Clarke Offshore Racing

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Life goes on…

Rather than dwell on the last few days and our vertical freefall down the rankings, I thought you may like to know what life is like aboard this fine ship. Even though it’s November, only the first night was cold. Since then, due to the wind being mostly aft of the beam, it has actually been fairly warm. The Polar tecs were off by Finisterre and thermals off during our ‘car parking’ episode off the Canaries! It’s now shorts and tee-shirts in the day and a lightweight middle layer at night. This should be the case until the Doldrums and then it’ll be hot and wet for the 1,400nm dash to Salvador. Oilskins are always unpleasant when it’s roasting hot and the inside of the boat will be really humid. Twin companionways help with the ventilation but if there is a lot of water on deck we have to close the leeward one.

It’s also been a battle getting enough sleep so as not to be knackered in the middle of the night. Until now we’ve been doing 1.5 hours on at night which in reality, with all the sail changes and rte-trimming etc, actually means about two hours and then 1.5 hours off. During the days, both of us have been up all the time, sailing the boat as fast as possible, and we’ve not had a set rota. With the odd repair job, gathering the weather info, navigating and eating, the days are fair flying by…!

Highlights of each day are the position reports we receive at 4am, 8am, Midday, 4pm and 8pm. When we’re on the charge we eagerly wait to see how much we’ve gained (or lost!). These get updated on our chart plotter and it’s interesting to see the different tactics being employed. However, in recent days, it’s not been so much fun finding out how much ground we’re losing..!

Another positive is that we’re eating very well. We opted to take 1/3 fresh food, 1/3 boil in the bag and 1/3 freeze dried. We’ve just eaten the last of our pitta bread with tuna mayo and we’re now onto the less palatable meals. Pasta with pesto is counted as a fresh meal and we still have a few of these left. Kiwi is keen to have the freeze dried roast chicken tonight - I just hope he won't be too disappointed with the lack of roast potatoes! Most of the freeze dried we have is Back Country from New Zealand and I’d gladly eat their delicious breakfast cereal at home if I could.

We’re now officially in the trades and it’s great to see the flying fish getting out of our way as we approach. The wind hasn’t be up to normal trade wind standards and for the past few days we’ve been struggling with sailing dead downwind in 8 knots of breeze. The boats in front are in better pressure so, as ever, the rich get richer...! This isn’t a great situation to be in and has left us with no option but to get down to their line and try to sail ourselves up a few places. We still don’t understand how we sailed into a hole for 36 hours but the two boats we were chasing hardly slowed down! All our info said there should’ve been breeze there at the time… a harsh lesson in the inconsistencies of offshore racing…!

Thinking of you all back home in the cold… with your comfy beds and your hot showers… How much are we missing it all…?

November 17th

Having survived the start and steered clear of the over-the-line-early brigade, we set our big jib and headed to the turning mark. We were a comfortable 2nd behind Telecom Italia and changed course for the first waypoint off Cherbourg. As the wind angle changed the pursuing boats all pulled out Code Zeros and A Zeros (big sails). Kiwi and I looked at each other and together said: "Are we meant to have one of those?" As the wind went aft we were left very under-powered and struggled to stay in touch through the first night. The wind was patchy and it was stop/start all the time. At the 8am poll we’d held on to 6th place, so it was a good night’s work.

Sunday proved how easy it is to freefall to the bottom of the leader board and in a real game of Snakes & Ladders, we slipped up big time! Having been told to stay well north of the Channel Islands at the pre-race weather briefing with Chris Tibbs, we got suckered by sailing under some good clouds on the rhumb line to Ushant. Unfortunately, these clouds ran out and we were left becalmed. Along with half the Open 60s and a few Class 40s we struggled all day to get offshore and finally got into some stable breeze. We opted to stay well north and gybe in once for Ushant, avoiding closing the coast at all costs. This was where we played our ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card. As we sailed behind the Island of Ushant I noticed the tide had not started to flood and decided to chance the narrow gap between the land and the Island. This was a big call and if the tide had really got going we would never have made it through. There are a lot of rocks in there! We sneaked through with Telecom Italia and Fuji Colour right behind. To add to our luck there was a bid back eddy and we were helped on our way out into the Bay of Biscay.

