Rolex Fastnet offshore yacht race

[Ayahuasca]

Anyone doing it this year ? - kicks off next week

[Stampede]

I'll be there, Cowes week too.
Bring on the weak Fosters in the beer tent.

S690

[XJSJohn]

i don't do cold weather sailing any more ... chilly.

Hamilton Island Race week in a few weeks, much more my style!

[schmalex]

I really want to do it again.

We won the 3 classes we were entered in back in 1993 & I vowed then never to do it again, as there was no way I cold ever top that.

On a side note, I have just read "Left For Dead" written by Nick Ward about his experiences during the 1979 Fastnet. For anyone who has ever competed in the race, it is extremely compelling reading

[Eric Mc]

Hard to believe it's 30 years.

[Incredible Sulk]

schmalex said:

I really want to do it again.

We won the 3 classes we were entered in back in 1993 & I vowed then never to do it again, as there was no way I cold ever top that.

On a side note, I have just read "Left For Dead" written by Nick Ward about his experiences during the 1979 Fastnet. For anyone who has ever competed in the race, it is extremely compelling reading

Well, we came last in IRC3 the last (and only) time I did in in 2001. Took us 7 ½ days, due to a slight 'technical' problem that meant we sailed across the Irish Sea four times. Never again. By the time we got back to Plymouth, they had packed up the beer tent. Gutted. All that effort, and we couldn't even get a beer.

[schmalex]

Incredible Sulk said:

schmalex said:

I really want to do it again.

We won the 3 classes we were entered in back in 1993 & I vowed then never to do it again, as there was no way I cold ever top that.

On a side note, I have just read "Left For Dead" written by Nick Ward about his experiences during the 1979 Fastnet. For anyone who has ever competed in the race, it is extremely compelling reading

Well, we came last in IRC3 the last (and only) time I did in in 2001. Took us 7 ½ days, due to a slight 'technical' problem that meant we sailed across the Irish Sea four times. Never again. By the time we got back to Plymouth, they had packed up the beer tent. Gutted. All that effort, and we couldn't even get a beer.

Sailing across the Irish Sea 4 times is somewhat more than a slight technical problem!!!!

We got in to Plymouth at around 4.30pm on the Tuesday afternoon when we did it. My abiding memory is surfing back from the Scillies in 35kts+ breeze with the heavy kite, #3 & a single tucked main up. We absolutely flew over the last two hundred miles or so, topping out at 17.3kts & averaging well over 14kts through the last night & day - not too shabby in a Sigma 38!!!!

I was 19 at the time & I can honestly say that no experience either before or since the race has influenced my life to such a great degree. I have memories from that race that will stay with me forever.

[Stampede]

Eric Mc said:

Hard to believe it's 30 years.

Certainly is, time does fly. I'm going to try to go to the memorial service, if only to put some perspective on it all.

S690

[Stampede]

schmalex said:

I really want to do it again.

We won the 3 classes we were entered in back in 1993 & I vowed then never to do it again, as there was no way I cold ever top that.

On a side note, I have just read "Left For Dead" written by Nick Ward about his experiences during the 1979 Fastnet. For anyone who has ever competed in the race, it is extremely compelling reading

A well written book that really does make you think. A must for all off shore racers.

S690

[Incredible Sulk]

schmalex said:

Incredible Sulk said:

schmalex said:

I really want to do it again.

We won the 3 classes we were entered in back in 1993 & I vowed then never to do it again, as there was no way I cold ever top that.

On a side note, I have just read "Left For Dead" written by Nick Ward about his experiences during the 1979 Fastnet. For anyone who has ever competed in the race, it is extremely compelling reading

Well, we came last in IRC3 the last (and only) time I did in in 2001. Took us 7 ½ days, due to a slight 'technical' problem that meant we sailed across the Irish Sea four times. Never again. By the time we got back to Plymouth, they had packed up the beer tent. Gutted. All that effort, and we couldn't even get a beer.

Sailing across the Irish Sea 4 times is somewhat more than a slight technical problem!!!!

We got in to Plymouth at around 4.30pm on the Tuesday afternoon when we did it. My abiding memory is surfing back from the Scillies in 35kts+ breeze with the heavy kite, #3 & a single tucked main up. We absolutely flew over the last two hundred miles or so, topping out at 17.3kts & averaging well over 14kts through the last night & day - not too shabby in a Sigma 38!!!!

I was 19 at the time & I can honestly say that no experience either before or since the race has influenced my life to such a great degree. I have memories from that race that will stay with me forever.

Me too. The slight technical problem was that the boat started letting in quite a lot of water. We were beating back towards the Scillies at night in a bit of a blow with a lumpy sea. The boat was pretty powered up and was slamming a lot. I don't know exactly how windy it was, because the anemometer and the radio aerial got carried away. Anyway the girl sleeping in the bunk at the chart table complained that her head was under water. After a quick check of the skin fittings and all the obvious stuff, we turned the boat around back towards Ireland to run before the wind to give us some breathing space to bail her out and see if we could find out what the problem was. There was a lot of water coming in at that point, and the skipper wanted to send a pan pan just to advise that we might be in need of assistance. This we couldn't do, as we had no aerial. we only found that out at daybreak though.

