The Silicon Cup 2021
Intrinsic Executive Search!
DAY 1
9 people came together to create some great memories and I’ve been smiling all day. What a phenomenal event.
(Fenders – Sorry about that!) (( wish we moved them)) ((( Oh the irony! Ask anyone I regularly sail with!!!!)))
Tuesday started ominously wet with no wind. By midday it had dried out and turned into a lovely sunny and warm day. Just one missing ingredient – Wind. Racing was abandoned on day 1. That’s yacht racing! Some boats dropped anchor in Osbourne Bay for a swim, but we opted to head into Cowes Yacht Haven.
A wonderful afternoon on board spent making friends, talking Tech and Boats and enjoying life on board. I only had 1 beer; I promise??
Evening Event
The evening event was held at RORC in Cowes and was a most enjoyable evening. Inspirational speeches and commentary about the 3 charities that the Silicon Cup supports was followed by dinner and the most amusing charity auction. Overall, the evening raised more than £20k for the charities.
One thing resonated with me hugely. Jon Holt spoke about the focus of the Greig City Academy and their tremendous achievements. Jon said that whereas most educational establishments looked for “what could go wrong in allowing young people to go sailing”, the Greig City Academy “looked for what could go right in allowing young people to go sailing!”
I take my hat off to Jon and to you all and I truly hope that the example set by the Greig City Academy can be a blueprint for other educational establishments as sailing transforms the lives of all youngsters. I know from my own experience, growing up in London but fortunate enough to be able to sail!
Day 2
Next morning, thankfully some breeze. Not excessive but enough for fair yacht racing. The start line was in the Mid Solent, between Peel Bank buoy and Ryde Middle Bank.
The first race started with the small IRC fleet followed by the Sunsail 41 fleet. The course was effectively a 2 leg windward / leeward course with a fleet of 12. Intrinsic had a good start with clear air right at the committee boat end. At the first mark, Intrinsic was in 3rd place after a good upwind leg.
For a team that had never sailed together, I can honestly say that I was most impressed by the quality of our manoeuvres. At the top mark, the first kite hoist. Sweet!
A couple of gybes and down the kite came at the bottom mark. Again, a lovely drop, straight into the companionway to be re pack ready for the next hoist.
We dropped a couple of places on this leg, I think because we were the wrong side of a wind shift. As we were coming in tight to the top mark, the wind headed us as and we needed to double tack to make 50 metres to windward. This sadly cost us 2 more places and on the final kite run to the finish, the Intrinsic team pulled off another great hoist another great gybe and a perfect drop at the finish line leading to a mid-fleet position.
This was the first ever yacht race for several of the team and the smiles and happiness was wonderful to behold.
Race 2
Race 2 started shortly afterwards and with a now moderately strong East going tide, most of the fleet were early to the line and started to bunch. There were a lot of boats and not much water at the pin end. Fortunately, it was not hard to hold the boat just behind the line on the strengthening tide and power her up to start, but in a falling breeze, power was hard to muster.
All boats started on starboard and once again, Intrinsic had a great start in clear air, up on the committee boat end. Getting across the line necessitated a tack onto port and we were away and we just made it across.
Sadly, the breeze just died away and three blasts meant that the race was abandoned.
With blazing warm sunshine, the Solent looking beautiful, we headed in smiling! With a motor back to Port Solent, tea, cake and prize giving.
Overall a wonderful 2 days! Hope that we can be involved next year!
Paul French, Director, Intrinsic Executive Search, paf@intrinsicsearch.com