At Monday’s 4am poll we had gone from 23rd to 5th. We sailed our hearts out all day, sailing inside the fleet. It was a bit risky but a shift was forecast and when we gybed we again gained on the leaders. We saw a bunch of Open 60s struggling in the light conditions and it was good to know that if they were close then we were probably in the right place. That night was very tricky with the breeze and we seemed to be gybing every hour. We wanted to get ourselves out in front of the following pack so to consolidate our gain.

Tuesday was a ‘BIG’ day..! The breeze slowly built all day and we knew we were in for a windy night. The seas as we approached Finistaire built in to big steep waves. It was great surfing down them but we knew they would pose a problem in the dark and with a lot more wind forecast. To top it all off, I discovered that two of our rudder pintels had sheared their retaining screws and were working themselves out. This was not an easy fix. After about two hours, which included reefing the main twice, they were secure for the night. Not pretty but effective. As you can imagine, hanging over the transom in the dark wearing a head torch and with water constantly pouring over me, I was full of praise for those who had designed and built these bloody things..!

As the breeze steadily built and the surfs got faster, with two reefs and the A3 the boat was a joy to steer. The seas caused a few problems - as the boat charged into the next wave, the bow would pop out, hurl water back down the deck and accelerate off down the next wave – and sometimes we would break over it and just ride the surf. This loads the boat up massively every time as she slows so dramatically. The wind was forecast to be 30 knots so we decided to tough it out and keep the chute up. We knew we’d get some big gusts and maybe half an hour of 35 knots but were confident we could handle it.

By 10pm we were on the limit of control. The breeze was 38 knots, the boat was surfing at 25 knots and the waves coming over the deck were hitting us like a ton of brick. On these huge surfs we couldn’t see the instruments and had to rely on the wave angle and the heel of the boat. It was completely adrenaline-fuelled - terrifying one moment, exhilarating the next. This lasted for about 90 minutes and we knew we couldn’t get the kite down. We just hoped it would blow out before the boat stopped and the rig carried on as had happened to Artemis a few hours earlier…!

Predictably we finally tipped-in with a wave coming round the back of the transom and throwing Kiwi who was driving down to leeward. In the carnage that followed the kite shredded itself and we blew the halyard to get back under control. To recover the remains we dropped the main. About two hours later we pulled the staysail up and being soaked, tired and hungry took turns to rest. At dawn, as the breeze dropped, we re-hoisted the main and the masthead kite and got back to racing. By sailing slowly for seven hours we’d lost miles to the leaders. We should have got straight back into racing mode but we’d overdone it. The sheer physicality of driving the boat for those hours then retrieving the kite had exhausted us both.

We later heard later that we’d been two miles off the lead and now we were back in 14th, some 70 miles behind the leader. Yet again we’d slipped up so the chase was back on again. The weather looked like a minefield ahead and we decided to have a last throw at getting back to the leading pack by skirting to the west of a small high where there was breeze. The next few days were highly stressful… would we make it out, or would we get left behind..?

We don’t know for sure how this is going to pan out. We’ve slowly climbed back up the rankings and are now in 5th but we’ve been unable to get back from the west as far as we’d like. We’re currently on the wind and set to pass Maderia to port while the rest of the fleet will leave it to starboard.

Le Havre 3rd November

The last week was spent in Le Havre doing final preparation for the race. Jason Field came over as Shore Support and we camped on a friend’s motorboat a stone’s throw from the race village. When it comes to shorthanded sailing events, the French don’t do things by halves and the public poured in over their Bank Holiday weekend. It came as quite a shock to be signing autographs and having the boat photographed! On the serious side, we had numerous forms to complete for the Race Committee and a full morning of compulsory safety briefings. We met the pilots of the planes and helicopters who will come to our aid if anything goes wrong. These guys have been involved in the race for years and have masses of first hand experience to share.

Suddenly it was Friday and there was only one day to go! My father arrived with all the last minute items from England - and was immediately dispatched to go and buy more! (Thanks, Dad). And some friends came over with children to keep my daughter Millie occupied. There was then an interestingly organised introduction of competitors to the public which involved us getting into ribs two crews at a time and then lit by searchlights and hand flares, we were paraded along the length of the basin. It was amazing with all the cheering and applauding by the public, but we weren’t told about it until the last minute so, sadly, my family missed the whole thing..!

