Sailing Logic Racing Blog

2008-05-06T10:33:00.001+01:00

Cervantes Cup; 2nd in Class 1 and 4th Overall

Puma Logic’s 2008 offshore campaign got off to a great start over the weekend with a superb 2nd place in Class 1 behind Pen Azen and just 30 seconds ahead of British Soldier, a brand new A40 owned and sailed by the British Army.

The May Bank Holiday weekend provided us with fabulous weather and a steady 8 – 12 knot easterly wind. The easterly wind allowed Puma to lay Le Havre on one tack after just under 16 hours of racing, which was much faster than expected.

A cheerful and happy race team made for the Le Havre yacht club at just before two in the morning to celebrate true Sailing Logic style…..all through the night and for most of Sunday! There were a couple of short breaks whilst Dave and Philippe fell into the marina and time out was taken for a much needed 45 minute snooze on the beach.

After a fantastic weekend of top racing, great partying and a relaxing cruise home Puma returned to Shamrock Quay for big fat boy breakfast at the Waterfront. The 2008 offshore race team have already started to bond very well and we now look forward to this weekend when the complete team for the outward leg of the Madeira race will be together for the 1st time.

2008-04-24T20:52:00.004+01:00

A Day as a Movie Star!

Diversity is what I wanted from my job in 2008 and that is certainly what I have got. On Sunday I was bashing around the Solent with a fantastic team competing in the Spring Series, the next day I was driving though some of the most stunning scenery that I have ever seen on my way to one of Britain’s most extreme outposts and today I am going to be a movie star!

Well, I guess a movie star may be a slight exaggeration! My £100.00 ‘extra’s’ fee is fairly mediocre compared to the £20m fee that Brad Pit demands per movie and fairly indicative of the inconsequential role that I will be playing, although I am sure he is not £20m better looking than me! The sailing team were asked to put the hoods up on their wet weather clothing so as not be recognised in the shots. The reason given was that we would have to be paid considerably more if our faces were recognisable; we all took it as a polite way of telling us that we were not good looking enough to become real movie stars. However this was going to be a new experience for me and is all quite exciting.

Volvo Cars are producing a new TV commercial to promote their new special edition XC90 4WD in conjunction with the Volvo Ocean Race, hence Sailing Logic’s involvement. Sailing Logic was commissioned to supply a Volvo 60 yacht in the Isle of Skye for the commercial and here I am, ready to make my acting debut!

The commercial has been titled ‘Dark and Stormy.’ Therefore it was understandable when the art directors expressed displeasure at the forecast for the filming of the Volvo 60 race yacht. It was to be an untypical, beautiful sunny day with little wind on the Isle of Skye, the island famous for having four seasons in a day! Not ideal. One of the things that really impressed me with the production team was the structure and organisation. Richard, the producer commented ‘this is the only way we can function. When there is a team of over 100 personnel it is very important to have a very clear and structured brief that is adhered to at all costs. It simply costs too much to deviate from this slightly. Everything has been thought of right down to who is responsible to ensure that there is sufficient coffee on the set’

It very quickly became clear to me why the marine industry cannot operate with such a rigid brief. Sailing depends greatly on the unreliable and unpredictable weather! To this end plans have to remain fluid. In the yachting industry we fully appreciate this but trying to make land loving film producers and airy fairy art directors understand this is an impossible task. They have their brief and meticulously structured programme that must be followed. When a team of over 100 people are involved in six different locations over a five day period it would simply be too difficult to alter the plans, even slightly.

This is a little bit frustrating when the forecast for two days later would be perfect for the brief (30 knots of wind and rain)! So we quietly slipped the mooring buoy, as planned at 0500 and headed out to Neist Point for the morning’s filming, under Jane’s Lighthouse. Surprisingly there was more wind than anticipated which would provide enough to fully power up our awesome ocean racing machine. For the next three hours there was a real buzz as the helicopter flew over head just metres away from us and filming boats circled around us capturing the necessary footage. The conditions were far from ideal to achieve exactly what they needed but Richard did point out that we would hardly recognise what had been filmed by the time the editing team had added there special effects and carefully manipulated the footage.

Jane, my old friend who I am staying with in the lighthouse has always said she has dreamed of the day that I would bring a boat and dock it on the landing jetty under the cliffs of her lighthouse. Whilst we did not dock the multi million pound ocean racing yacht at the bottom of the cliffs, Jane did concede that bringing a helicopter, support boats, a film crew and a famous race yacht far exceeded her expectations and certainly fulfilled her unusual dream!

Next it was back to land where I had the wonderful opportunity to watch the production team in full flow filming the XC90 4WD. I was amazed to see the size of the team required and just stood in complete awe of what was going on. ‘All of this for a 60 second TV commercial’ I quietly thought to myself. One of the producers pointed out to me that a TV commercial costs 10 times more to produce than a Hollywood movie per frame! Quite staggering, but I could see why.

The stress levels on set are extremely high and it surprised me the way people spoke to each other. Directors were barking orders, producers demanding refreshments, runners ensured everything was in the right place at the right time, actors received the wrath of the art director for failing to deliver the correct look or timing and the technical team always seemed on edge, wary of the vast amounts of money being swallowed up every second of the day. Time is money on set and lots of it. The slightest delay was dealt with in a scathing and harsh way. No hiccup was tolerated, no delay was acceptable.

