A "fast cruiser" turns up the heat in the IRC
When a cruising yacht shakes up the codes of ocean racing, it gives rise to stories like that of SIRENE, a JPK 45 FC which shone in the formidable Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, 2024 edition (full results here) :
- 1st in IRC Corinthian Division
- 2nd in IRC Division 2
- 15th in overall IRC
And yet nothing predestined a JPK 45 FC to play with the big boys in the IRC. Designed as a fast cruising yacht, with generous living space, a light layout and a high level of comfort, SIRENE is not really - not at all, in fact - an 'optimised' IRC boat.
Bill had nonetheless opted for a high-performance approach to the construction: keel lengthened to 2.60 m draught, bulb lightened by 400 kg, carbon mast, dog house removed, and UK Sailmakers sail set... but without sacrificing comfort or the fittings and equipment planned for the long voyage.
The boats designed by Jacques Valer have never ceased to amaze us!
Bill's story
"As you will have seen, we had a very successful race as we finished with a happy crew and places in IRC division 2 and overall Corinthian IRC. There was a fair bit of wind on the first night, with gusts to 38 knots. We heard 2 mayday calls but we were some way from the boats that were calling.
We ultimately changed down to 2 reefs and a jib poled to windward, running deep and still achieving a good VMG. The rest of the course included some reaching with 2 reefs + staysail, and with full main and the new jib top that I added for the race - perfect sailing for a JPK!
We lost the bowsprit close to the finish when we were using the jib top in ~ 20 knots. The fitting that connects the bobstay to the bowsprit failed. We recovered it and finished it under jib and staysail with minimal loss of time.
At the end, we had people from other boats shocked to see the luxuries we had, like showers and electric toilets, yet we finished ahead of them. It’s a great demonstration of the JPK 45’s versatility. The JPK 45 is a very stable boat with a high ballast ratio and a beamy, flat-bottomed hull. It loves a wave and loves to surf. On the handicapping system, surfing or planing isn’t really accounted for, so any time we can get that happening, we’re in the money."
– Bill Henson
The whole JPK Composites team sends its most sincere congratulations to Bill, Sirène and her crew on this fantastic race!
