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| At the helm, during the Myth of Malham race |
As a preqialifying race for the 100th Fastnet, I set off to do the Myth of Malham sailing race which corresponds roughly to the first half of Fastnet Westward course along the Jurassic Coast of South mainland.
This is an area with some serious tidal waters, that have a double daily rhythm - so not only one cycle but two. Any hard winds will create a wind against tide situation, which basically makes you sail through a washing mashine - with a fair bit of chop.
This was to become true for this round, as head winds were predominant during the first 24 hours. They were not too strong, peaking at 25 knots true, probably gusting 30+ knots during a short period of time. But the fact was that the boat was not really tried out in weather like that, at least not by the current crew.
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| Sailing off! |
I had done a short and easy prequal on the boat the weekend before, and was looking forward to more. However, some of the stuff (including the AIS receiver and the wind instruments) were still not fixed. We proceeded nonetheless, and completed the race. We were not last to cross the line this time, as there were more boats that got stuck in the tide. There were a few alternative routes, and tactics, but it's always easy to say something afterwards, especially when not in navigator position.
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| A bit of heeling |
The Jurassic coast is very beautiful. We passed some iconic landmarks there, like The Needles. It's truly a privilege to be able to experience these beautiful sights from the water. Absolutely worth everything to come to Isle of Wight and to partake in the race, joining the boat and its crew.
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| All crew in the same photo! |
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| The Needles, under low British clouds |
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| Hanging out on the high side, with the Needles as backdrop. Thank you Sergej Gratchev for the photo! |
A buddy of mine came along, we had sailed a lot before, so it was fun to spend a few watches together. Great to talk the night away, that takes the edge off any caffeine withdrawal!
The food procedures were namely not set, and despite being willing and able to help cooking I quickly understood that I needed to step aside and let the crew that wanted to be in charge have it their way. Unfortunately, the result was a lack of hot food and drinks during the first 24 hours. The kettle went missing, the stove was not designed to withstand the heeling and there was no cooking made at all. I tried to take initiative but aborted shortly thereafter because it was unsafe. Luckily, there was bottled water on board, and some cookies or bread for those who wanted. Myself, I normally strive to serve hot food on board at least once or twice a day, and make sure there is enough protein and veggies to make it healthy and sustainable. Same goes for mountaineering, and basically all extreme activities - living off sweets only does not add to your strength, focus or health.
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| Night watch. Red light is essential to save the night vision when sailing in the dark |
After the first 24 hours, the wind had turned and became lighter, which allowed for easier going. The kettle was located and the stove was fixed with some wire so it would not bump around as much. The cooking resumed. During the rest of the race, the food was great. The thermal mugs I had brought for everyone did there work keeping the hot drinks hot. One was unfortunately lost to sea as the skipper closely avoided a MOB-situation. Once again, a reminder that a PFD and a tether are essential. During the past months, I've seen several people (including skippers) disregard that. Not only does it make you a poor role model, it also puts you and your whole crew at risk.
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| Both PFD and sailing gear with built-in buoyancy - check! |
The Class 40 bobbed along the choppy waves quite happily. Boats that are made for racing are not made for comfort, so it was a bit of a climb getting around while heeling. It's usually fun, and adds to the physical part of sailing that I appreciate. However, this boat was letting in unexpected amounts of water. The engine water intake had been leaking, drowning the floor so that anything that had been dropped became dirty and soggy right away. Also, the standing rigging was not maintained/greased so the fastenings were continuously letting in droplets of sea water which ended up in the beds and in the galley cupboards. I'm used to a fair bit of water coming in, in all kinds of different boats, but not as a "normal" state and normally this is taken care of by a bilge pump. So this was a bit of a new reality. In practice, no matter how dry you kept everything, it all immediately became soaked in sea water, including the mattresses. There was no designated drying space, wet weather locker or stowage, so a lot of stuff was rolling around in the sea water on the floor. Probably nothing to worry about during a short coastal race if one does not mind doing the extra washing and drying afterwards. However, my own approach is normally to do what's necessary to keep everything as dry as possible, even during tough weather. In my experience, it's possible if everyone is diligent.