Race Day began with a last-minute weather briefing then it was time to say our good-byes and leave the dock. One great surprise was the two friends waiting at the boat to wish us well, having arrived in Le Havre on the morning ferry. Thanks to Michael and Dudley, it meant a lot. Next up was Mark, the boat’s owner, who arrived to give me a new satellite phone and show his two sons the boat that is named after them (Gusilliam). Then we left the basin to more cheering from the crowds to wait outside the lock and get to the open sea. The French fishermen were having a dispute over fuel tax and their blockaded of the lock cost us an hour or so.

Once we left the lock it was straight into the race. Jason sealed the engine gear control and dived over the side to band the prop to stop it opening. He then swam the 50 feet or so to the ‘mother ship’. We never got chance to thank Jason, or say goodbye, but he is a superstar and we could not have done any of this without him.

The start was more like a Winter Series One Design start than the start of a major offshore. As we headed to the line we nearly got hooked by the front row. They were all destined to be miles over when the gun went so had to go back. This worked in our favour as we had a good lane up to the top turning mark. It wasn’t long before we were 2nd behind the much-fancied Italian Soldini. The leg suited us perfectly and was a great boost to our morale as the last of our spectator boats turned for home. Now we were well and truly out on our own….

The moment of truth is nearly upon us! Having finished in a fantastic (if somewhat frustrating) 4th place in the TJV Prologue, we are raring to go on Saturday. The boat passed Measurement last week (this mandatory test checks that the boats have enough stability to be safe) and is now tied up in the Paul Vattin Basin.

The past couple of weeks have been one long stress-test! A few hours before we were due to leave for France, Pom Greene called and threw the biggest ‘curve-ball’ to date. It hit me directly in the jewellery box! “I’m sorry Clarkee,” he said, “but I’m worried that your keel was not built as designed and we need to take it off and get it checked.” We had no option but to change our plans and get it sorted. We did our own 90-degree test to confirm in our own minds that we would pass the Measurement. Isobel Ewen and the guys from Sail TV came down for this and a great spectacle was enjoyed by the entire yard. Special thanks to Roger at HYS for clearing the space and making it happen.

Straight after that, it was “rig out, keel off and onto a truck.” The heroic Pom drove to Henry Irons in Devon at 4.00am to ensure the necessary modifications were made. Irons worked all weekend and by Monday afternoon it was all back at HYS being refitted. CMI worked through the night to get the keel back on, re-faired and ready for painting by late morning on the Tuesday. We then re-stepped the rig, serviced the engine and got as much done as we could while we waited for the keel to be painted and cured. True to our usual form, we launched literally minutes before the lift dock ran out of water! We left at 6.00pm for our appointment with the Class Measurer in Le Havre at 9.00am the following morning. A fetch in 25 knots of breeze in late October is not for the faint-hearted and we were freezing cold and soaked to the skin within minutes of leaving The Solent. But the boat loved the conditions and it was a great test of all the work we had done (we had no leaks!) and we arrived in Le Havre at 5.30am.

With little time to spare, we emptied the boat and headed to the crane for Measurement. Weighing was straightforward and we were the right side of the minimum. The 90-degree test was interesting to say the least! The measurer used a small RIB and to make sure it wasn’t picked up by the masthead when the load was measured, he rounded up as many people as he could to act as ballast! So, with an overloaded RIB, we managed to get the Measurement done. Relieved that we had passed and that we have a boat of minimum weight and maximum stability, we headed to the port to catch the evening ferry for our last night at home in England before the race.

