Rolex Fastnet Race 2011

 

First Class Sailing are entering a 72ft Challenge yacht.

 

The campaign includes some team clothing, a comprehensive race training weekend, three RORC qualifying races and the RYA Sea Survival & ISAF Offshore safety course.
 

The only pre-requisites for completing this "once in a lifetime" challenge are the abilty to be versatile, dedicated, committed and a team player.  You will be enthusiastic about sailing and racing a yacht. You will need to have done some sailing but not necessarily have racing experience. You need to have a reasonable level of fitness as racing can be physically demanding. 

 

In return the completion of this race can reward you with a huge sense of achievement and hopefully a great result!

The Rolex Fastnet Race is the most famous and challenging of the Royal Ocean Racing Club races. Since its establishment in 1925 the Fastnet Race has provided thousands of sailors with the ultimate challenge of rounding the Fastnet Rock. Racing hard for over 600 miles for 5 days, from Cowes to the infamous rock off Southern Ireland and back to Plymouth, against over 200 yachts, in all weather conditions is what gives this race its tough reputation.

 

The Royal Ocean Racing Club - who are the race organisers of the Fastnet race have a strict entry criteria for both yachts and crews wishing to compete. The yacht / skipper / crew must complete 300 miles in offshore races as a team in the 12 months before the race.

Dates are still to be confirmed by RORC but are likely to be something along the lines of:
26-27 March - RYA Sea Survival & ISAF Courses - Portsmouth
22-24 April  - Training Weekend - Portsmouth
29 April-2 May - Cervantes Trophy Race - Portsmouth – Le Havre – Portsmouth
14-16 May  - De Guingand Bowl Race - Portsmouth – Portsmouth
17-19 June -  Morgan Cup Race - Portsmouth – Cherbourg - Portsmouth
13-20 August - Fastnet Race - Portsmouth - Plymouth 

22-24 April
You will join the yacht at 1000 on 22 April and finish at 1600 on 24 April.  This weekend is about getting to know your fellow crew and skipper and learning how the yacht works.

 

29 April - 2 May
Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the Société des Régates and the Royal Yacht Squadron.
You will join the yacht on Friday morning with the race starting early on the Saturday morning. The passage back to Portsmouth will be on the Monday.

14-16 May

Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the Royal Yacht Squadron.  You will join the yacht on Friday morning with the race starting early on Saturday morning.  Arriving back in Portsmouth on Sunday afternoon / evening. The course is set nearer the time and designed to last between 24 & 36 hours.

17-19 June
Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the Royal Thames Yacht Club, the Yacht Club de Cherbourg and the Royal Yacht Squadron.  You will join the yacht on Friday morning with the race starting in the evening. The Passage back to Portsmouth will be on the Sunday with an early evening ETA.

 

13-20 August

The Fastnet Yacht Race is probably the most famous offshore yacht race in the world which has been organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club since 1925. Around 300 yachts battle it out against the elements and each other – the course is simple - Cowes to Plymouth via the Fastnet Rock off the southern tip of Ireland. At over 600 miles from start to finish, this race is THE aspirational race for novice and experienced sailors alike.

 

The race is likely to last 3-5 days very much depending on the weather so expect to be back in Plymouth by Saturday 20 August at the latest. Expect to be joining your yacht early on Saturday 13 August.

 

26 March RYA Sea Survival Course

0930-1500 Classroom session

1600-1800 Pool session

 

27 March

1000-1700 Classroom session

 

We will send you further details of the courses nearer the time

 

• A berth on the training weekend, three RORC qualifying races and the Rolex Fastnet 2011 race

• ISAF Offshore Safety Course & RYA Sea Survival Course

• All meals will be included while on board

• Use of wet weather gear and safety equipment

• All race entry fees

• Crew jacket and team polo shirt (to keep)

• Full insurance while training and racing on the water

 

The full campaign cost is £3250. The secure a place you need to make a deposit of £1000.

 

If you have any questions or would like to sign up then phone the office on 0203 006 3717.

 

The First Class Sailing  crew on board a Challenge 72, skippered by Ricky Chalmers had a fantastic time.

