A yacht from Portishead has won top honours at the distinguished Shanghai Cup, Bristol Channel IRC Championships 2024.

Skippered by Andy Williams, the yacht, named 'Ctrl-J', sailed to victory for the third year running and sealed a Shanghai Cup hat-trick.

Six races were co-hosted in Cardiff by Cardiff Bay Yacht Club over the weekend of June 29 and June 30, following up on three races that had been sailed previously in Portishead.

Portishead Cruising Club (PCC) crews travelled to Cardiff to participate in this leg, and the pressure was on to maintain their strong placement in the overall leaderboard.

After Portishead's robust winds, though, Cardiff's calm airs presented crews with a complete contrast and the extra challenge of keeping sails full.

Crews returned to Cardiff Bay Yacht Club post-race to receive the official results, and it was not just 'Ctrl-J' relishing podium glory.

'Jaloha', the J/80 from Pembroke Haven Yacht Club, ranked second overall, while another PCC vessel, 'Hero', achieved third place.

The organising committee expressed gratitude towards the competitors, race committee, mark layers, scorers, and photographers involved in the event.

The Shanghai Cup is set to return next year.

PCC crews will shift their focus to club racing before travelling to Ireland for Volvo Cork Week in mid-July.

The next major Bristol Channel event will be the Holms Race on September 28, organised by PCC.

Those interested in joining future races are encouraged to contact PCC for more information and can do so on the website https://pccsail.com/.