effect in the RTI2009 race, in his Alan Buchanon designed E.A.O.D. that he has lovingly self restored.

Be it Modern Day Classics or state of the Art Grand Prix Yachts, Banks Sails The Driving Force are there for you...

23.06.09
Celebrations in Hondarribia

Will Claxton and Matthew Gill Winners of the Multihull division in the Royal Southampton's 540 Mile Biscay Challenge race.

Starting in the Solent on June 13th Will and Matt finished 10 hours ahead of their nearest rival after almost 4 days at sea. Our congratulations to the pair of them, sporting a new Membrane Jib, screecher and assymetric from Banks Sails, they powered away from the competition. Proving once again Banks sails are the Driving force...

14.05.09
Ben Goodland and Team Eberspacher win the RSYC Spring series 2009

Team Eberspacher

Still using his Banks Sails Membrane D4 Carbon/Technora sails supplied to Ben in 2006, Ben is still posting magnificent results, proof that Banks sails are THE DRIVING FORCE, fast and durable out of the bag and still going strong 3-years later.

In a thrilling 8 race series with 6 to count Ben and his crew racked up 4 bullets and 2 5th places to win a closely fought series by 1 point. Our congratulations to Team Eberspacher.

14.05.09
Drama Queen wins Plymouth - Falmouth - Fowey Race.

Drama Queen, the recently launched Dazcat 11.50 with Banks Membrane D4 HMT Twaron main and Genoa, has taken the honours in the Plymouth - Falmouth - Fowey Race.

Read the full race report

22.12.08
Banks Sails delighted to announce a World Champion!

L'Irascible

L’Irascible, with a full Banks Sails inventory, is X-35 World Champion 2008.

22.12.08
Banks Sails 1st and 2nd in the Wayfarer National Circuit Series 2008.

Our congratulations to Roger Challis and Colin May on their success this year in a predominately windy series. Banks Sails Wayfarer’s proven designs, fast and durable.

Colin May

Roger Challiss

Jun Avecilla at the helm of Selma Star

Selma Star

NEW: 21.1.06
12th Singapore Straits Regatta "Selma Star"

Selma Star is a brand new Beneteau First-36.7 that was delivered to Simpson Marine Singapore on the first week of December, 2005. At around 1500 hours of the 22nd of January, 2006, Selma Star took Line Honors in the last race of IRC "B" to correct out to second overall. This gave Selma Star her first major trophy in her long life with Mr. Jesus (Jun) Avecilla and family.

Selma Star's overall win in IRC "B" started three months prior when Jun sat down with George Hackett (President Banks Sails Far East) and discussed what it would take to do the regatta. Being that Simpson Marine (Beneteau Singapore) had given Jun a special deal on their "Show Boat", we felt it best that an all out assault with a placing of third overall would be in the best interest of Simpson Marine. It was explained that normally one does not take a brand new boat "out of the shoe box" and win a major event unless you have a full factory team on board. With that understanding, a list of twelve items was formulated to ensure the desired results.

One of the things that were looked at very carefully was the sail wardrobe. Being that Singapore is notoriously light with sloppy water conditions and fast moving tides. We needed to put the sail plan on a steroid program. It was felt the Main was plenty big but that the Genoa could go to 155%. On Jun's first boat, Selma (First-31.7), Banks Sails D4s had been supplied and have produced great results so far. However, it was felt that since we could not actually get to the rig and do a proper work up that an all Kevlar inventory would be the best approach. Later in the boat's life, a set of D4s are in the works.

The biggest increase came in the Spinnakers. A Carbon Fiber pole was ordered from ForeSpar at fifteen feet which was significantly longer than the standard pole and the Kites were pushed up to 105sqm.

Two Series-2000 symmetric kites were built for masthead hoist. One was an all out Down Wind VMG Kite built in Airx-500. The second is an All Purpose Kite built in standard 3/4 Nylon. The third kite is a 1.5oz Flat Asymmetric used for very close reaching and heavy airs down wind. The Assy was used with devastating effect on the long race back to Singapore from Indonesia on the last day.

