2008 Race Reports

Race 8 - Cowes - Deauville Race

Report from Jacana (J133) Class 3

A rather relaxed late departure from Lymington did not set us in good stead for the weekend, a mad dash, making the gate with 2 minutes before the warning, left us with little time to appraise the wind conditions in the Eastern Solent.

A steady 17 knots had accompanied us up to Cowes and this, combined with a total crew of three, persuaded us to hoist the "No 3" to err on the side of caution. In spite of "Mash em Paul" we were always going to be light on the rail. In the event a pleasant 10 - 12 knots blew from the East North East making for a relaxed albeit under-canvassed beat to the forts.

Once round the fort and off the wind we changed up to the "No.2" and set about trimming for 70 degrees true wind angle. The fleet split with some staying high while others pointed straight for Bembridge and the finish. Always respectful of canny JOG skippers we tried to stay slightly east of a direct route to allow for more ebb than flood tide during the crossing. Despite a few lulls off Bembridge, the breeze gradually built to a steady 15 knots and then up to 17 knots. As the wind speed increased, Jacana's water line length came into play as we reeled in the two or three boats that had made it through the forts ahead of us. A few miles south of Bembridge ledge, the last white stern light had turned red and, as far as we could tell, we were lead boat on the water.

We operated a rotating two hours on, one hour off watch system, alternating the helm at 30 minute intervals to keep everyone fresh, interested and awake. The wind freed us a little during the night and visibility was reasonable as we crossed the shipping lanes. The newly commissioned AIS system revealed the usual stream of shipping and kept us peering into the gloom for the next possible close encounter. By mid channel we had lost sight of the lights of the following pack and in the early hours a wonderful moon rose directly ahead and climbed slowly into a mostly clear sky. As dawn approached we had made good progress and were feeling good about our prospects. However the early morning light revealed land ahead and a single sail on the horizon astern. It was now all about whether we were far enough ahead on the water to protect our lead on corrected time.

Ten miles out we ground to an undignified halt as we approached the French coast. The wind came aft and died away to 7 knots. Jacana is not the lightest boat in the fleet and needs a good breeze or lots of sail up to give of her best. The boat speed plummeted. The usual rush to adjust anything adjustable was undertaken, but mild panic set in as there were now two sails clearly visible astern and then three or four. The reacher was called for and promptly hoisted, No sooner was it set than the wind came back and built sharply up to 15 knots resulting in us storming along, rails in the water, but not towards Deauville!

A rather large French trawler circled around us at a respectable distance, clearly bored at blocking the channel into Le Havre and not keen to get too close to three men in a boat wrestling with a spinnaker with a mind of its own. With order eventually restored, the last few miles run into the finish at Deauville left us musing as to whether we had let everyone catch up by falling into the hole or whether the sails behind us had been there all the time. Perhaps the early morning light had simply fooled us into believing our lead was larger.

Sadly, due to prior commitments (a plane to catch) we were unable to join the fleet in Deauville and, having finished, immediately turned for home. We were hopeful of a placing in the race and were delighted when we found we had won, noting the small margin between the corrected times of the first three boats. The trip back to the Solent - now there's another story. Suffice to say that our return to Lymington climaxed in the Needles Channel with forty knots on the nose, torrential rain, wind against tide, spray like nails and standing waves everywhere. A mercifully short but invigorating battle ended with a bottle of wine on the pontoon and a good night's sleep in our own beds.

Owner & Skipper: David Munro
Crew: Paul Tranter & John Syms

Report from Aquila (Dehler 28) Class 5

The race across was easy having done some homework on the tides it was down the rhum line. A willow warbler landed on the boat and as I was at the helm it sat on my legs. We have had willow warblers on the boat twice before so the recognition of a L.B.J was not difficult.

The race was, as usual, to get to the lock gates in time, blow the competition. We were in by twelve!

The return trip was a bit more interesting. The weather was seductively blue until we neared the up lane when we put in the first reef. As we crossed the up lane we took in the second slab and tacked round a couple of ships in the down lane. George and Eric had taken over upstairs as we rattled along flogging the main and luffing the jib. Eric said it was as good as driving a formula one car and I can confirm I did not want to leave the helm. It was a long wet night.

As we hurtled along at 7 and 8 knots on our ear we should have dropped the jib. Navigating, we needed to consider our leeway as we have a small keel and it does not work when it is near horizontal and we had an ebb tide so I played over safe and we ended up south of Chichester. We bore off in a thick gruel of fog and slashing rain reaching through the moored shipping and rounded the fort. We moored up at about 06.00. Hindsight, I think we sould have gently luffed up, eased the jib and brought in the main to steady the boat and then dropped and lashed the jib quickly.

On board George Gerwitz, Eric Huntington, and Tony Short.

Report from Electron (Beneteau 31.7) Class 5

"Poor old Electron is a little sick" said Skip to Vickie over the phone as they planned for the Deauville race. The ships battery charging system was playing up and it had taken him a couple of races to "put his finger on it". To the uninitiated this may mean little. However, to double hander's, not having batteries for the autopilot means grief and less sleep (as Vickie has demonstrated by sleeping in all of the destination yacht clubs after each race!!). Anyhow, the battery charging problem was fixed and Skip was confident all would be well for Deauville (famous last words).

Out to the start line it became obvious that it would be a beat to the forts and then a fast off wind sail to the finish. Skip also, for once, remembered to go to the correct start line and not stooge around Gurnard wondering where everyone was. Once through the identity gate Skip asked Vickie if she had her watch on her. She thrust her chest forward to show Skip the device was already strapped to her lifejacket. Skip apologises unreservedly to the class 5 boat he nearly hit during that distraction. . . . . .

