We have a full crew list for the RORC Cervantes Trophy race to Le Havre:
Trevor Drew (Skipper); Nick Bowles (1st Mate); David Balding; Dan Groves; Jane Harris; Andy Lapsley; Jonathan Law; Alan Voysey; Michael Yogarajah; Emily Shrosbree.
The race starts on Saturday morning at 07:50 off Cowes - our boat, Blue Juice, is berthed in Ocean Village, Southampton, so we'll go to Cowes on Friday night (Note to self - buy nurofen).
I think Jonathan has volunteered to bring a cooked meal down, so we should be in fine fettle for the race the following morning.
The list of starters is not huge, with 109 boats currently registered - but a very good turnout for the first race of the season. And there are some big boys among them - including the fabulous Farr 52, "Bob" and all four Challenger yachts. Within our Class 2 fleet of 25 yachts, there are four other First 40.7s, along with three Reflex 38s and two Prima 38s - so there will be some pretty close racing. Can't wait!
Trev
CSORC Live Race Reports
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Monday, 14 March 2011
Fastnet Campaign - Race training weekend
We all met up on the Friday night for an early start...well, almost! [Sorry ... Nick] This was the first opportunity for most of the crew to see the boat that we would be racing. We spent a couple of hours crawling over her, getting to know the nooks and crannies, as well as stowing gear and finding out what all the ropes do. And, of course, a nice meal. We spent the Saturday in the eastern Solent, learning the art of fast tacking and spinnaker launches and drops, along with practising knots and sail trimming. Mooring overnight in Cowes Yacht Haven, we enjoyed an excellent Thai meal, followed by a fair few beers in the Island Sailing Club. On Sunday, we went West, getting used to gybing and a lot more spinnaker work, also practicing man-overboard drill and even trying out the emergency tiller (it worked!). So, we're now all set for our first race to Le Havre!
Trev
And what lovely weather for a first sail of the year. Keep on hiking, guys!
Nick
Wet behind the ears?
Well, we completed our ISAF Offshore Safety course. The course was held over two days at Hamble School of Yachting and is a mixture of lectures and practicals on all aspects of yacht safety, emergency drills and survival techniques. We had lots of fun letting off flares and fire extinguishers, as well as “wet work” – involving towing each other up and down the swimming pool, inflating a liferaft, righting it and all piling in - a very efficient way for us all to get to know one another!
Although the ISAF requirements only require a third of the crew to do the course, it is CSORC policy for all to complete it. We are grateful to CSSA for providing a grant for half the cost, which is matched by CSORC, so the course was free to the crew.
Although the ISAF requirements only require a third of the crew to do the course, it is CSORC policy for all to complete it. We are grateful to CSSA for providing a grant for half the cost, which is matched by CSORC, so the course was free to the crew.
Trev
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Party!!
From the RORC Website:
In an effort to absorb the large waiting list for the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Royal Ocean Racing Club have decided to increase the number of places available to IRC yachts by removing the 'professionally' sailed classes from the 300 entry limit. The Volvo Ocean 70s, IMOCA 60s, Class 40s and Multihulls, who will race under their own class rules, will be counted over and above the previous 300 entry limit.
The Rolex Fastnet Race reached its entry limit 10 days after opening and over 130 boats are on the waiting list. "We were staggered at the speed with which people signed up," said RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine. "We had to do something to satisfy the huge interest, and taking the non IRC yachts out of the total is a fair solution allowing more loyal RORC racers to get their boats into the race."Removing the non-IRC classes will add about 50 more places to the total. "We are delighted that the Volvo's and IMOCA's want to compete in the race and that the Class 40's are coming en-masse," said RORC Chief Executive, Eddie Warden Owen. "It shows the popularity of the Rolex Fastnet that these professionally sailed boats want to join the race. However without this initiative, they would be taking valuable places away from less experienced offshore racers who view this race as a great personal challenge - their 'Everest' of sailing."
Sutton Harbour increase berthing capacity
To cater for the number of boats arriving in Plymouth, Sutton Harbour Marina has increased the amount of space by making the whole of the berthing area adjacent to West Pier and the Barbican available to the Rolex Fastnet fleet. Sutton Harbour has also become the official berth provider for the race and Chief Executive Nigel Godfroy is pleased to be associated with the race. "Sutton Harbour Marina welcomes the return of this world famous race," said Nigel. "We are very proud of the quality of facilities we have here in Sutton Harbour and being selected as the official berthing provider for the Rolex Fastnet Race. We look forward to welcoming the extra large fleet in August this year."
To accommodate the increased number of entries, space has been booked in Queen Anne's Battery, adjacent to Sutton Harbour and in Plymouth Yacht Haven in the Cattewater, where a water taxi service will be set up to connect competitors with the race office based at Sutton Harbour. The 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race starts in Cowes, Isle of Wight on Sunday 14 August.
The Rolex Fastnet Race reached its entry limit 10 days after opening and over 130 boats are on the waiting list. "We were staggered at the speed with which people signed up," said RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine. "We had to do something to satisfy the huge interest, and taking the non IRC yachts out of the total is a fair solution allowing more loyal RORC racers to get their boats into the race."Removing the non-IRC classes will add about 50 more places to the total. "We are delighted that the Volvo's and IMOCA's want to compete in the race and that the Class 40's are coming en-masse," said RORC Chief Executive, Eddie Warden Owen. "It shows the popularity of the Rolex Fastnet that these professionally sailed boats want to join the race. However without this initiative, they would be taking valuable places away from less experienced offshore racers who view this race as a great personal challenge - their 'Everest' of sailing."