Suddenly, a disgruntled and irate director called time out for lunch. Several mini buses transcended on the set to shuttle the entire team to the local community centre for a superb lunch. Everyone congratulated each other for a job well done, the director patted actors on the back and the team looked at ease as the conversation about a great mornings filming echoed around the double decker bus that had been converted into a restaurant. A complete contrast to what was happening on set where each member of the production team seemed to take it in turn to be chastised for the most negligible delay or smallest setback.

Some of you may think this sounds familiar! I guess it is not dissimilar to a day out on the water racing around the cans! I will remember what I thought about that art director when the kite takes three seconds longer to hoist than I had hoped for or the genoa is marginally over trimmed coming out of a tack! Hopefully my team will remind me of this soon after the start of the race, if they dare!

2008-04-23T16:49:00.001+01:00

Variety is the Spice of Life

One of the things which I love about my job is the variety. Over the past few years the variety has been slightly lacking as I have exclusively focused on racing. It is no great secret that by the end of last season I was burnt out with the desperate need to tweak my routine slightly.

It is very easy in anyone’s career to slip into a rut and plod along year in year out, finding security in our daily routine that does not vary sufficiently to inspire and enrich our lives. At the end of last season I recognised that things needed to change and I identified introducing variety into my life, (socially, career wise and sporting) as the special ingredient.

The Open 60 project at the tail end of last season now seems like a distant memory. What it did do though is provide me with the foundation to re structure my lifestyle in a very positive way. Sailing with Steve White on the Spirit of Weymouth inspired me and made me realise how much more there is to life and sailing than just following my annual routine, which was starting to loose the glamour, motivation, fun and fulfilment that it had previously provided.

A few weeks ago I was in Barcelona with a friend enjoying a working holiday commissioning a new yacht, over Easter (instead of competing in the Red Funnel Regatta) I was instructing a Coastal Skipper course for previous clients who had all become good friends. Another week and I was in North France to collect and deliver a catamaran back to Hamble, the yacht had been wrecked a few weeks before, sunk, been salvaged and had subsequently received a temporary repair which would hopefully get her home safely. Albeit without any electrics, gas, cushions, bunks…….!! Every weekend between I was out training and racing with my new Spring Series team, most importantly, I once again loved every minute of it.

This week is providing me with a very special experience. A few years ago an old friend of mine, my cabin mate from when I sailed around the world in 1996, bought the lighthouse on Neist Point on the Isle of Skye. I have planned to visit Jane for the last couple of years but never found the time to do so preferring to blame work commitments and a busy lifestyle. A wonderful opportunity came up recently when Sailing Logic asked to provide a Volvo 60 for a TV commercial to advertise the new Volvo XC90; the location…..Dunvegen, Isle of Skye! I obviously jumped at the opportunity to be involved. How exciting.

Driving out of Glasgow reminded me of the TV advert for Peugeot. The one where the driver wanted to get to Glasgow but at every junction the all knowing and highly accurate Peugeot GPS system would send the driver in the opposite direction to every sign post for Glasgow. Very confused the driver reluctantly trusted the in car system. After a while the Peugeot went around a final bend and stopped to admire the most amazing view overlooking the Lomand National Park. The GPS’s final words were ‘now enjoy.’ The driver admiringly looked at the long winding road that could be seen for miles before disappearing into the mountains.

Now it was my turn to enjoy this most amazing country side. I kept thinking ‘this is amazing’ and as I progressed further North to one of the remotest places in Britain it just continued to get better. The scenery up here is nothing short of breathtaking and my excitement continued to grow as Neist Point Light House gradually drew closer.

After a six hour drive it sunk in just how remote Jane’s home really is. I parked the car at the top of Jane’s drive situated on top of a headland in one of Scotland’s most remote outposts. Next was the long walk of the garden path; a cliff path that provided a fifteen minute walk to Janes’s front door.

I was greeted by a beaming friend at the front gate with a warm and welcomed hug closely followed by a chilled glass of bubbly looking out toward Barra, perched at the bottom of a lighthouse. A new experience for me made better by the seasons first sighting of a pod of Minke whales as they surfaced under the cliffs of Jane’s home, a very special moment.

Sadly, I had to depart before the sunset (that will have to wait for another day) to attend the production meeting for the next day’s filming. Then back to the lighthouse for a glass of Talisker and a bit of a catch up before bed, the alarm clock set for 4am to get me to the boat by 5am. The next day is going to be yet another experience; I am going to be a film star! More about that tomorrow!

2008-04-21T08:21:00.002+01:00

Race Four and Five

Sunday provided a complete contrast to the conditions of two weeks ago where racing was replaced by snow ball fights and snow man building competitions on the foredeck! The forecast was for a north easterly 15 knot breeze with sunny spells. Perfect conditions for Reflex 38’s. As it turned out the wind never got above 12 knots and often dropped to 7 or 8 knots with big shifts. Far from ideal for Reflex 38’s!

With two races planned for Sunday it was to be a big day to determine the form and give a clearer picture of potential series positions. Before discard going into Sundays races there was just one point separating 1st placed boat from the 5th placed boat. Both Jaguar Logic and Puma Logic were in the top 5 with a real chance of great success in the series.