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| More helming photos. This one near the coast - windy but less waves |
The weather was not too bad, the winds calmed down and the temperatures were quite summer-like despite the fact the race was held in May. Steering was pleasant, except for one of the rudders having a nasty play in it. The sails were new and worked well. The instruments were still not fixed however, so all steering was done according to Windex and the feel of the rudder and the sails. This does not create a competitive situation. The chart plotter was temporarily fixed hanging on a wire, getting in the way of the lines on the winch, which also was suboptimal.
But once again, not my boat, not my rules - I can only talk about my personal experience, competence and preference.
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| Focusing on the rudder as the waves become washing machine |
The watches were set to 4 hours on/off daytime, 3 hours nighttime, 2 people per watch. It was comfy to be two crew per watch, and I enjoyed being with my buddy. I'm a big fan of mixed overlapping watches on boats with mixed crew, so eveyone can meet everyone, but I do know that there are downsides too, especially on a small boat.
The skipper was to be "floating" but mostly joined the other watch to support them, so they were three. The idea of the floating skipper is to get enough sleep, however it seemed that the objective was to excersise sleep deprivation. This is rarely a good practise, and luckily there was some sleep for everyone in the end. However, the 3 hour night watches seemed to shrink as the next watch often came up late. Sometimes, it was needed to stay late for the sail changes too. All of this shrank the nighttime hours to a maximum of 2 hours of sleep - and a minimum of maybe 30-60 minutes. A couple of days of this is OK, we even had some daylight hours where everyone was in the cockpit. But the fatigue was starting to show.
The skipper was to be "floating" but mostly joined the other watch to support them, so they were three. The idea of the floating skipper is to get enough sleep, however it seemed that the objective was to excersise sleep deprivation. This is rarely a good practise, and luckily there was some sleep for everyone in the end. However, the 3 hour night watches seemed to shrink as the next watch often came up late. Sometimes, it was needed to stay late for the sail changes too. All of this shrank the nighttime hours to a maximum of 2 hours of sleep - and a minimum of maybe 30-60 minutes. A couple of days of this is OK, we even had some daylight hours where everyone was in the cockpit. But the fatigue was starting to show.
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| Tired but still smiling! |
As we were heading for the finish line, I had a short and sweet helming sesson goose-winging with no pole. The chart plotter was out, as well as most of the electronics, as there were no means of charging. So just the wind, the sun and the sea - and trying to maximize the speed while not gybing. I like those moments where you experience flow, as the sailing requires full focus.
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| Not from the finishing line, nevertheless a good illustration of focusing on the helm. Thank you for the photo Sergej! |
We crossed the line on the incoming tide. Passing by Hurst Castle and riding the waves there was absolutely exhilirating. Me and my buddy jumped off in Yarmouth and headed to the mainland with the ferry, to get home - and the boat sailed forth to their home harbour.
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| The racing boat at the dock with all the luxury yachts - quite a contrast |
After the race, there were more or less precisely two months left before Fastnet. The race showed that there is still a lot to do on board. As I was trying to figure out what was left to fix, and communicating with the skipper about the time plan, it turned out that the boat was still not certified to do the Fastnet race. There also were a few practical questions. Another crew, an Olympic sailor from Sweden, was to join but somehow got refused by the skipper. A lot of uncertainty followed. Communication was lacking. I tried to set up an After Action Report/lessons learned, which is best practice in sailing, IT and firefighting alike. But there was no response. This is usually not a good sign.
At the same time, my next assignment got moved a day forward and I understood that I had to act to minimise risks and uncertainty. I therefore opted to cancel the planned race in July to be able to do my next assignment. It's unfortunate to have to prioritize, but in August there is a serious and professional undertaking, and I cannot risk missing that.
There will be more Fastnet races - and I hope to be doing the next one, especially if the boat and the crew are more prepared. I hope nobody will get hurt and that everyone will finish the race safely.
I will soon also write about the upcoming undertaking - currently, it's consuming quite a lot of time and resources and I hope it will be worth it. Stay tuned!
At the same time, my next assignment got moved a day forward and I understood that I had to act to minimise risks and uncertainty. I therefore opted to cancel the planned race in July to be able to do my next assignment. It's unfortunate to have to prioritize, but in August there is a serious and professional undertaking, and I cannot risk missing that.
There will be more Fastnet races - and I hope to be doing the next one, especially if the boat and the crew are more prepared. I hope nobody will get hurt and that everyone will finish the race safely.
I will soon also write about the upcoming undertaking - currently, it's consuming quite a lot of time and resources and I hope it will be worth it. Stay tuned!