 

Piped around the Rock - Watch this video on You tube

 

Here is their Blog

0845 smell of bacon cooking, tide calculations and a crew that was up early and remarkably cheerful 1320 and we’re off - clean start and good spinnaker hoist - log 110026NM Becalmed

15:00. Spinnaker down, Yankee and Stay sail up. Not much action, and waiting for some wind……. Time to tidy up and rest!! Ahead of Challenger 2 and Polar Bear – the other ex BT Global Challenge boat in the Fastnet race.

18:00 – Wind picked up coming out of Solent past the Needles and we had a great sail. On one tack we had both an audience on the beach at Hurst Point and from the air, with a helicopter circling us to get some photos / film. Having passed Poole, Bournemouth and Swanage the wind has died down but tide is taking us in right direction passed Portland Bill before we head off shore. Tide due to change at 7.20pm so hope to get Portland Bill by then and head for Start Point. Some of the crew are taking a rest before the night watches start, others are enjoying the early evening sun on deck. We have just overtaken Aurora and are well ahead of Challenger 2 – for the time being! We are all looking forward to Goulash for dinner courtesy of Keri and Max. Monday 10 August Midnight. We are not going anywhere. I know this because I have been studying the GPS computer for 15 minutes and cross-referencing with the chart. And the anchor is down. Nonetheless, we have overtaken at least two other boats who are going backwards, either dragging their anchors or still trying to sail into a fast tide with no wind. For us, this seems like a good reward for doing precisely nothing. In an hour we have overtaken two boats, and there are now only 255 boats ahead of us. At this rate within just over a week we will be in the lead. Even in this situation, everyone in the team knows their role: Jane, Jo and Max are sitting in the cockpit doing nothing; while Matt, Steve and Keri are standing by the wheel doing nothing. This finely honed crew is wringing out everything the boat has to offer.

 

08.30. Our prayers have been answered and the wind has come just in time for Jim’s birthday. Now 21 knots of wind and breakfast at an inclined angle was eventful – cornflakes in a plastic beaker is definitely the way forward. We are half way across Lyme Bay and have overtaken a few smaller yachts. After close inspection of the chart, a tack is imminent if we are to avoid landing on the beach at Torquay – in which case we expect a few bodies to be rolling out of bunks and watching Jo and Matt attempt the washing up will become even more amusing! Looks like we are sailing into some wet weather and the first reef is going in.

14.20. Great to actually be sailing forwards!! We are currently tacking to get around Start Point. Wind now up to around 25 knots and we have changed to the yankee 2. Life at an angle is entertaining and simple jobs now a bit more hard work- a great effort on lunch was made Martin and Tristan who did battle with jacket potatoes that kept rolling in the wrong direction! The sun has made an appearance in time for Matt’s film making, complete with cheesey grins all around.

20.40 Wind has now died down but still making speed over ground of approx 4 knots. Had great spag bol for dinner – could have been messy if we were still sailing at 45 degree angle like earlier. It even looks like Matt has managed to keep this portion in his tummy rather than all over the deck like on our first training weekend – so it must have been good. Now passing Plymouth and heading towards the Eddystone lighthouse. A flurry of emails and texts from friends took place at the start of our 8pm watch. The first proper chance to let family know all is well at sea and with sufficient mobile phone signal. All is quiet on board right now– ‘A’ watch are sleeping like babies after dinner and us ‘B’s are passing time with bad jokes and eye spy (which will get much harder to play once dark)

 

Tuesday 11th August.

04:15. Cold, cold, cold. Time for hot drinks and more chocolate biscuits all round, to keep us going to the end of watch. Fastnet sailors must be keeping McVities out of administration with the vast quantities consumed. Currently clearing Lizard Point and making decisions on best course to take up to Fastnet from here. Birthday boy Martin can be heard snoring smoothly from his bunk – little does he know what is planned for today!! 2-5am shift has got to be officially the most painful of watches. I would happily trade mine for a full 8 hrs in bed despite all the big torturous snoring from fellow mates…. In 4 minutes we will put a brew on for ‘A’ Watch and go wake them. Hurrah – to bed for ‘B’ until 8am.

11.45 – Sunrise and lovely clear skies as we headed for Lands End. Pancakes were expertly tossed for breakfast by Kay and Jim. Calm sea so we got out the fishing line hoping for some lovely fresh grilled Mackerel for lunch but alas the little fishes had other ideas. Matt scrutinized “The Manual” for tips on how to make the boat go faster and then put them into practice with great success – perhaps helped a little with the wind building to 16 knots. Unfortunately the sunshine has now gone in, but wind has picked up to help us round the peninsula and there is a lovely smell of Byriani coming from the galley – so all is good.