At last, we have qualified for the TJV and sailed the boat for more than a few hours at a time..! The 1000 miles is over and it is an incredible relief to have this major milestone behind us.
As regular readers may expect, we had a few last-minute dramas whilst preparing to leave! Firstly, our SatC aerial packed up. This was a major worry given that one of the stipulations of the qualifier is that the race committee tracks each boat using SatC. Another stipulation was that we had to be in Paris on October 3rd, for the press conference to launch the race on. ‘Nudger’ from Diverse Electronics worked his magic to fix the SatC and the race committee kindly gave us a time extension, allowing us to finally head out at midday on October 4th.
Our planned course was to round a mark off Le Havre and sail what will be the first leg of the actual race down to a waypoint 150nm south west of Ushant, before heading up to the Fastnet and back to the Solent. This had to be approved by the race committee beforehand, hence the tracking.
It was bright and blustery when we set out and we chose to begin fairly cautiously and push the boat harder as the trip went on. With this in mind, we hoisted the main with a reef and set the staysail or trinquette. The wind gusted into the mid 20s and on a reach-out to the forts through the north of the Channel we regularly saw 16 knots on the speedometer.
Leaving the Solent, we bore away for Le Havre and up went the fractional kite. What a perfect start, 25 knots of breeze downwind! The sun was shining and we literally flew down the rhumb line. Kiwi and I felt the pressure of the last few weeks evaporating in our wake - it was fantastic. We rounded Le Havre fairway buoy at about 9pm that evening and it was time to brace ourselves for the fetch up to the Cherbourg Peninsula. This was a rude awakening as the breeze was up in the high 20s and it was pretty rough. More by luck than judgement (!), we picked a good sail combination and crashed and banged our way through a rough old night… not very nice! We were cold and tired and dawn was a welcome relief as we bore away and the breeze eased. Thankfully, the next day was spent ambling along as the weather moderated and it was not long before the kite was back up again.
Almost to the minute we rounded our waypoint off Ushant two days into the trip and then it was up with the big kite and hang on for dear life..!. What an amazing day’s sailing – a 240nm leg, 140-degree wind angle and 20+ knots of wind! Days like this do not come along often and it was amazing to be able to push the boat and find her limits. She proved to be fantastically balanced and very easy to steer downwind. We were grinning like idiots and had to be prised from the tiller! At dusk we changed kites and reefed as the wind picked up. She became even easier to steer and with a fantastic full moon it was a truly memorable night’s sailing. Top speed for the night was 20.2 knots with some ridiculously long surf. But, all good things come to an end and at about 4am the wind headed us and it was kite down and a reach up to the Rock.
From here on in, things were somewhat uglier. We ended up beating the last few miles (no sign of this on our weather gribs) and discovered that ‘fat’ boats don’t like going upwind in waves. We rounded the Rock at about 10am and braced ourselves for the long slog home. As the day wore on the wind increased and we slowly shortened sail. The Irish Sea in a south easterly is not a pleasant place to be and the sea was very confused. It felt like we were perfecting our triple slam, which pretty much stopped us in our tracks! Tacking angles looked ugly and we almost wondered if we would ever make it to Land’s End. A good dousing and plenty of bailing out (there seemed to be water everywhere!) also reminded us that it is now October and the British winter isn’t far away.

As our patience was being tested, the wind started to drop and shift, enabling us to lay the mark. After some sleep and hot food, good humour returned and we were able to analyse our upwind performance and learn from the experience. (The main lesson appeared to be to avoid going upwind at all costs..!)
The rest of the day was spent catching up on sleep after the hectic few days, and drying our kit as the sun came out. It never fails to amaze me how quickly the inside of a boat can deteriorate in bad weather and how quickly things improve once the sun comes out.
It was obvious we were not going to make it home in time to catch our flights to Paris for the race press conference so I rang Silvi from the race committee to see if we could stop somewhere and return to the boat after the conference. She agreed and we headed to Plymouth. The sail from Land’s End to Plymouth was again upwind, but the seas were better in the Channel and we had the measure of the boat, so it turned into a good sail with the all important tide under us at the Lizard. We pulled into Plymouth at 8.30am and headed to Queen Anne’s battery, where a friend of Kiwi’s has a yachting business. He kindly offered us a free berth for a few days. Jason volunteered to drive down and collect us, so we washed the boat out and packed her up. Kim lent us a de-humidifier and offered to keep an eye on her while we were away. It was a huge relief to sink into the sumptuous interior (by Class 40 standards!) of Jason’s car to be chauffeured home. A big ‘thank-you’ to both Kim and Jason for going way beyond the call of duty, although Jason does need to buy a car that drinks a little less fuel...!
We made it to Paris and the press conference. It was a big affair but not so great for non-French speakers. We caught up with the other British competitors and heard how their campaigns are going. There was a great atmosphere at the party afterwards but being the true campaigners we are, we slipped away early to bed. In truth we were both completely knackered and because we were staying out by the airport we had to catch the last train back. Still, we did feel a bit smug on the plane the next morning surrounded by some of the other teams!
The boat is now in Hamble, having spent a few days in Lymington getting some warranty work done. This mainly consisted of sorting out the ballast system, which filled the boat with water (rather than the tanks), making our trip a bailing marathon. The next task is to get our sails sorted out and measured (!), as well as 90-odd other jobs resulting from the qualifier..! But it’s all positive stuff…
It turned out that the Qualifier wasn’t race practice but we certainly tested the boat and feel much more confident with her. We’re hoping to get out sailing with the Pindar Class 40 in the next couple of weeks and see if what we’ve learned has any bearing when there is another boat to sail against. I’ll keep you posted…
Clarkee

