JOG, Junior Offshore Group for Offshore Racing

Cowes to La Trinite

Report from Just So, J 109, Class 4.

With consistent weather forecasts of force 3-4, decreasing later, the Just So team were expecting a pleasant beat down the Solent and a slow race. So it came as a bit of a surprise to start with the (never used in anger) No 4 and a reefed main in 25-30 knots and in a building wind-over-tide sea. Mary's home made fish pie had consequently only a few takers on Saturday night. But the prediction that the wind would decrease was correct and at 9pm we were able to change up to the No 3 and get rid of the reef and by midnight we had the No 1 up and the wind was down to 7-8 knots, although it took much longer for the sea to calm down. We had gone south initially but then tacked early to the west on the header. This also very usefully allowed us to track along the middle of the Casquets TSS. From discussions with other crews going west for more wind seemed to pay as we did hold the wind for longer. During most of Sunday the wind veered and then backed and varied from a helpful 14 knots down to unhelpful zero, but the crew recovered their strength. Throughout the day we saw J Fever, Cougar and NJOS.

Monday morning we could see J Fever, who had passed us the day before, in the distance and we were alongside NJOS bobbing around with little wind. The wind filled in and we made good progress towards the Chaussee De Sein. When we were about 6 miles away, we saw J Fever sail into a hole in front of us and managed to sail around them. About 5 miles from the mark the wind disappeared and a long slow beat was the result. With J Fever, NJOS and Cougar in sight behind us.

We managed to be the first boat as far as we could see round the mark and we hoisted the kite, this lead to issues as we were pushed back towards the rocks by the tide as the choppy conditions prevented our kite from filling. After half an hour to an hour we had to drop the kite and beat back out again. Eventually the wind increased slightly and the swell disappeared.

During Monday night the wind was up and down and all over the place, what started as a nice reach in 8-10 knots became a full on downwind leg in 4 to 6. During the night several French fishing fleets were negotiated as well as coping with the particular darkness of the night and trimming our unfortunantly coloured spinnaker (dark blue). When it became light we could still see NJOS and as there were 4 knots of wind we resigned ourself to a very slow day and had the fear that perhaps arrival in La Trinite might be delayed another day. As the day went on the wind picked up and we were able to sail deeper and faster before negotiaing the final channel into Quiberon bay. We had duelled with NJOS all day but they managed to sneak round the final mark infront of us by a minute or two and then extended their lead down the kite reach. What neither of the boats had appreciated was that whislt we were in different classes, we were fighting for line honours. We finally finished at 18:24 BST, dropped the kite and motored in, before having a rapid shower and a late meal followed by a few drinks in the yacht club. The next day we really enjoyed the reception and party.

Our trip home allowed us to stop briefly in Cameret sur mer, Trebeurden and Guernsey to top up on diesel and fruits de mer. And of course, as we passed through the Raz de sein, there was NJOS just behind us!

Thanks to all the organisers for a fantastic race.

Report from J-Fever, J120, Class 3

http://gallery.me.com/esailor1/100016/rjp10JulyLaTA176.
We are definitely the lame and the halt this season. For Deauville the skipper was strapped into his baby seat at the chart table with his arm in a sling. To go one better Navigator Martin came aboard for this race with a broken foot, but determined to do the race, so we strapped him in and went.

We have now had the complete range of diablical sailing conditions spoken with feeling off Ushant. Starting in a gale to beat down to the needles and on across the channel, we remarked how warm the water was. We reflected that we could have been in the pub with our friends, no contest really. By the time we were off the SW end of the casquettes separation zone we were becalmed, not for the last time. The crew set about a serious assault on the stores as the best way to lighten the boat.

We continued for the rest of the race, in our public spirited way, to advertise the calm spots to the following fleet. However the race finished on a sparkling note with a good reach to Goue Vas Sud and on to the finish, a warm welcome at La Trinite, and a reception at the Marie with the mayor and spectacular views of the harbour.

Apart from the storm trisail, we used every sail on board at some time, most of them more than once, some in quick succession.

Our thanks to Peter and Sandy for all the organisation and the welcome and to John Wittey and Salona for the sponsorship and the excellent JOG party.