The first day of racing saw two races with Selma Star on the line with a new IRC TCC of 1.044. The first being a windward/leeward and the second a short point to point race taking us from the western shores of Singapore to the southern shores. Being that we were still tuning the boat on the way to the start, a fifth and second for the day was a good start to the series. It put us in fourth overall to start with. But more importantly, it answered a lot of question on how to sail the boat better.

Day two was the long distance race from Singapore to Nongsa Point in Indonesia. The race started with kites up and Selma Star playing the left side of the course while the fleet went to the right in shore. Every time the fleet would gybe back out and Selma Star would gybe back in, she maintained her lead. However, without really good local knowledge, George Hackett opted to go left one more time which proved to be fatal. Scoring a ninth in this race now put Selma Star into fifth overall.

The next two days of racing in Nongsa were all Windward/Leeward with two races a day. The start lines for all four races were very heavily favored at the pin end. If you did not control the pin, you were cooked for that race. Selma Star took control of the pin and went on to score a first. What was interesting about this race was that not only did she score a first on correct time. She beat a Mumm-30 on the water. To say that the fleet woke up to the fact that we were back was a bit of an understatement. We were seriously hunted by the top boats from that point on.

The winds had lightened quite a lot by the time the second race got started due to several general recalls. Selma Star was to be the cause for most of the general recalls as we wanted the pin and kept pushing the fleet over. This race went to the two Platus (Beneteau-25) while we took a third. With the first and third, we were now in third overall with the Platus holding first and second.

The second day was a repeat of the first day of windward/leewards with Selma Star taking a first and fourth. In the second race of the day, the RO finally had to put the Black Flag up as we had gone through four general recalls. However, our day was to end very late that night as a protest was lodged against us on a presumed port and starboard situation which in fact was a leeward mark rounding situation in the first race of the day. Thanks to the wisdom of the Protest Committee, this attempt to have us DSQed did not work and we were now three points into first place counting the one drop. All we had to do was sail conservatively in the last race and keep the two Platus in check.

The next morning again saw a very pin favored start line with a half mile windward mark to start the race with. It was decided to start very conservatively which saw the two Platus just in front of us at the windward mark. From the windward mark to the Gate was a very tight reach with played right into our hands. We put up the flat asymmetric kite and started to walk the fleet. Even the Mumm-30 was getting bigger and bigger. At the Gate, kites were dropped and we settled into a long port tack beat across the shipping channels headed to eastern shores of Singapore. It was here that great confusion came about since the mark that the Sailing Instructions called for was an inflatable turned out to be a yellow government channel marker. This brought the whole fleet back into the race including the two Platus.

At this mark, George Hackett decided not to follow local wisdom and head inshore to pick up the breeze. Especially since the mark was at ninety degrees to the right of the last mark. Plus it didn't seem to make sense to sail four times the distance to get to this new breeze. And last but not least, wind sheering effects were starting to show a shift to the right in the wind. So we went for broke. Tacked onto port and left the fleet.

The rest they say is history. Selma Star sailed into a new and freshening breeze while the fleet sailed into the dying breeze. Only one of the Platus saw our move and opted to follow much later while the rest of the fleet really pressed the issued of sailing inshore. Selma Star got to the last turning mark and set a starboard pole flat asymmetric kite and barreled home at 8kts to take Line Honors, second for the race and first overall in the series. Celebrations however did not start as we had heard that two boats were protesting and the outcome could place one or more boats in between us and the Platu. Again, the wisdom of the Protest Committee came out and the protest was disallowed and we started celebrating in earnest.

Special thanks have to go to Jyriki Jaamaa of Simpson Marine for getting the boat put together and to Thomas Beck of Raymarine for sorting out the electronics. To Phil Blake and the staff of Raffles Marina for running a class act on shore. To John Mallen who joined us the day of the first race to take over navigation duties. To Rainbow Hackett, Chip Winternitz, and Chazy Mitchell from my boat (Jo de Ros) who gelled the crew of Selma Star. Ramir Magapagal, our go to guy and mast man. Mark and Zed Avecilla who showed us the meaning of "Cool" when I was at whit's end. And of course, the boat's main sponsor, SK Shipping of Korea and the nice uniforms provided by Inter-Asia Marine Transport and Cascade Marine Agencies Inc.

Most importantly, Jun Avecilla who said. "Yes"

George Hackett

Read the archives for 2004