The start was a gentle affair and Skip got it right for once, sailing along the line with Alchemist until the gun and then off on a beat to the forts. Xarifa shot off like the tax man was chasing her and rapidly put a good half mile between Electron and Alchemist.

The beat out of the Solent was quite tactical with boats tacking to stay in the tide but also having to consider the shifts. At Bembridge the fleet had stretched out into a long line and as the sun started to set everyone settled for the night. (video of the nice sunset will be posted on the Electron web site) Skip suggested to Vickie she take the first off watch after dinner and he would get "some kip" once she returned. As refreshed as two hours sleep can make you, Vickie returned on deck and Skip handed over: "Peter's doing a great job - just keep an eye on trim" (Peter is the autopilot).

Skip had just settled in his bunk when Electron violently rounded up, sails ragging. Up on deck he could hear Vickie cursing about "bloody men" in a most un-lady like fashion. She got Electron back on course only for the boat to round up violently again. Skip came up on deck to find Vickie cursing Peter for being lazy and for refusing to work anymore. It became clear the autopilot had failed and Peter no longer wanted to steer the boat - Skip did not get his "kip" for a while.

The race through the night was relatively uneventful but had one or two interesting moments: "What's that bloody beeping noise?" asked Skip. Vickie replied that it was "her damn watch". She added that not only did it seem to bleep randomly but also kept doing a good impression of a set of disco lights by flashing on and off for several minutes at a time. Vickie does not like her watch!

Vickie also started to talk to Skip about Pauline at one point in the night. Skip, tired and totally confused asked "who the hell was Pauline", was she "nice tottie" and did it mean he had to retire from the race as he was not double handed after all. Vickie gave Skip another of those looks only women can give to stupid men and said: "She's is the spare tiller pilot - we can't have them both called Peter can we?". . . . .

Authors note: Skip did reply to Vickie that it was appropriate the tiller pilot had a female name because it was as useless as a chocolate tea pot and could not steer straight for love nor money. Skip apologises to the fairer but totally capable sex and has also confirmed his injuries from the winch handle are healing nicely and that Vickie need not worry about there being any charges made. In Skips defence the spare tiller pilot is useless and can only be used under very light conditions.

As Electron approached the finish Skip became nervous: "I am sure I put the Semoy buoy in correctly" he said as he looked at a number of boats a lot lower than Electron was. To be safe he double checked it and satisfied it was correct concentrated on trying to catch Alchemist. Electron finished in good company with Alchemist and Xarifa just in front and Imperator just behind. As Skip pressed the engine start button he was greeted with an ominous silence - the engine was as dead as a dodo.

Not wishing to stay out in the bumpy water off Deauville Skip hailed Alchemist who initially just waved back cheerily. After several shouts they realised the communication was more than a "well done" and came over and took Electron in tow to Deauville. Once tied up Skip managed to start the engine as it was just the engine start battery that had failed. Beer was used to thank Alchemist for their assistance!

Deauville Yacht Club welcomed all the competitors in its usual fashion with some pleasant food and wine. Skip decided, after seeing the weather forecast for Sunday evening that an extra day would be nice in Deauville. The extra day nearly turned into several as the French fishermen started a blockade of the harbour on the Monday morning. However, in the end, appeals from the Deauville Yacht Club enabled both Electron and Alchemist to leave Monday afternoon. Blockaded in a French port - another one for the memoirs!

Return from Deauville Report from Alchemist (Dubois 1/2 Ton) Class 5

With the unpleasant weather forecast, Alchemist, Electron and Blustery Day decided to delay their departures from Deauville till the Sunday evening tide, and that was further put back to the Monday midday tide when we saw the night-time conditions. By mid-morning on Monday the weather looked considerably more benign, and we were preparing to set off when Andrew came back to the boat and said "I don't quite know how to put this, but we are blockaded in". After some initial lighthearted discussion about how we could possibly manage to survive with the number of bars and restaurants there were in the place, we began to appreciate the seriousness of the situation.

We went round to the Yacht Club where we spoke to Nils Andersen who said he would speak to the fishermen, three of whose boats were blocking the lock gate. Meanwhile I phoned up the British Consul in le Havre, and spoke to his secretary. She was quite sympathetic, but since we had passports, money and somewhere to stay she indicated that the Consulate might have more pressing matters to deal with. Nils came back to say that he had negotiated with the fishermen who were consulting with their union bosses in Paris. We thought that we would have a long wait, and started on lunch. Nils then came back again and said that we should go immediately, and that we should be sure to fly our ensigns and to be nice to the fishermen and not try anything on. Blustery Day was nowhere to be seen, but Alchemist and Electron departed immediately, getting our sails up and clothing on in the outer harbour. The fishermen were quite affable, since we clearly did not have President Sarkosy on board, but refused the offer of a bottle of whisky which I thought showed some principle on their part. We owe a debt of thanks to Nils.

We heard that those who departed after the prizegiving got into heavy weather. We missed this, but there was a heavy swell running from the NE, whilst the light SE/E wind was insufficient to steady the sails so we had a rather rocky trip back. Fortunately the visibilty was quite good except for a half hour on Tuesday morning when we had dense fog. Back on our mooring at 0900 on Tuesday.

PS: Calling all alumnii of Christ's College, Cambridge. I found a college tie on a bench, still knotted, on the quayside at Trouville. I am prepared to return it if I can have the story.
Mark Wynter