Frances Lester

Report from Alchemist , Ed Dubois Half Tonner, Class 5
The wet and windy start was mayhem. Sitting in the Island Sailing Club for lunch we kept checking the weather at Hurst Castle and Bramblemet. At 12 o’clock the weather was a fine gentle 18 knots of breeze so we set out to the boat in our shorts and t-shirt and then had a mega shock when the wind instruments were reading 27 knots of wind.

Trying to watch Santana doing their port hand flyer was actually quite a laugh because we stuffed them up. After the start we started to head into Gurnard bay so we could get the first of the ebb tide. Once we were in there the tide had turned in the main channel as well so then we hit the main channel and got the most of the tide and the wind. Through the Needles the tide was really at its strongest point and we may have only had 6 knots of boat speed but with the tide we were producing just over 9 knots over the ground. I think we may have left the tack a little to late for our beat towards the Cassettes’. We ended up taking the huge rolling waves of the Shingles bank, which really did destroy the boat speed and also the comfort. I probably don’t think that after Bridge buoy was the time to announce I had leaking sallopets; my kit was soaked which meant I had to spend the next 12 hours with soaking wet kit. After a long beat with the number 4 and a reef in we decided to shake the reef out and as soon as it reached 20 knots we put the number 2 up because we knew the wind was going to drop but not much. After a little think we went for the number one and then stayed with the number one for the rest of the race except for when we had the spinnaker up. In one watch we did 2 sail changes and shook a reef out.

Sunday morning we still had a little bit of breeze, which meant we could still make progress. We went through the Alderney race with the pressure we had, which meant we could make good progress. Through the Alderney race we were making 13 knots over the ground, which Mark said was ‘fast’. After the race we were making the course to Ouessant, however just as everything was going well the wind decided to drop. We were sitting off Guernsey for a day just going with the tide so we went forwards and made progress then when the tide turned we went backwards and lost the progress we made, which didn’t make Andrew happy. Suddenly in the distance we saw two fins and thought they were dolphins, but to our shock it was a basking shark! He/she swam right up to the boat to say a little hello and greet us into the English Channel. After swimming away and making our day the wind picked up which meant we could start making progress again and we did very gently and slowly. Throughout the night we tried to fly the spinnaker but there wasn’t enough wind to hold it so we just sort of let it float in the air and waited for wind.

Monday morning we had a steady wind increase, which meant we could sail with the spinnaker and make good progress. Dolphin number one was spotted and then the whole crew just tried to find the dolphin instead of sailing the boat, so we slowed down a little bit because no one was trimming the spinnaker. The most un-called for shift came along and we couldn’t hold the spinnaker so that was dropped then we were on the bearing of 30 degrees instead of 120 with the spinnaker but still making the lighthouse. The rest of the day was very light winds but we were still moving (even if it was backwards). The plan was to head into the French coast and pick up the sea breeze, which was created by the land. Late on that night we saw a flash in the distance, which was the lighthouse and finally we were almost half way.

Unfortunately it was light winds, which meant instead of getting there at 3 in the morning it was 9 am so we went around it in daylight. It was good because we got a view of Ouessant lighthouses even though it was murky and raining but it was a good experience for me. Sadly all of Tuesday was rain, rain and more rain, which made the crew unhappy and sad. Spending all day on Tuesday in the rain was the down side of the trip. After rounding the Chaussée de Sein we eased our sheets and were making good progress over the ground and covered 51 miles in 9 hours at 6 knots average. A Navtex message came through saying there was a capsized boat off Brest 10 miles offshore. Finally for the first time since Saturday we spotted a JOG boat, which was class 4’s Sigma 38 No Fear.

That night we had the most amazing phosphorescence. Every time we dived down a wave the sails would light up. After waking up at 6 am we only had 18 miles to do and covered that in 2 hours after hoisting the spinnaker for more speed and better progress. The finish was so close I could smell the French food from the entrance to the river mouth. Only meters away from the finish I must have fallen asleep at the chart table but it was okay because Andrew blew the air horn as load as possible which woke me up just in time to take the finish time.

The race was very good and I am hoping to do it again in two years time. We’d like to say thank you to Pete Chartres for making this race happen and excellent parties to follow.

Robbie Southwell
Navigator and tactics.

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