Bacchanal, the brand new JPK 11.80 performed well above expectations in the 90nm CYCA’s Bluewater Pointscore Bird Island race as its first Offshore, winning IRC Division 2 and line honors for its division.
The Sailing Manager, Keiran Searle used all his international experience to extract optimum speeds upwind and downwind. In fact “Bacchanal” recorded an impressive downwind average speed of 15 knots after rounding Bird Island on the return to Sydney, peaking at 21 knots.
The US-based owner Ron Epstein was on board for the Bird Island race was all smiles with the exhilaration of the downwind run to the Finish Line and the Division 2 win in a strong fleet of 43 yachts.
In an interview with the CYCA, Ron celebrated the team’s first hit-out: “I’ve dreamed of competing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart my entire life, so it’s incredible that we’re now preparing for that journey. The JPK has proven itself to be a fantastic all-round boat, handling beautifully upwind and delivering great speed downwind, topping out at 21 knots. I am fortunate with the level of experience my crew brings, with nearly 50 years of combined Bird Island Race experience – that certainly counts for something. We’re heading back to the USA now but will return on 2 December to prepare for the Cabbage Tree Race, followed by the race I’ve dreamed of since I was a child – the Hobart.”
JPK Pacific is excited to have the US owner select the JPK 11.80 from a highly competitive market and has worked with our team to enhance this performance production model after a period of two years testing and evaluating many other designs. We are delighted that their brand new JPK 11.80 is already delivering results like this weekend’s one.
“Bacchanal” is being prepared for the 2024 Sydney Hobart with the Bird Island results indicating a strong performance in the big race south.
JPK Pacific
Paul Glynn