Race 1 saw Jaguar Logic gain an excellent start at the pin end whilst Puma struggled in dirty air. At the 1st mark Jaguar were well up the fleet with Puma mid fleet with a hard task ahead of them to get back in the running. After discards Jagaur had a 4 point lead over Puma so a bad result in this race would almost certainly ruin Puma Logic’s chances of a good series result.

The team aboard Puma rose to the occasion and had an excellent down wind leg with a perfectly executed gybe at the gybe mark resulting in them being up with the front runners at the next mark. Jaguar was very well placed and looking good a few boat lengths ahead of Puma. All Puma could do was sail in Jaguars wake and hope that they made a mistake. At the last mark gear failure on Jaguar resulted in their main dropping, Puma seized the opportunity and sailed over Jaguar to clinch a 4th place, closing the four point deficit to just 1 point.

For race two both Jaguar and Puma had average starts and with the wind continually shifting to the left the tacticians were becoming increasingly concerned that they should have been placed on the left side of the course. In the end the wind went so far left that everyone laid the windward mark on one tack with Jaguar and Puma around the mark in the top four. At the leeward mark Jaguar, Puma and Prime Suspect were all jostling for pole position, with inches separating them. Puma came of worst and lost vital distance in the dyeing breeze.

Prime Suspect and Circus sailed an excellent beat and continued to extend their lead. Poor roundings at the final mark resulted in both Jaguar and Puma loose further positions and vital points. Jaguar held Puma off till the finish with Jaguar taking 8th and Puma 9th.

An excellent day was had by everyone and there were many smiling faces on the way back to Shamrock Quay as the Puma crew entertained Jaguar with a rendition of Father Abraham.

When the results came in there were a few surprises as it became clear that the leader board was incredibly tight. Circus had taken the lead and three points separated the next 4 boats. Jaguar lie in 3rd place maintaining a 2 point lead over Puma in 5th place. Next weekend is the final race with everything to play for. A good result could happily see both Jaguar Logic and Puma Logic in the top three. Conversely, a poor result could see both teams struggling to finish in the top six! BRING IT ON!

2008-03-17T14:55:00.001Z

Great start to the 2008 season

Two new teams joined Jaguar Logic and Puma Logic on Saturday for the Warsash Spring Series, the first racing campaign of the season. After meeting in the Waterfront for breakfast and an introduction the teams departed for a training day in the Solent in the miserable rain!

The forecast on Sunday was excellent and made the promise of no rain but plenty of wind. The wind strength exceeded everyone’s expectations and reached nearly thirty knots toward the end of the race, providing some exciting and testing conditions for our new teams!

Both Jaguar and Puma had good starts and found themselves in the front third of the fleet at the first mark. After good kite hoists both teams, with Jaguar a couple of boat lengths ahead of Puma, controlled the downwind leg extremely well. Jaguar took advantage of Puma’s problems with their kite pole after the gybe and extended their lead. They were in the top three at the 2nd mark with Puma in 7th place.

Jaguar continued to sail an excellent race and were soon in 2nd place. Puma sailed the next kite leg conservatively (without a kite) loosing vital ground. This approach did pay off and the team overcame the problems very well to sail a fast 2nd half of the race gaining much ground and several places.

Steady Barker crossed the line in 1st place closely followed by Jaguar. Puma pushed hard hitting speeds of 11 knots on the final kite run to finish a good 4th place on the water.

Both teams celebrated in the Waterfront after a superb day of racing. The news soon came in that Steady Barker had been disqualified putting Jaguar in 1st place and Puma in 3rd place. An excellent achievement for both teams in challenging conditions which resulted in many wipe outs, retirements and even an air rescue (for other boats)! What a great start to the season.

2007-12-03T11:59:00.001Z

Puma and Jaguar Excel in the Winter Series

The final race of the Hamble Winter Series was cancelled on Sunday due to winds in excess of 55 knots in the Solent! Whilst the two teams were very disappointed to miss the day of racing they did have reason to celebrate.

Consistency throughout the Winter Series from both teams resulted in a fantastic 2nd and 3rd place in IRC Class 1 overall. This is a superb end to the season with a fantastic result for both our teams.

The prize giving is on Saturday 8th December at the Hamble River Sailing Club so we expect some hard partying and well earned celebrations from the teams.

2007-10-29T12:57:00.000Z

Jaguar Logic 2nd Puma Logic 3rd.

Both Jaguar Logic and Puma Logic sailed extremely well in challenging conditions for race 4 of the Garmin Hamble Winter Series.

The team on Jaguar Logic were very keen to secure a good result for this race having been slightly ‘off form’ the previous two weekends. Pushing hard to the finish line, the two teams were very evenly matched with Jaguar Logic, skippered by Andy Greenwood, just getting the edge over Puma Logic, skippered by Tim Thubron. The finish was extremely close with just three seconds separating the two teams.

Puma Logic has now moved up to 2nd place in the series with Jaguar Logic hot on their tails in 6th place.

2007-10-22T11:57:00.000+01:00

Hamble Winter Series Race Two

Puma Logic skippered by Tim Thubron finished 5th in the 2nd race of the Hamble Winter Series. This now puts Puma in 3rd equal on points in class 1. A very respectable result for the new team on Puma, especially considering the winds have been so light.