Where can I start..? The past two weeks have been testing for all involved with the project. We launched the boat in the second week in September, a day later than planned but by no means a disaster. By the following weekend a few tweaks to the bowsprit and steering system were all that was needed before sailing. At last, she looked ready for action, with sails on and protective covers off.
There were a few minor issues such as a forestay that was too short, but we would circumvent this and get sailing. Early on Monday, Jason drove us back to Lymington, towing the trailer full of tools and we sailed the boat back to Hamble… and the latest set of problems began…!
The main sail did not fit on the hoist or the foot. Frantic calls were made to the sail and spar makers. Who had got their measurements wrong..? This ‘hiccup’ aside, we had a good sail up to Hamble and it was fantastic to be out there. Surprise, surprise, the water ballast had plenty of leaks, but nothing that couldn’t be added to the ‘to do’ list. The rest of the day was spent chasing North sails and getting the main off to be re-cut (not ideal on a new sail). This meant no more sailing until Friday…
Tuesday proved even worse, with water in the engine box and around the keel bolts. After bailing out and close inspection, it was rig out, boat out and keel off for the night. Pom Green worked around the clock to get the area dried out, repainted and the keel on by Wednesday afternoon. With the rig back in and the boat back to normal we were shocked to discover water coming in again. This was the worst news. There was only one place it could be coming from and it wasn’t going to be pretty to fix…
Having already lost two days to the keel we decided to keep the boat in the water on Thursday and get as many jobs done before we pulled her out for the major surgery. Once more, Pom burnt the midnight oil, moving the engine and removing the drive leg to find the leak and it was back to drawing out water and drying it all out so it could be re-laminated once and for all. The leg went back in on Saturday morning and the plates on the bottom of the boat have been re-faired. She looks as good as new..!
Relaunch is planned for Monday (24th) and spend the day sailing, setting up the rig and checking the other sails before heading off on our 1,000nm qualifier on Wednesday (today!). Having enjoyed a glorious past three weeks, the weather is now threatening to put this on hold..!
Apologies for the lack of sailing pictures, but please bear with us. I must close this instalment with a massive ‘thank-you’ to everyone who has pitched in to help. Their unfailing support and priceless good humour has got us through what has been an unbelievably tough week. Special thanks to Pom for sticking with it and getting it sorted – and for not allowing any short-cuts..! I am sure he can’t wait for us to disappear over the horizon so he can work his undoubted magic on his next project…!

Diary Update 10/09/2007

At last the waiting is over… the boat finally arrived…! However, nothing is straightforward and the final ‘leg’ of the journey was like something out of a TV sitcom…! Unbelievable as it may sound, the shippers managed to lose the boat in transit..! The original destination was Southampton. This was changed to Felixstowe, adding another few days to the process. The wagon and relevant police permits for road travel were duly organised and then we discovered the boat was actually in Thamesport..! At ridiculously short notice, Malcolm Elvey of Elvey Transport did a fantastic job, as did Kent Police, arranging new permits and we finally rolled into the shed at Green Marine in Lymington on the evening of Friday August 31st.After removing the shrink wrapping and protective cloth, all was revealed. I’d been told this was the yard’s best paint job to date and everything did indeed look very white and shiny. But several of the specifics I had requested during my trip to Thailand had been overlooked. Worse followed when we looked inside. Nothing had been fitted and the components were sat in a number of large boxes that filled the cabin. I’d expected to have to bolt on some deck gear but not much more.This was not good, we need to be sailing, so it was time to send out a distress signal..! As expected, “Kiwi” Dave was straight down with his van full of tools, closely followed by Jason Field, equally laden with gear. We also owe a huge ‘thank you’ to Chris Little, owner of Bounder, who has lent us a box trailer with a work bench and vice, without which I don’t know how we’d have coped. Chris also sent Anthony “Ski” Haines to join us for the big push. “Ski” runs Chris’s boat and has been in his element. When fully armed with power tools he is literally unstoppable..!
One week on, the boat is now at Berthon’s which is at least a bit closer to the water. We’re aiming to go on the keel today (Monday) and launch and step the rig on tomorrow (Tuesday). On Wednesday, we’re bending the sails on and on Thursday we’re going sailing..!
The plan is to be away on our TJV qualifier by the end of next week, in company with Ned Collier Wakefield and his new Lombard boat. Ned’s boat was also late so we’ll do some two-boating with them over the 1,000nm course and both gain some real benefit from the trip.
I’ll keep you posted on progress… there’s a big week ahead…!