15.15 Ah, The Manual. Not sailing fast enough? The answer’s always in there, somewhere. In fact, many of its teachings are useful in life in general. Such as ‘if in doubt, let it out’. Now there’s a lesson there for all of us. Come to think of it, wouldn’t it be useful to have a manual for other complicated parts of life? A user’s manual for the human body? Appendix 3 – Troubleshooting. Problem: Headache - Solution: Drink Water. Problem: Not Walking Straight – Solution: Stop Drinking Beer. Maybe that’s not so complicated after all. What about The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Girls? Appendix 3. Problem: They Hate You. Solution: Feed Them Chocolate. Back to the sailing. Currently tacking our way through the various hazards between the Scilly Islands and the Mainland. So far we have passed to the North of Wolf Rock, to the South of the new Traffic Separation Scheme and are now tacking to avoid the ‘Seven Stones’. I count 12 of them on the chart. Becky managed to cook Martin some birthday brownies secretly in time to be served for afternoon tea– nicely decorated with condensed milk and 2 chocolates. Keri produced some family photos of Martin - doing some naked DIY and the Birdie dance – not at the same time. Still haven’t caught any fish! Tristan had some fun attaching a tin of tuna to the end of the line for Martin to reel in. The look on Martins face when he discovered it was priceless……… Jo and Jane cooked a bloody marvellous dinner of Roast Gammon with a light honey glaze, black pepper and mustard mash and steamed Savoy cabbage with a creamy parsley sauce – all this and at an inclined angle of 50 degrees - and they even had time mid preparation to step on deck and put a reef in the main – wonder women! I’m not sure however that they will be repeating the experience in the near future, since the whole effort took 4 hours from start to finish and thanks to god there is no more gammon.

 

00:15 – Watch B now on deck, all clipped on as it’ quite rough, and sitting up on the rail looking out for other vessels as visibility is not so good. The sea is sparkling with phosphorescence bits (am sure there is a far more technical term – but its very pretty) We’ve overtaken one of our fellow competitors on our starboard side, Steve’s life jacket spontaneously inflated whilst he was “sheeting in the main” – now that is a technical term and a very funny sight. And what we thought was an emergency flare in the distance turned out to be a fishing vessel shooting out its nets – so it’s all happening on B watch tonight.

05:30 – we saw dolphins! Lots of them. A large school of about 30 were playing about in our bow waves having great fun – they swam under the boat and performed a synchronised dance for us for about half an hour. A welcome distraction to feeling damp all the way through. Our hands are white and wrinkled permanently and look like we have all spent the last few days in the bath 08:30 - Very grey, misty, murky and damp outside. Excellent porridge and golden syrup courtesy of Max and Matt. Keri was spoilt rotten by Jo by making him a special order of left over Gammon with 2 fried eggs on toast – what are his special powers? Jo has just suggested a swap in cooking duties in payment for special breakfast menu…Keri has gone silent. Matt has managed to coerce Max in to doing the worst part of the washing up…the porridge pan. Mind you Matt has been GREEN throughout most of his kitchen stint!!

09:00 – B Watch are settling down to bed, and A watch are making a brew.

19.40 – The anticipation is building. We are approx 4 miles from THE Fastnet rock which is now in sight – occasionally. The visibility has now taken a turn for the worse and whilst we could see the rock 30 mins ago along with several other yachts including Polar Bear – we can now see nothing but mist. Even Tristan at the Helm is shrouded in mist. A few more dolphins came to visit. Dinner is being prepared – lamb shanks in a bag courtesy of Martin and Kay which looks a little like some weird chemical experiment but smells lovely. Papers are being read and crisps munched around the galley table. 20.53 – After 3 days, seven and a half hours, covering 504nm, we finally rounded the Fastnet rock. In fact, we nearly hit it. The lighthouse is normally visible for 27 miles, but visibility was so poor we didn’t see it until we were less than a mile away. The rain and cloud didn’t dampen spirits, though, as Jim brought up his bagpipes and piped us round the rock in style. Life should be full of new experiences, and being bag-piped round a rock in the Irish Sea at 7 knots in the rain and mist was new for all of us. Not to mention very, very British. Well done Jim!