Jaguar Logic made a good improvement on their previous weeks result and finished in 10th place. The team sailed very well but struggled to find their form upwind in the light conditions. Expect to see a good improvement over the next few weeks.

2007-10-12T15:42:00.000+01:00

We Have Done It

The final night of our 1000 mile qualifier provided me with a poignant moment in the campaign. My introduction to Open 60 sailing has been a massive learning curve, two weeks ago I had neither sailed long distances short handed or stepped foot on an Open 60! Over the past two weeks I have constantly quizzed Steve about Spirit of Weymouth, short handed sailing and Open 60’s in general. I needed to absorb as much information as I could in a very short space of time to enable me to bring some of my own experience and expertise to the boat in a positive way.

At midnight the wind started backing from the South East to the West and then North West. We had been drifting along at less then five knots in about the same wind speed. Now the wind was freeing us off and it was time to consider the kite. It was a black night with no moon. Despite the lack of wind there was a swell running probably pushed in from the deep low, mid Atlantic.

‘Ok,’ I decided, ‘time to put the kite up.’ I pondered for a few moments trying to decide whether to wake Steve or not. He was sleeping ever so peacefully after a very broken sleep the previous night! I took a deep breath and decided the time was right to put the kite up on my own! Now this may well seem daft to the seasoned single handed sailors and I certainly was not going to admit to Steve that I was slightly nervous about the issue. However, to me this was a big thing, it was to be the first time I had hoisted the kite on my own, added to this was the additional complexity; it was pitch black.

The manoeuvre bought a smile to my face. Everything went very smoothly and a few minutes later the Code 0 was down and the kite filled. Spirit of Weymouth instantly accelerated forward and was effortlessly slipping through the water at 10 knots in not much more wind. Very pleased with myself; it was time to reward myself with a hot ribena before taking the tiller and savouring the moment for the next four hours. I felt a huge sense of pride and satisfaction.

Next goal was to overcome my new found clumsiness! I think Bambi probably shows more stability and walks in a straighter line than I have been over the last couple of days! Never before have I shown any sign of uneasiness whilst moving around a boat. It surprised me that this could ever be an issue but after contemplating the rationale behind it I became more aware of my acute fear of falling over the side.

In the past I have always sailed with a crew who I have the confidence in to get the boat back to where I would be bobbing around. Now, with Steve asleep there is just me on deck much of the time and no one to see me fall overboard. It could be a couple of hours before anyone even new I was missing. Having identified the route cause it is time to remedy the phobia whilst remaining aware of the imposing dangers.

We jubilantly crossed the finish line at 0345 yesterday morning. I say ‘we’ and ‘jubilantly’ in the liberalist sense as I was in fact asleep! Steve had taken pity on my man flue and let me sleep in! Bless! He only woke me once back in Portland Harbour!

The wind has not been overly kind to us over the past few days, it has generally either been very light, bang on the nose or right up the chuff. The result is our sailing a total of 1165 miles to complete the course in just over five days. This is a 200 mile a day average. Whilst not brilliant for a fast Open 60 it was still a very respectable time considering the high pressure system that has been dominant over the British Isles and Western Approaches for the past couple of weeks. On the positive, we did have one twelve hour run of over 150 miles!

Stage one of our campaign is now complete. Over the next few days I will write about my reflections of an awesome five days of sailing, Steve White and his ambitions and the highs and lows of preparing for the Transat Jacques Vabre.

Passing Lizard Point

2007-10-10T11:16:00.000+01:00

Just a quick update from our intrepid sailors aboard Spirit of Weymouth this morning. They have just sailed past the Lizard and have exceeded their target of the 1000 miles qualifying passage. This means that they have completed the necessary qualifying criteria for the Transat Jacques Vabre, which is great news....well done boys!!

Slow Progress

2007-10-09T17:13:00.000+01:00

I have just heard the rugby scores from the weekend. Yes, I know it is Tuesday but the pigeons have not been coming out this far. One of the finest virtues of being at sea. Sorry Craig, bad luck. Can I have your ticket for the final? Did France not do the same to the All Blacks’s eight years ago? Good effort England! Not sure if it was a good game, I guess I will find out tomorrow.

Whilst Steve’s man flu is clearing up nicely mine is now developing well! I guess it was inevitable that I would get it, living in such close proximity. As you can imagine down below on an Open 60 is sparse to say the least.

There are no concessions given to weight on these boats, most of them do not even have a head (toilet). Why have that extra weight when a bucket will do he job perfectly adequately? I am pleased to say that sacrificing a fully functioning heads was one step too far to Steve, so we do actually have one. It is just the pan mind, no separate room for it, not even a curtain as that would be asking a bit too much!

When you come down below you step into the galley and nav station, along side that are the bunks (one each side) and in front is the heads. It is all open plan; so you could say that we cook, eat, work, sleep and crap in the same room! You definitely lose all your inhibitions out here. It does have to be remembered that these boats are designed for single-handed sailing. It is hardly surprising that I caught Steve’s man flu, there is just nowhere to hide from the germs, or Steve!

