After an awesome week in St Tropez Peter Dubens' North Star II came away with a win, dominating their class with a scoresheet of 3,1,1,1,1 in perfect St Tropez conditions. Not only were they awarded the IRC D trophy, they were also given the overall IRC Sword.
With 140 modern yachts competing this week, this is an incredible performance given that the boat was delivered a few weeks ago for its first regatta. With a mix of courses and conditions the Cape 31 really came into its own, showing us once again that these boats aren't just great one design boats they're perfect for IRC racing.
Sam Richmond who was sailing on board said, "Fast, fun racing - big smiles all round. We had a bit of luck with courses and conditions but sailed very cleanly against some super competitive IRC boats."
Kevin Escoffier, Vendee Sailor who sailed with the team for one day of the regatta, said "I was very happy to come and spend a day sailing aboard North Star II, a Cape 31 which has dominated the IRC D group. I'd come to Les Voiles before, a few years back, and I'm always touched by these magnificent boats. This environment is different to that of offshore racing, but it's coloured by the same passion for getting out on the water. It's still boating and I'm delighted to share in the infatuation here. I feel as if I've gone from one extreme to the other; two days ago I was making 40 knots, flying above the water aboard an Ultime and today I'm fraternising with yachts more than a hundred years old."
An awesome showcase of some of the oldest yachts in the world to the newest race boats. Hopefully we'll see a few more Cape 31's out in St Tropez to battle it out next year!