Cowes has been and gone, as has the Fastnet, and the arrival of the new boat is getting near. Hopefully the final bit of shipping and trucking will go smoothly, it is always handy to have a Bank Holiday in the way..! Cowes was spent catching up with old friends, a few days sailing and preparation for the Fastnet.

As the race approached, so did a nasty low pressure system heading for the Irish Sea. For the first time ever, the RORC delayed the start for 24 hours so that the fleet would not be in the Irish Sea when the worst of the weather arrived. My ride was the Marteen 80 ‘Nimrod’ owned by Simon Lambert. I was one of the watch leaders and was looking forward to my first fast trip for a few years! Lack of wind had been the issue for the last two races.

I was joined on board by a few familiar faces from my Team Tonic days and we looked set for a memorable race. Having planned a conservative start in the breezy conditions we started on the Island shore, right in the thick of the action (the best laid plans etc…). After a few short tacks we found a good lane and rumbled down the Solent at 9.5 knots. Sadly this was not to last. Off Newtown the eye holding the clew of the sail to the in-boom reefing broke and it was all hands to get the main down and onto the deck. Not to be deterred, out came the grinder and after a lot of spectra-lashing the sail was back on the boom and we headed for the Fastnet. We lost exactly two hours and it was a lonely sail for the first few hours. We missed the first tidal gate at Portland, but needed to be south anyway with the expected wind shift. The breeze, as forecast, eased and then slowly built again and by midnight was in the mid 30s. This was hard on the boat, she was very powered up. With three reefs and a No.4 the helm was incredibly heavy. By now we were constantly overtaking boats and it was important to keep a really good look out. Unbelievably in these conditions we were luffed by two boats both with their masthead tri-lights on back to front, so as we came up on them they showed green then white as we passed, instead of white then red..!

This was not without incident. As the wind increased so did the seas as the tide turned. We had huge waves landing on us as we thundered along at 12 knots. On my watch we nearly lost the owner. As he went to clip on by the wheels a big wave knocked him off his feet and into the leeward lifelines. Luckily Jamie Collins is a big guy and when he has hold of you he is not going to let go! After a quick rescue of said owner and a few strong words about clipping on before leaving the shelter of the cuddy it was off to the next rescue... The wave that nearly removed the owner also swept the No.1 Genoa off the coach roof and it was surfing alongside the boat. In a Herculean effort (these sails are heavy) Jamie and Will Best got a line around the sail, cut the tie holding it on and winched it on board over the transom. Some watch..!

The wind was now in the high 30s and the new watch changed to the staysail and had a very tough few hours. Sadly the decision was made to retire at dawn and I was woken by the engine starting and the boat heading for Falmouth. I was not consulted on this decision and was all for going on. When we arrived in Falmouth a few of the owner’s friends looked happy to be ashore. We headed to Plymouth, which was packed with retired boats. This helped ease the disappointment of our own retirement. After a night out and a few drinks with the remaining crew and friends from other boats, it was off to hire a car to get home. So sadly a Fastnet I can’t add to my list, but at least the boat was in one piece and the crew safe. Everyone was spooked by the forecast which, in fact, was better than initially suggested.

ICAP Leopard had an excellent race and it was great to see her claim the first of hopefully many records. My old friend Alex Thomson had a storming race on the new Hugo Boss II and was delighted to be the 3rd placed 60 in their first race. It was sad to see Dee Caffari on Aviva pull out but rather than limp round, it was prudent with the schedule Dee has to get the boat repaired and sailing.