The last time I rounded Fastnet Rock was two years ago. What a contrast! There were nine of us aboard and we were leading our class in the Fastnet Race, the rock was in view for hours and hours and the sea glassy without a single ripple, except the ones caused by the rotors of the media helicopter. It was a typical balmy British summers day.

This time there was no friendly RORC official in the lighthouse to exchange jovial banter with, we were sailing at 14 knots and the loom of the lighthouse appeared through the rain cloud from just five miles away. There was none of the excitement and exhilaration of the previous rounding. The grainy silhouette of the rock soon disappeared into the dark dreary dawn as quickly as it appeared whilst we powered away at 14 knots just another memory.

I did experience a moment of nostalgia, reminiscing on some of the fond memories of previous Fastnet Races and also dwelling on what might have been this year! As the rock disappeared I soon re-focused and contemplated what lies in the future and what this rounding is all about. It is another milestone in another fantastic campaign and something I have never done before.

Now on the return leg home, we have already covered 840 miles since leaving Weymouth on Friday night. There is a cold front spanning the Celtic Sea at the moment, which is resulting in extremely light winds. For the past two hours we have had just two knots of wind. Progress is very slow and we do not anticipate much more wind until this evening. It is very frustrating having all this horse power and not being able to use it. At least it gives my over flexed and aching muscles a much needed break and time to recover. What a wuss!

All my hopes of a South Westerley gale to really put us through our paces and power us home in less than a day were in vain. What a contrast to the conditions that everyone experienced in the same area just two months ago. Steve was sailing at 25 knots back then! Sadly I will have to wait for another occasion to see an Open 60 perform in full glory.

Hamble Winter Series Weekend 1

2007-10-08T11:11:00.000+01:00

On Saturday morning 4 teams arrived at Shamrock Quay raring to go training for the start of the Hamble Winter Series, a series of 8 Sunday races from October to December.
Our 4 professional Skippers, Tim, Jasper, Peter and Ras, put the teams through their paces, getting them familiar with the yachts (our matched fleet of Reflex 38's) and putting crew into positions ready for the racing yesterday. Saturday evening was spent in the various hostelries of Hamble, celebrating the infamous Rubgy victory of the afternoon over the Aussies. Sunday started very promisingly with a nice 10 knot breeze from the East, but as the yachts departed the Hamble for the race start area off the Isle of Wight the wind died, leaving the Solent very flat, calm and still. The Race committee headed by Race Officer Jamie Wilkinson decided to cancel racing at midday after the tide turned and still no wind blew.
All the yachts returned back to Shamrock Quay, where crew went their separate way, vowing to dance the wind dance all week in readiness for Weekend 2.

It Is Official – The Autopilot is Very Fast

2007-10-08T11:09:00.001+01:00

Ever since I arrived on this boat there has been a constant battle between the autopilot and myself. The new kid on the block has obviously wanted to prove who is boss but the autopilot has been putting up a great fight. It is staggering how well a computer and hydraulic ram can drive the boat. So far the pilot has not faltered and consistently drives the boat at high speeds keeping perfectly on course.

Not wanting to be outdone by an electronic aid, at 3 this morning, I decided to have a competition with pilot to see who was best! First the pilots turn. Over a five-minute period the pilot held 8.5 knots of boat speed upwind in 11 knots of breeze. Now my turn. Right. 8.4 knots building to 8.5. That is no good I need to win. Ok, ‘Can we ease the Geny a little please’ I requested. No response. ‘Ah, no crew’ I remembered. Steve was snuggled up in his sleeping bag and noone else wanted to join us. Small problem! After careful consideration I realised that I would need to ask the pilot for some help!

With a gleeful glint in its micro chip, the pilot took over whilst I trimmed the sails. The boat speed built to 9 knots, a little more trim and we were at 9.5 knots, upwind in 11 knots of breeze. Ok, I conceded, this is about teamwork not a competition between each other. The combined effort resulted in an extra knot of boat speed. So, it is official, the autopilot is very fast! However, the pilot cannot trim the sails as well as I can!

The last 24 hours have been fairly slow progress with the wind between 4 and 10 knots. We have now rounded the 1st waypoint and are heading for Fastnet Rock, which is just over 200 miles away. The breeze has now built to a steady 18 knots from the SSW and we are powering along at 13 knots with the kite up. ETA at Fastnet rock is early hours of tomorrow.

I won the klutz of the day award yesterday when my incompetence nearly sank us! I had one of those Philippe Blond Moments and forgot to open the valve that allows the seawater being pumped into the boat to flow to the correct ballast tank. By failing to open any of the valves the pressure built and inevitably blew a gasket. The result was over two tonnes of the English Channel being emptied into Spirit of Weymouth (and over Steve who was sound asleep in his bunk totally oblivious to the catastrophe that was unfolding).

Skipper Should Not Go On the Foredeck!

2007-10-08T10:57:00.000+01:00

Yesterday morning I found out why skippers are not normally allowed on or near the foredeck! It is a dangerous place up there, a fact that Tom Frame, our (now) one-legged bowman from the Fastnet, will endorse. I had been warned on several occasions by my concerned crew about the consequences of venturing in front of the mast. However, I have found myself in an inescapable situation whereby I am forced onto the bow due to a severe lack of personnel and suitably qualified bow people!

