Skipper’s Log: Rounding The Fastnet Rock in 2015

Ricky Chalmers (in the red jacket) the Skipper of the Challenger 2

Following yesterday’s exciting blog “Skipper’s Log: To The Fastnet Rock in 2015” here is Ricky Chalmers’ account of how they rounded the Fastnet Rock and tried to seal second place in their race with the other Challenger yachts.

All part and parcel of being First Class Sailing Skipper!

Thursday Morning

The race is not over until the fat lady sings apparently and we are lacking such a race finisher on board Challenger 2. The fast reach across the Irish Sea turned into a bit of tack fest and fluky wind challenge around the Rock itself.

The wind dropped dramatically as we approached our turning point at the top of the Traffic Separation Scheme, and then continued to change direction constantly and torment us as we tried to claw our way towards the iconic rock now visible in the distance.

No sunshine picturesque view of the rock as seen in the Race promotion pictures. The rather ugly grey rock seen through the drizzle and grey low clouds sat squat taunting us to try and approach if we dared.

A map of the boats on Thursday morning

All the while Challenger 3 charged forward in the wind we had been enjoying and then shock as Challenger 4 appeared on the AIS.

She had closed the distance dramatically during the day and was now right back in contention.

There and Tack Again

All the while we tacked, tacked back inched our way towards the rock in light and unpredictable winds.

A sudden respite as the wind suddenly flicked around and we were suddenly pointing directly at the lump of granite rather than looking at it over one or other side of the deck. At last we made some progress.

But Challengers 3 and 4 were seemingly spared all that struggling they tacked around the corner of the TSS and made good use of the offering from the wind God. Our lead over them was now practically non-existent.

Finally around the Rock, its light now winking at us in the dark.

The return journey was originally forecast to be a downwind leg with the prospect of the spinnaker pulling us towards the finish line.

UPDATE: First arrivals in the Rolex #Fastnet Race are due into Plymouth in the early hours of Weds morning #rorcrfr pic.twitter.com/kXW1tkc0BQ

— Musto Clothing (@MUSTOclothing) August 18, 2015

Around the rock and we are back, hard on the wind beating into a wind which was now forecast to build and come further and further forward. The prospect of having to tack our way back across the Celtic Sea was not a pleasant one.

Protecting the Lead

2.6Nm was the slender lead we were protecting after more than 400 miles of hard racing. I brought up the details of Challenger 3 up on the AIS computer so we could track her every move and willed the distance between us to start increasing.

Trim, trim, razor sharp helming – the pressure was on. We started slowly stretching the lead. Finally we had a buffer of 4.6Nm – two miles of hard won gain. But now the wind had built to the level that we could no longer hold or big Genoa sail.

We would have to battle it down in 22 knots of wind and take the big drop down to our Yankee 2.

Four in the morning and with the extra bodies on deck afforded by a watch changeover, we planned the sail change to minimize the time and distance we would inevitably lose whilst keeping it safe and simple.

A slip up now would be far too a bitter pill to have to swallow. Safe and steady will be preferable. Fast would be nice as well.

Up went the Staysail.

With a glut of crew, some tired after a long night watch, the others tired after the impossible task of trying to sleep in the tumble dryer environment of a Challenger yacht at full power sailing furiously upwind, they all line up seated on the low side guard wire to fight the overpowered Genoa down to the deck.

The Stavros Niarchos

’Red over Green’ is about to be Seen

A shout from below the Tall Ship Stavros S Niarcos is on our Starboard side three miles away a collision course. Just another ingredient to add to the already complicated mixture of tasks involved.

Down comes the sail and with it our boat speed tumbles from 8 knots to and paltry 2. We are the stand on vessel to Stavros which is now clearly visible on our Starboard side.

Bright red navigation light, and Red over Green to let the world know that she is a sailing vessel. “Red over Green, seldom seen” is the phrase used to try and remember your ColRegs light sequence for a sailing vessel.

Maybe seldom seen, but she was now looming larger and larger as we sweated the Yankee 2 up. At least with the deck flood light on and the crew and activity all visible on deck she couldn’t miss seeing us.

“Zero point two miles CPA” comes the cry from down below, “and she is changing course” – that was the vital information. Her red navigation flicks to green.

The boat speed creeps upward as the new sails get trimmed on and the power returns. Half a mile lost. The trimming begins again in earnest.

If you would like to enjoy a similar thrill of racing on a Challenger yacht, we have some berths available sailing the Atlantic in the ARC Rally this November. Click the banner for more details…

Posted by: First Class Sailing