I have chosen my co-skipper for the TJV and am glad that ‘Kiwi’ Dave Lindsay has finished his current contract and can join me for the next two months and the Race itself. With the boat’s delayed arrival this is a major bonus as he is available to work on the preparation and sail pretty much seven days a week. ‘Kiwi’ was part of the ‘Bounder’ Sydney to Hobart crew in 2003 when we won our class in IMS. He also did the return delivery to Sydney with me and has been a regular on Agne Nilsson’s Farr 45 ‘Excel’ this season.

‘Kiwi’ came to the UK 14 years ago to do the Whitbread with Matt Humphries, but it didn’t work out. He then dabbled in Minis before running various boats in the UK and abroad. He also found time to rebuild an X-Boat and won the coveted Captain’s Cup in 2006. He was brought up on a cattle farm near Wellington and is a product of the New Zealand Youth Sailing Squad. A hugely experienced sailor, he is competitive, tough and reliable. And one thing is for sure, Kiwi calls a spade an f’ing spade and life will never be dull with him around..!

After all the stress, at last there is some good news on the delivery of the boat. Builders CMI have confirmed that she was loaded on to the container ship at Laem Chabang on August 2nd. An extra bit of good news is that the ship was able to leave Thailand a day earlier than expected but, as we all know, a poor journey could just as easily change her arrival time to a few days late..!
But the first major hurdle has been crossed and the team can begin planning how we are going to get the boat ready to roll in time for the big race. November 3rd is not many weeks away and we have to complete a 1,000nm Qualifier at the beginning of October in order to finally confirm our entry.
Meanwhile the first of CMI built Class 40’s is off on her Fastnet qualifier and I will be watching her performance against the others in the race with specific interest, especially Peter Harding’s new Owen Clark boat.
Following a couple of useful days crewing during Cowes Week, I am also competing in the Fastnet and more details, plus a very significant further team announcement, will follow in my next diary entry.

Following the frantic fortnight in Thailand it’s been great to be back home, sleeping in my own bed and eating food that I actually recognised..! Unfortunately, the English weather has not been up to normal summer standards although the two days of sailing at the IRM Nationals were an exception that was hard to beat. I had the pleasure of sailing on Agne Nilsson’s Farr 45 Fortis Excel, standing in for my great mate Jason Field who was away on marital duties. As soon as I set foot on the boat on Saturday morning, and met up with guys I used to sail with on a regular basis, I knew that this was going to be a memorable weekend. Good racing, tall stories and major leg-pulling… it doesn’t get much better…!

Saturday’s forecast was for showers with 12-15 knots of wind. Although the breeze was shifty under fast-moving clouds and was up to the early 20s by the end of the day, the committee did a great job in getting four race run. Racing was incredibly close with the fleet finishing with only a few minutes covering first to last. We were very consistent and had a score line of 4, 3, 3, 3 with the lead changing between Alice 2 and Werewolf.

Sunday was even better. No showers, bright sunshine and a score line of 1, 2, and 3 kept us in the hunt till the very last race. With the top three boats tight on points we ended up slipping to third, but it was a great weekend’s sailing and the crew sailed faultlessly. Our crew included Jeremy Robinson, Craig Mitchell and Kiwi Dave all of whom were part of the 2003 Sydney to Hobart race crew when we won our class on Bounder. Also there were navigator Pete Selby and Andy Yeomans from my days on the Farr 52 Team Tonic.

Following a the great weekend, I then spent on the seemingly endless chore of chasing prospective sponsors and chasing the yard in Thailand to make sure the boat makes it for the next available ship. I then almost spent last weekend at home but at the last minute was asked to help the crew of the RYA keel boat squad with their Fastnet Race preparations. They have a Farr 45 that was donated to the squad and they run on a shoestring budget. The crew are all under 25 and were all selected on merit from around the country.

I took them through the boat and went through the things they must do before the Fastnet. I guess my list is longer than they thought sorry guys..! But, as the saying goes, “Fail to prepare and you must prepare to fail.” We then went out and put this young crew through its paces. They practiced spinnaker peels, headsail peels, putting reefs in, taking reefs out and generally sailing the boat in an offshore configuration rather than inshore. They are a great young team and I wish them well. Hopefully, the weather is kind because the boat is bound to leak like a sieve, which only adds to everyone’s misery..!