Whilst on the bow keenly aiding my skipper to do a gybe, the bucket at the bottom of the kite snuffer, which was suspended in the air at approximately head height, decided to have a bit of fun and walloped me in the face. The outcome is a big shiner and cut to the left eye. Steve will undoubtedly claim that in fact he gave me a good beating as he blamed my helming for the shredded kite! Crew discipline is very high on this boat.

We have just completed the second night of our passage. The winds have been very light since the previous nights blast and the sailing therefore not quite so exhilarating. Due to the light winds we have agreed a new route with the race committee. The wind in the Bay of Biscay was looking mostly non-existent and what little there was would have been on the nose. Luckily, the French Race Committee took pity on us and agreed to our proposed course change. I am sure that RORC would have just made the course longer!

Our new course takes us to a waypoint over 300 miles west of Brest before heading north to round Fastnet Rock (at last) and ten home to Weymouth. Progress has been slow over the past twenty-four hours but the wind has just picked up again. We have now sailed 330 miles and with the current forecast we expect to be back in sometime on Tuesday night.

Morning Update from Ushant

2007-10-06T12:29:00.000+01:00

At 0900 this morning, our position was due North of Ushant.

We covered 145 miles in the 1st 12 hours.

The wind has now dropped and we are beam reaching making just 7 knots in 10 knots of breeze with the kite up.

It is sunny and warm.

Awesome!!!!

At last, we have left!

2007-10-06T12:26:00.000+01:00

It is always the small things that seem to take you by surprise and take much longer than expected to sort out. This time is was the Sat C communication module that caused us the grief. Without it functioning correctly we were unable to leave due to the race rules. What should have taken no more than two hours actually took about five days to sort. At least we no a hell of a lot more about the system now than we did before!

We eventually slipped Weymouth at 1900 on Friday evening with 15 knots of ENE wind to send us on our way. There was a great sense of relief for Steve who has been working tirelessly to get Spirit oaf Weymouth ready. Hampered by ‘man flue,’ Steve’s patience with the Sat C had definitely been pushed hard.

Last night was one of best nights sailing I have ever had. Soon after the kite was hoisted the wind picked up to 22 – 24 knots. These were perfect conditions for my first night out on a new boat. I was left in absolute no doubt as to why Open 60 sailors become totally addicted. Powering through the English Channel at 18 knots in the pitch black is amazing. We were blessed with a clear sky and plenty of stars to aim at to keep us on course.

Words cannot describe the feelings, photographs cannot capture the atmosphere and video cannot record the moment. This really is one of those rare treats in sailing that can only be witnessed first hand. The power of these ocean race yachts is nothing short of bewildering.

Being left on deck on my own for the first time at 0500 is one of the moments I will savour for a long time. I was completely humbled by the sense of freedom and responsibility that single handed sailors have. ‘Was I nervous?’ You bet I was. There is a fine line between success and disaster which solo sailors must bridge. Being alone, on deck in the pitch black opened my eyes to a whole new world. It was quite magical.

So the question that many people have asked me recently; ‘Is a single handed Open 60 campaign next?’ My answer is simple, ‘absolutely no way!’ I now have an immeasurable amount of respect for the guys that are tough enough (or stupid enough) to take these machines around the world single handed. I know that I could not do it. Two handed is brilliant but I will leave the single handed stuff to Steve!

2007-10-04T22:39:00.001+01:00

They Are Off

Philippe and Steve will leave Weymouth at 1100 on Friday morning for the TJV 1000 mile qualifier. The route will take them out of the English Channel before heading south across the Bay of Biscay to a waypoint 70 miles north of La Coruna in Spain. From there they will head due north to another waypoint 200 miles due west of Brest before returning to Weymouth.

There is still a dominate high pressure covering England and the sea areas that Spirit of Weymouth will be sailing in. This will provide 10 – 14 knots of easterly wind to take Steve and Philippe out of the English Channel. The winds, uncharacteristically for this time of the year, are forecast to be very light for the majority of the qualifier.

We expect Steve and Philippe will aim to go a long way west early as there should be more wind toward the low pressure mid Atlantic. The team anticipate taking nearly five days to cover the 1000 miles!

2007-10-04T11:13:00.000+01:00

TJV Qualifier Delayed

Steve and Philippe have had to delay the departure of their qualifying sail for a couple of days. The old Sat C on board cannot be repaired. This resulted in Steve having to get a ferry to Caen (in France) yesterday to collect the spare unit from the boat that he leant it too.

The Sat C is required under the race rules as it is a major part of the communications equipment. The race committee need to be able to poll the position of the boat every six hours both for safety and performance analysis. Without it the boat is unable to undertake the qualifier as it is a vital bit of kit that needs to be tested during the 1000 miles.

Steve is fitting the new one this morning and hopefully the pair will be ready to depart tomorrow morning. With a very big high pressure dominating the UK the winds are not looking ideal so progress for the passage may be sow.

2007-10-04T10:34:00.000+01:00

Mumm 30s

Watch this amazing video footage of the Mumm 30s which we will be campaigning for next years Tour de France a la Voile.