We eventually found out that part of the seal between the hull and the deck had failed under the toerail. Took us a while to figure that one out, because the water was coming in and running down behind the interior fittings into the bilges. Cue sailing back towards the UK as upright as possible, ie quite slowly. It's the only time I've been on a yacht when I thought I might have to get into a liferaft. To add insult to injury, after all that the wind died when we rounded the Scillies, so no 17 knot surfing for us. We thought about turning the donk on, but after the experience we'd had we didn't want to end with a DNF. We did come dead last though.

[schmalex]

Scary stuff. Well doen for bringing it all back in one piece with everyone safe

[XJSJohn]

schmalex said:

We absolutely flew over the last two hundred miles or so, topping out at 17.3kts & averaging well over 14kts

we get those speeds and above on the two boats i race out here, a Beny First Europe and a Sydney 40, both very cool boats and an absolute blast in the Asean regatta sircuit

schmalex said:

- not too shabby in a Sigma 38!!!!

.... they can get on the plane?!?!?!?

edit - sorry bksed teh formating

Edited by XJSJohn on Thursday 30th July 14:07

[schmalex]

XJSJohn said:

schmalex said:

Incredible Sulk said:

schmalex said:

We absolutely flew over the last two hundred miles or so, topping out at 17.3kts & averaging well over 14kts [/quote}

we get those speeds and above on the two boats i race out here, a Beny First Europe and a Sydney 40, both very cool boats and an absolute blast in the Asean regatta sircuit

schmalex said:

- not too shabby in a Sigma 38!!!!

.... they can get on the plane?!?!?!?



Guess the next for me is to muster up some balls and do the Sydney Hobart, Quantum have offered me a spot .....

I don't think they were quite designed to get up on the plane, but Serendip sure did her best to oblige

You've got to do the Hobart, John. Something like a Santa Cruz 70 would be a pretty nice way of spending 3 days surfing!

[XJSJohn]

Quantum's Auzzy boat is a canting keel Cookson, but there is also a potential offer to ride on a TP52 too which could be a laugh!!!

Lets face it though, none are exactly gin palaces!!!

[schmalex]

Outstanding. I raced TP52 at Cowes a year or 2 ago. They're certainly quick!

Off topic, I might have to tap you up for some racing in Singa next year, as there is rumour we may be taking an ex-pat deal with my wife's company. If I'm going to be a kept man, I'll need a few distractions

[XJSJohn]

schmalex said:

Off topic, I might have to tap you up for some racing in Singa next year, as there is rumour we may be taking an ex-pat deal with my wife's company. If I'm going to be a kept man, I'll need a few distractions

Most of what i do is booze cruising (TBH I am too much of a lazy arse to do teh real stuff these days) but there is a lot of sailing happening here.

There are a few good sailing clubs here (and some bad) I sail from Changi (csc.org.sg) and we have a regular club fun series, as we have a lot of day sailors and cruisers. However there is also one of the largest F16 cat fleets in the world based here.

Rememeber that the equator is also the doldrums.

Having said that there are the following regatta's / races

Kings Cup
Phuket Race Week
Langkawi regatta
Raja Muda
Western Circuit
RSYC Regatta
Horsburgh Challenge
Straits Regatta
Ambassadors Cup
Koh Samui Regatta
Manilla - Boracay
Presidents Cup
Etc Etc

lots of stuff, and there are some real bad boy boats out here!!! I am doing Trimmer / Tactics / Occasional Helm on an old Benny First Europe these days, which is fantastic for the light airs ... (25 knots is blowing some, unless its a sumatra and thats 70 knots and everyone goes home!!!!)

That was a little O/T - as we were .....

ETA - Fun Boats based in Singa

3 x TP52's
3 x MUMM 30's
1 x Sydney 40 (the Admarals Cup boat that never was)
3 x Sydney 38's
several big FIRST's
several assorted DK's
a bunch of ex Sydney Hobart ORC boats with runners and all!!!
gaggle of cork 1850's
gaggle of J24's
gaggle of Platu's

Edited by XJSJohn on Thursday 30th July 14:35

[Ayahuasca]

Had forgotten the 30 years thing. Read 'Fastnet, Force 10' about it. Sobering stuff.


Last time was a tiny bit hairy, we retired with gear failure (blown out main) so have some unfinished business.

[Ayahuasca]

The official Fastnet site http://fastnet.rorc.org/ has a virtual race game so if anyone wants a go (bit without the seasick, smelly, knackered, cold and wet experience) see if you can beat us!

[schmalex]

Will give it a go.

Best of luck to all competitors. Sail safe & race hard.

[Dogsey]

Ayahuasca said:

The official Fastnet site http://fastnet.rorc.org/ has a virtual race game so if anyone wants a go (bit without the seasick, smelly, knackered, cold and wet experience) see if you can beat us!

I'm in (as I am for most of VirtualReggata.com's races these days). Feel free to add SeaDogseyRun to your friends list.