Sailing News
All the latest news from the world of sailing and stories from experienced sailors.
Friday 27 Nov Race Day 5 A word from the crew Day 5 here on Challenger 3 and time is starting to get a little warped on board! Ricky and Dave (Skipper and Mate) remain on UT (GMT), whilst the rest of the crew had a 26 hour day yesterday which involved two seven hour… Read more
Day 4 on the ARC – fireballs in the sky, settling in to the watch system, and a moonbow
ARC update from Challenger 4. Less than 2000 miles to go! Thursday 26 Nov Race Day 4 A word form the crew So, we are 4 days in to our Atlantic crossing. In typical offshore sailing style our few days at sea have merged in to a series of four and six hour watches, waking… Read more
Day 3 on the ARC – spinnaker drop, dolphins and on going sail repairs
The latest update from our ARC crew. 2125 miles to go Wednesday 25 Nov Race Day 3 A word from the crew The first big activity of Tuesday evening was dropping the spinnaker on watch change as the wind increased. Unfortunately this pushed back dinner and a couple of guys suffered rope burns while trying… Read more
Day 2 on the ARC. Torn Sails, spinnaker hoist, showers for the crew
Update from the FCS ARC crew on Challenger 3 after two days of racing. Tuesday 24 Nov Race Day 2 A word from the crew… Hello world! Spinnaker has just been hoisted and seems to still be in the right place still… Torn Sail Events over the last 24 hours include some drama with a… Read more
Day 1 for the FCS ARC Crew in the Atlantic Ocean
ARC Crew get off to a lively start. 40 knot winds, 1 meter swells above the helm, shooting stars.. Monday 23 Nov 2015 Race Day 1 of the ARC Carnage of sea, big boats and spray at the start of the race. Challenger 1 crossed the line astern and kept pace with us for a… Read more
Go go go, ARC 2015 Crew get off to a flying start…..
Skipper Ricky Chalmers, narrates Sunday’s start to the ARC 2015. Casting Off. We slipped from our stern-to mooring early to avoid the crush of 205 ARC boats and numerous spectator boats and some kamikaze Sea Kayakers who were to join a shore line full of eager onlookers for the spectacle. After dropping the windward lazy… Read more
Stormy Weather Greets ARC 2015 Crew During Solent Training
All summer the crew for the 2015 ARC Rally has been building and it won’t be long before they will be leaving the Canaries and crossing the Atlantic for St Lucia. During the race Challenger 3 will be sending us some updates as they cross the ocean and, as a taster of what’s to come,… Read more
Going up in the World
If you aren’t a fan of heights, then climbing a mast may be the last thing on your list. However First Class Sailings’ newest recruit Andrew McPherson, who had never been aboard a boat before, was given the task of climbing the 46ft mast to feed the halyard down. Thrown into the Deep End When… Read more
Winter Calls for a Sailing Theory Course
With longer nights approaching and the weather becoming cooler, you thoughts naturally turn to next year and how you’ll be spending your time at sea. Will it be the Solent, the East Coast or will you finally become a Day Skipper and charter that yacht around the Med.? An autumn/winter theory course is perfect preparation,… Read more
The ARC Rally and a Halfway Cake by Sue Pilsworth
Sailing has long been a shared hobby for me and my husband, Paul. There’s nothing like the experience of leaving dry land and getting away from it all. Having retired from our jobs and moved from Nottingham to Cowes on the Isle of Wight, we decided we wanted to spend our retirement doing something exciting.… Read more