2007-10-03T12:48:00.000+01:00

First Training Session

'A tiller' I said to myself ‘a tiller!’ This thing is sixty foot long and more powerful than anything I have sailed before! The last time I used a tiller was when sailing wayfarers at school which must have been….actually I do not want to think how long ago! ‘How can it be? Are tillers not reserved for boats under thirty foot?’ I thought to myself. Steve assured me that she is so well balanced that a tiller is in fact very easy to steer with! Unconvinced I accepted his claim but decided to reserve judgement and wait and see, albeit slightly worried about remembering which way to push or pull it.

As we passed the Needles for our first sail together on our own it was time to hoist the big A sail. ‘Time to hoist the kite’ said Steve. ‘Ok’ I responded and then came the pregnant pause, ‘oh that will be me then!’ I chuckled, remembering that we no longer had a team of ten to undertake such manoeuvres! ‘Ah’ I thought, ‘this thing is several time larger than Puma’s and I am going to have to pull it up on my own!’

Unsurprisingly, everything on the Open 60’s has been very well thought out and over the years the systems have been developed to ensure ease of use and simplicity. The kite is hoisted in a snuffer with a halyard on a double purchase, making it remarkably easy to hoist on your on. The kite will not fill until fully hoisted and the snuffer pulled to the top. ‘Great,’ I thought ‘no more telling the trimmer off for sheeting on too early!’

Despite all this I think Steve was slightly frustrated when we could not get the snuffer back down before a small tear in the huge sail expanded into a major repair. After some investigating we identified two bolts sticking through the deck that the kite must have snagged on when man handling it out of the fore hatch. That will be two more jobs for the ever growing list then!

Within no time we had the kite down and another one up. The new one is one was one of Alex Thompsons (Hugo Boss) cast offs, which had been kindly donated to Steve. As the kite filled Spirit of Weymouth accelerated with breathtaking performance. Wow, what an adrenaline rush.

A Royal Navy aircraft carrier escorted us out past the Needles. The relative speeds of the Open 60’s really sunk in as we kept pace with the carrier and two hours later it was still within our sights. Normally a ship would have long since disappeared over the horizon.

After hitting speed in excess of 17 knots in just 22 knots of breeze it was time to end our first training session. Having covered the mileage from the Needles to Portland in just two hours and thirty minutes the final task of the day drew closer. Getting the kite down whilst doing seventeen knots, powering towards the breakwater, with just two of us!

What a buzz. As for the tiller, Steve was right. Spirit of Weymouth was a dream to drive. So well balanced and amazingly responsive, just the tiniest movements would see us catch the next wave and surf down it before catching up with the next one. And yes, I did remember which way to pull and push, most of the time!

My final thoughts; I think I am going to enjoy this sailing. It is so refreshing to try something new whilst filling me with renewed enthusiasm for the sport. There is also several hundred more horse power waiting to be unleashed. I cannot wait. As Matt Lloyd would say, ‘Bring it on.’

2007-10-02T11:36:00.000+01:00

Hamble Winter Series

We still have space for the Hamble Winter Series on selected weekends aboard our Reflex 38’s. The Winter Series starts this weekend with training on the Saturday. Tim Thubron and Andy Greenwood, our two top skippers will be leading Jaguar and Puma Logic in this year’s Winter Series.

For more information please call Allie on 02380 330999.

2007-10-01T14:54:00.000+01:00

The First Day Out

I arrived at Town Quay in Weymouth very excited, albeit slightly nervous! I was very eager to get out on the water and see first hand what all the excitement is about these race machines. I have seen the photos, watched the adrenaline rushing TV footage and talked to friends with first hand experience of them. However, I still had never been aboard one before.

I have long since had a strong desire to sail aboard an Open 60 and there I was, on the quayside in Weymouth looking at Spirit of Weymouth. This time I was not drooling with envy watching the boat slip her berth. Now it was to be my turn to realise my dream. Sailing on an Open 60 is the pinnacle of all aspiring short handed ocean sailors.

Steve White, owner and skipper, greeted me aboard with a warm smile. He immediately put me at ease with his laid back and unassuming manner. Our first sail together was to deliver the boat from Weymouth to Southampton in readiness for two corporate sailing days. Simon Kearsley a close friend and keen supporter of Steve was joining us. Simon has been Steve’s main sponsor for the past year but had only been out on the boat on corporate sailing days. Today was a great opportunity for him to sail offshore properly and share Steve’s enthusiasm and passion for the boat.

Simon had a huge grin on his face from the moment he stepped aboard till the time he got off the boat. I think his beaming smile was only rivalled by mine! As we slipped Weymouth in twenty knots of northerly breeze I realised how big the learning curve was going to be. The engine on Spirit of Weymouth is the same size as that on Puma Logic! Just getting the bow of the boat through the wind proved a task in itself and controlling her under power was nothing short of difficult. Steve admitted with a cheeky grin that it took two attempts to motor into Portland Harbour the previous week!

The techniques to sail this beast are very different to those of anything that I have sailed before. Whilst the principles are the same the terminology is a different language and characteristics of the handling are poles apart. Hoisting the main was to challenge number one!
Keeping the boat head to wind in 20 knots of breeze with a vastly underpowered engine was always going to be difficult. I think having two mavericks on board did not help Steve’s course! ‘What must Steve be thinking of me?’ I thought as my performance more resembled a buffoon than that of an experienced offshore sailor!