With Cowes Week now upon us, it’s back to the grindstone on the sponsorship hunt. I have a handful of races scheduled at Cowes and am as excited as ever about the Fastnet. In the meantime, hopefully I’ll find out if the new boat is on the way within the next few days and all these months of planning can start to become a reality..!

This weekend, I returned home to Beaulieu having spent 10 days out at CMI in Thailand, checking on the progress of the Class 40. When I left the UK, I expected the boat to be almost finished. The purpose of this trip was to finalise details with deck layout, ballast systems and electronics. Ah well, they do say that assumption is the mother of all mess-ups (or something similar) and I could hardly have been more wrong about progress…!

The build was so far behind where I expected it to be and it was clear that without serious rethinking, it would remain that way. There was nothing else I could do but roll my sleeves up and deal with it. I telephoned Pom Green, the CEO (himself held up in Chicago) and he gave me his blessing to write a new build schedule, call a crisis meeting with the yard and get stuck in…

Working in a Thai yard is a tough test, believe me. We northern Europeans are not really built to withstand temperatures in the high 30s and about 95% humidity! The only relief was occasional sorties to the air conditioned office to check lists and drawings. The days were long. We arrived at the yard at 7am each morning and seldom left before 8pm in the evening. Luckily, there was guy who lives close to me in Lymington working in the yard on his own project, with an equally tight deadline, and it was good to have company.

Richard runs a project called Windjet and aims to break the wind powered land speed record (116.7mph). The craft he is building looks like something from the future and I can’t wait to see it finished and sailing!

What was achieved in just over a week was pretty incredible and shows what can be done if everybody pulls together as a team! The boat is now very close to where I had originally expecting it to be and should be ready for shipping on the 23rd of this month. This is later than I had hoped but, given the situation at the start of July, a great result.

Anyway, now that I am home I have an endless list of people to contact and chase for answers… it’s just great to be back in the cool…!

At one of the most emotionally stirring climaxes to any regatta I have ever attended – and there have been a few – the announcement of who actually won the highly successful four-race Dubois Cup was but a detail at a prize giving event that will be remembered for many years for anyone privileged enough to be there.

In fact, ‘privilege’ was a word on the lips of many because the Dubois Cup was not only a great racing and social event which must surely be repeated, but an opportunity to bring awareness to CLIC Sargent, the Caring for Children with Cancer charity which aims to raise £20 million a year to support families whose children are affected.

The message from the stage last night in Palma de Mallorca’s marvellous Museum of Modern Art came loud and clear – not only from Ed and Honor Dubois, one of whose children suffers from cancer – but also from luminaries in the sport who have been affected by the disease.

Neville Crichton, owner of Alfa Romeo and a string of Ed Dubois designed yachts built by Alloy in New Zealand, stood up and admitted that his throat cancer had not done wonders for his singing career and that when he was first diagnosed with the disease in America he felt very alone. Having someone there to help care for you, said Neville, is crucial to beating the disease. CLIC Sargent aims to make that happen.

Barry McGuigan, one time world featherweight boxing champion and an ambassador and patron for the charity, described how his world fell apart when his wife Sandra phoned to tell him their daughter had been diagnosed with leukaemia. And Richard Matthews, who owns Oyster Marine and who could also speak from personal experience with the disease, made a wonderfully heavyweight plea to the assembled competitors to put their hands in their pockets. “Richard knows how to lean on people!” announced Ed.

Then the place went wild because as far as most people were concerned (certainly those of a certain age), Dire Straits took to the stage and belted out anthems that brought memories flooding back and had even the crinkliest of us out on the dance floor. Two original members of the iconic band, John Illsley (bass), well known to the yachting fraternity as owner of the George Hotel in Yarmouth and the East End Arms near Lymington, and Guy Fletcher (keyboards) teamed up with Greg Pearle to form celtic rock band Cunia – and last night in Palma they gave it their all. A rollercoaster of emotion brought a tear to many an eye and lump to the throat. It really was a stunning event which I now find extremely difficult to put into words.

Midnight, followed by Timoneer and Kokomo, won the Dubois Cup after two days of sublime racing in the Bay of Palma. It was an event which proved without doubt that racing ‘super yachts’ of this ilk can be extremely good fun, frighteningly close at time and altogether enjoyable. This inaugural event will be remembered for many things but I have to say that the spirit and poignancy of last night’s farewell bash had a lot of us thinking just how very lucky we were to be part of it.