Sutton Harbour increase berthing capacity
To cater for the number of boats arriving in Plymouth, Sutton Harbour Marina has increased the amount of space by making the whole of the berthing area adjacent to West Pier and the Barbican available to the Rolex Fastnet fleet. Sutton Harbour has also become the official berth provider for the race and Chief Executive Nigel Godfroy is pleased to be associated with the race. "Sutton Harbour Marina welcomes the return of this world famous race," said Nigel. "We are very proud of the quality of facilities we have here in Sutton Harbour and being selected as the official berthing provider for the Rolex Fastnet Race. We look forward to welcoming the extra large fleet in August this year."
To accommodate the increased number of entries, space has been booked in Queen Anne's Battery, adjacent to Sutton Harbour and in Plymouth Yacht Haven in the Cattewater, where a water taxi service will be set up to connect competitors with the race office based at Sutton Harbour. The 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race starts in Cowes, Isle of Wight on Sunday 14 August.
Looks like the party's just got bigger!
Trev
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Fastnet 2011 Training Weekend is looming
It's two weeks until our first training session - two days studying for our ISAF certificates. This will be partly in the classroom, learning first aid, along with some practical bits like letting off flares and chopping up bits of shroud - or trying to, anyway. We'll also have a session in the pool, righting liferafts and trying to get in them. And, of course, it will be our first chance to get to know each other.
Meanwhile, Blue Juice, our First 40.7, chartered from those nice people at MECSail, is out of the water, having her bottom cleaned and some maintenance to the underwater bits. Then, the week after our shore training, we'll be out on the water for the first time, learning more about the boat and how to sail her.
Trev
Thursday, 3 February 2011
RORC Rolex Fastnet 2011
The entry list for the Fastnet opened at midnight on 9th January. Our entry was in the following morning and by the 15th we had submitted crew details and all the other paperwork. We are provisionally accepted - provisional, that is, on our completing training and qualifying races. So, game on, as I believe they say these days. First stop, ISAF Offshore Safety Course.
From the RORC web site:
"Entry for one of the world's most popular yacht races opened at midnight on Sunday 9 January and by midday Monday, nearly 100 entries had signed up, with an unprecedented number doing so in the early hours of the morning. The trend continued over the next couple of days when the halfway mark of 150 boats was reached for the race which has a maximum entry of 300 boats. Within a week, 250 boats had entered!
"We expected an initial rush of interest because people were registering the details about their boat on our REMUS on-line entry system over Christmas," commented the RORC Racing Manager Ian Loffhagen. "However nothing had prepared us for this unprecedented amount of interest in the race. We are obviously delighted at how popular the race has become with entries from all over the world."
Of the high profile race boats entered, the two canting keel 100 footers, ICAP Leopard and Rambler 100 will be the ones battling to take line honours in the Race. Mike Slade's ICAP Leopard and George David's previous Rambler had a huge fight in the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race, with Leopard taking the silverware. However, this year, George David has chartered the Juan K designed Speedboat, re-named Rambler 100, which will put Mike Slade under a lot of pressure.
There are 15 Class 40's entered so far and the next biggest classes are the Sigma 38 and First 40.7s, with 14 boats each and so far, 14 different countries will be represented in the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race. "
The entry list has now apparently reached the limit of 300 boats!
From the RORC web site:
"Entry for one of the world's most popular yacht races opened at midnight on Sunday 9 January and by midday Monday, nearly 100 entries had signed up, with an unprecedented number doing so in the early hours of the morning. The trend continued over the next couple of days when the halfway mark of 150 boats was reached for the race which has a maximum entry of 300 boats. Within a week, 250 boats had entered!
"We expected an initial rush of interest because people were registering the details about their boat on our REMUS on-line entry system over Christmas," commented the RORC Racing Manager Ian Loffhagen. "However nothing had prepared us for this unprecedented amount of interest in the race. We are obviously delighted at how popular the race has become with entries from all over the world."
Of the high profile race boats entered, the two canting keel 100 footers, ICAP Leopard and Rambler 100 will be the ones battling to take line honours in the Race. Mike Slade's ICAP Leopard and George David's previous Rambler had a huge fight in the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race, with Leopard taking the silverware. However, this year, George David has chartered the Juan K designed Speedboat, re-named Rambler 100, which will put Mike Slade under a lot of pressure.
There are 15 Class 40's entered so far and the next biggest classes are the Sigma 38 and First 40.7s, with 14 boats each and so far, 14 different countries will be represented in the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race. "
The entry list has now apparently reached the limit of 300 boats!
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Round Britain & Ireland - Jangada Too blog
Dear followers
The blog of our adventures in the big, double-handed "Round the Islands" race can be found at http://jangada-too.blogspot.com/.
We had a stunning result, coming fourth in our class and fifth overall. What an adventure - hope you enjoy reading about it as much as we did doing it!
Trevor
The blog of our adventures in the big, double-handed "Round the Islands" race can be found at http://jangada-too.blogspot.com/.
We had a stunning result, coming fourth in our class and fifth overall. What an adventure - hope you enjoy reading about it as much as we did doing it!
Trevor
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