With the main up it was time to put the bow down and see what all the fuss is about. The acceleration with just the main was tremendous. Within seconds we were powering along at twelve knots. ‘Right’ said Steve, ‘Let’s put the Solent up!’ I looked blankly and then plucked up the courage to admit my complete ignorance ‘Ok. Sounds great’ I replied, ‘but which one is the Solent’

Steve laughed, nervously and pointed to the sail at the front that was furled around the forestay! ‘Ok,’ I thought, ‘so that is the headsail then!’

With the Solent unfurled Spirit of Weymouth picked up pace and was effortlessly sailing at sixteen knots. Before we knew it we had reached Anvil Point and were beating up wind at just under ten knots in 25 knots of wind toward the Needles in the dying sunlight! Suddenly upwind sailing did not seem quite so bad after all. It is all relative though and I guess ten knots upwind will soon become as tedious as a beat across the channel at seven knots in a 38 foot yacht.

The full moon rising over the Needles Lighthouse was the fantastic welcome we received into the Solent (that is the stretch of water between the Isle of Wight and England and not a headsail)! My first sail on an Open 60 was coming to an end. I did not feel I had made a complete idiot of myself but the realisation of just how much there is to learn has completely sunk in.

I now know how people feel when they arrive on my boat for the first time! I suspect I may be a little more accommodating and sympathetic in the future!

2007-09-29T14:33:00.000+01:00

Philippes Latest Racing Campaign.

It was with some trepidation that I travelled to Weymouth on Wednesday to join my new boat and race team. My latest campaign is certainly taking me out of my comfort zone and will explore a totally new concept of ocean sailing that is completely alien to me.

Over the past two years I have seldom been on a yacht larger than thirty eight foot and have always had a crew of ten or more. The new campaign puts me aboard a sixty foot ocean racing machine with a crew of just me and one other! The longest race I have competed in during the last five years is 1750 miles, the next race will cover over 4,500 miles in just over two weeks, about the same time it took us to race the 1750 miles around Britain and Ireland last year.

Most of us only dream of sailing on Open 60’s, opportunities very rarely come along to race an Open 60. Generally participating in a classic ocean race like the Trans Atlantic Jacques Vabre is reserved for the elite single handed sailors many of whom have become household names like Dame Ellen MacArthur. Therefore, when Steve White, owner of Spirit of Weymouth, asked me if I would team up with him for the double handed Trans Atlantic Jacques Vabre race I did not have to consider for too long.

My biggest concern was leaving the business for a few weeks. Allie immediately put me at ease on that one by asking ‘Why not Philippe?’ ‘Why not indeed?’ I thought. ‘I cannot really think of any good reasons to say no! This is too good an opportunity to miss! I must do this and savour every second of it’ I concluded.

Open 60’s are the fastest and most powerful sixty foot yachts on the planet. They regularly sail at speeds in the mid twenties and have often posted twenty four hour distances in excess of 400 miles! When accepting Steve’s invite I had never set foot aboard an Open 60 before and it had certainly never occurred to me that I may one day be racing across the Atlantic on one.

The gravity of my decision only really sunk in the night before I drove down to Weymouth to meet Steve and Spirit of Weymouth. Whilst I have known Steve for over five years I had only sailed with him once and that was on a delivery from London to Southampton on a 72 foot Global Challenge yacht. A far cry from the adventure we are about to embark on.

My emotions and thoughts have been working in overdrive. How will I get on with Steve, am I up to the job, will I enjoy double handed sailing, will I bring the skills to the team that will help push Steve’s campaign forward in a positive way? My tension and apprehension was building every hour in the two days preceding my joining the boat for the first time.

As you will all now gathered, I am going to be the co skipper with Steve White aboard Spirit of Weymouth in the double handed Trans Atlantic Jacques Vabres Race. The race starts on November 3rd in Le Havre and finishes about sixteen day later (all going well) in Salvador, Brazil. Our competing in the race is still subject to finalising the funding but we are quietly confident that we will be on the start line.

Over the next few weeks I will be regularly updating the Sailing Logic racing blog with news, my thoughts, stories and just about everything about our remarkable campaign, This campaign is not just another Open 60 story, it is a story of personal ambition and sacrifices that most people would not contemplate making. Steve, a family man, has put everything on the line to get to where he is now and has the drive and ambition to succeed. The full story will be told over the next few weeks. In the meantime, I am honoured and privileged to be a part of this fantastic project and just hope that I do Steve, his team and family proud.

The next Blog will be about my arrival in Weymouth to step aboard Spirit of Weymouth for the first time.

2007-09-27T19:35:00.001+01:00

Philippes First Day on an Open 60

2007-09-26T09:18:00.000+01:00

Philippe Sails on an Open 60 Today

Philippe is having is first day out on an Open 60 today. The forecast is abolutely perfect, 20 knots fom the North and sunshine, ideal for an Open 60, which will not struggle to sail at over 20 knots!

This is to be the first training sail for Steve White, who owns the Open 60 Spirit of Weymouth, and Philippe Falle who are planning a two handed campaign together. More about this later in the week.

Tomorrow we will bring you some photographs of the training sail.