 

Thursday 13th August

05:50 – we have been flying the spinnaker for most of the night. Winds have been very light and the moon and stars came out – we could see the Fastnet Rock flashing in the distance for ages. – all very tranquil. It’s now very wet and drizzly and what better way for A watch to be woken up than with a wet and soggy spinnaker pack! 05.30 We were making our way south from the rock under spinnaker in light ish winds. Then the wind shifted so we gybed the spinnaker, then it changed again so we dropped the spinnaker. So within about 40min of activity we had gybed and dropped the spinnaker and hoisted ‘white sails’. All without changing course by more than 20 degrees. I guess that’s what is meant by variable winds!!

14:50 – the wind has gone which is not what the forecast said it would do – any wind that there is, is coming form a different direction to the forecast. We need to make a decision by 4pm today as to whether we abandon the race so that we can get to Plymouth by Saturday evening – which is a shame. Most of crew are catching up on their sleep. On the upside we have caught two fish – not sure what variety – elongated mackerel with sharp pointy snouts. Keri has filleted them but they do have a slight green tinge so we are waiting for a volunteer to be taster. Strange sword fish now cooked. Turns out the bones are green! Ricky was the only one brave enough to try it- hope he survives as not sure how we can serve hoisting spinnaker poles without him!!

1930 – Dolphins! Lots of them. Playing in our very slight bow wave, jumping and swimming on their backs to great applause form everyone, especially Matt. Who it appears can speak the Irish Sea dialect of dolphin. Hopefully have some great pictures. Considering renaming B watch to ‘Dolphin Watch’ and getting tattoos in Plymouth. Maybe we will see some more on the next watch (2300-0200). Now to other things. Matt and Jo have just made an awesome chilli con carne (straight from the tin and are serving it to A watch. As the tin opener has finally died Tristan has had to open some of the cans of red beans with his Leatherman….and that’s about it for the min…I’m quite hungry and looking forward to a good feed. The team have made the decision to battle on with the light winds and do our utmost to finish the race. The bonus being we are nearly out of food, etc so Challenger could be a little lighter for catching some speed. More fishing to be done tomorrow to find us some dinner……. I’m off to bed for an hours kip before my watch starts – ha, ha, poor A watch have the pleasure of hoisting the spinnaker, at least it’s not cold, dark and pouring with rain like last night.

23.15 A watch have just come off watch after a busy shift. The spinnaker went up, but is now down again, repacked, and the genoa back up with a bit more wind as well. No dolphin sighting for us sadly, just drizzle and more drizzle!

 

02:55 – A watch are back on deck now for the 2am – 5am graveyard shift. Blogging takes on a whole new appeal when its drizzling with rain at 3am in the morning on deck – much better to be snuggled up at the chart table in the dry and warm blogging rather than trying to keep heavy eye lids open on deck. Everyone is feeling damp - a sticky sea salty kind of dampness that is really quite unpleasant. We are now 17 miles off Bishop Rock lighthouse just off the Scilly Isles. Wind has dropped lightly since we came on watch but we still have 11 knots if wind which is more than we thought we would have – very glad that we did not retire from the race. Currently ETA into Plymouth is about midnight tonight – so with any luck this will be the last graveyard shift. Apparently conversation on deck has taken a turn for the worse – “if you flush the toilet in the dark you can see all the phosphorescence” Think I’ll stay down here for a bit longer! Once we have gone round the Scilly Isles and to the North of the TSS the plan is for another spinnaker hoist – always a tricky one at night – perhaps that task will just creep into Watch B’s duties……. A very successful spinnaker hoist even if I do say myself! Since crossing the start line outside Cowes 5 days ago we have sailed a grand total of 534 nautical miles – not bad going!

08:00 – a badly timed spinnaker drop by B watch (literally during A watches fried breakfast) got the thumbs up from our skipper – and when asked for a score out of 10, Skip scored it a 2! – oh well, always room for improvement.

09:30 – making really good progress we have just passed Wolf Rock and Lands End. ETA 3 hours before closing time (Jim and Alistair’00s calibration method – and who can blame them, we have had no alcohol since Saturday evening!) We are approx 20 miles ahead of Challenger 2 and 4 miles behind Polar Bear – watch out Polar Bear – we are going to catch you!