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Star Chaser's Rolex Fastnet Race Blog 2009

Saturday 15 August 2009 – 1800 Boat time
Plymouth Party!!!!!!!

Great great party night……But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Turning the last corner to get to the finish line on the Western entrance of the Plymouth breakwater, we were dead down wind….so much so, that we actually ended up sailing a bit by the lee…didn’t want to gybe though, so are last few minutes involved some interesting helming by Boogie!

Almost overtook a Dutch boat just before they finished as they messed up their spinnaker gybe (something we didn’t want to risk), but they sorted themselves and nipped over the finish line mere seconds before we did…

Lots of happy screaming, laughter and congrats on the boat when we heard that gun at 19.24.37

WE MADE IT! Finished our Fastnet; for some a first, for others a second or third and for a few tidying up some unfinished business from two years ago (6 of us actually). Great feeling.

We didn’t take long to tie the boat up and have a first drink on the boat.

Some showers, got the ‘been there, done that, got the t-shirt’ t-shirts and our free beers from the RORC Race office and then went in search of a place that could feed 14 hungry and loud sailors. Not an easy mission on a Friday night at 2130 in Plymouth I can tell you!

Found a good Indian, which lined the stomachs for some good partying later on….I’ll spare you the details, just let it be known that a few drinks, some dancing and a great time were had by all!

So much so, that this morning a couple of the crew were feeling worse for wear…

They have just surfaced….6 hours out of Plymouth!

Had a fantastic spinnaker run this morning and got joined by a pod of dancing dolphins!

They were absolutely fabulous; big ones too, not the smaller ones we had seen in the Celtic Sea. And we’re sure that they were having as much a blast performing as we had watching them dance. Underneath the bow, next to the boat in front of the boat,; on their bellies, their side, their back; not only doing the normal dolphiny ‘I’m showing my dorsal fin’ little jumps, no, BIG jumps into the air, with twists and all! Will try and get some footage up in the coming weeks, so check back for that later.

An incredible sight we will not quickly forget!

We changed to a poled out nr 3 headsail a little while ago as the wind picked up a bit – so we’re set for the night, even for the slightly fragile feeling part of the crew.

Hope to get to the Needles for around 2am and on the dock in Hamble at about 4am.

Great day for a sail!

Great day to get married as well! Two of our last year’s ARC crew are getting married today – our slow Fastnet has prevented us from being there, but from the boat we are wishing Fran and Jime lots of happiness and love and a fantastic wedding day! Hip hip hooray and congrats to the both of you!!!!

Friday 14 August – 1500 Boat time
Run, baby, run!

Have had the most fantastic spinnaker run from 1am this morning and we’re still going strong!

Yes! We made it round the Lizard at 1pm, after some good helming and trimming to make sure we could clear the actual point and as we bore away to head straight for Plymouth (yeah baby!), decided we needed to sail a bit too deep after all.

We were all set for a spi change, so in no time we had the symmetrical up on the pole.

As needed to get up the mast to change spi halyards over, quickly took the camera with me: this is what it looks like from up top (about 26m above the water)!

Star Chaser under spinnaker from the top of the mast!

Bit bouncy up there when you’re under spinnaker and I’ve got the bruises to proof it. Must admit, I do bruise a bit easily. Actually always end up with some inexplicable bruises after racing, even when I cannot remember having bumped into anything.

Have overtaken a few more boats on this run, and even though some threatened to catch us again when the wind went light again for a while, have managed to stay ahead. Sure we can catch some more before we get there!

We’re making great great progress at the moment, charging on towards Plymouth at speeds between 8kn and 11.2kn (record for Will and Charles, congrats!). Must say the other watch did brilliant getting us around the Lizard, so congrats too!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; 31nm to go the finish! If the wind keeps up and we keep on going as we do, hope to make it just before a late dinner.

Fingers crossed everybody!

Marlies

Friday 14 August – 0900 Boat time
Sleigh ride!!!!

Yippee!!!! Yihaa!!!! Have had the spinnaker up since 0100 this morning!

Got woken up with the message that the wind had turned and we were on for the spi back up, great way to wake, I must tell you.

Quickly the gear went up and with some great team work, we had the asymmetrical flying in no time and were doing 8.5 knots in only 11-13 knots of apparent breeze! Yippee, that’s what we want! We’re having our sleigh ride and boy, are we enjoying it!

Ever since been flying across the water, with the occasional slowing down when the wind would drop a bit, but mostly speeding along great! Doing 8 kn throught the water at the moment in 8 knots of (apparent) breeze! Smiles all around. Pretty damn good if you ask me!

Passed Bishops Rock and the Scilly Isles between 6 and 7 this morning and now on our way to Lizzard Point. Got the tide with us, so SOG (speed over ground) is a bit more even, and we’re making good speed towards the finish.

Crossing our fingers for the forecast to be correct as we’d get a little bit more wind even which would just be perfect!

Have also had loads of dolphins on and off during our crossing of Celtic Sea, to the great delight of our crew. We never tire of watching them, just hard to keep the concentration goin while they’re there!

Spirits are high and our spinnaker run has allowed us to take a few more scalps on our way to the finish. Sun might not be shining out there, but it is on the boat, Plymouth here we come!!

Marlies

Thursday 13 August – 1445 Boat time
Rusty the Salty Seadog

Wrrroooeefff!

Hello all, it’s Rusty here – I sort of sneaked my way on board Star Chaser with Martin, to race the famous Rolex Fastnet Race. Just heard from Marlies that their boat dog, Beasley, who has done a number of Channel crossings and even a Transatlantic or two (and not on an airplane either!) wasn’t even allowed to come along! Boy, is she going to be in trouble when he hears I was here racing!

Anyway, it’s been really cool on the boat here, lots of good humans on the boat, and good food too! The only thing I was a bit disappointed about, was that I couldn’t go outside as I didn’t have a lifejacket. Marlies solved that for me yesterday though, when we were charging through the Celtic Sea, and made me my very own lifejacket, safety line and clip and all!

So just now I got to go on deck and even got to steer the boat!

Rusty at the Helm !
Rusty at the Helm !

Not easy in light winds you know, especially for a little dog like me. But they all said I was doing really well for a dog, so I’m very pleased with myself!

I also make sure crew morale stays well up and keep an eye on them all, making sure they eat and sleep well and stay well behaved…although I am not sure how far that reaches as I suspect some lewd stories are told on deck every now and then when I am doing important stuff down below. Well, I can’t save them all, can I?

Just now as I am writing this at the chart table, they mentioned something about the tray…not sure what they meant, but it sure made them all laugh, so it can’t be a food tray, can it? Humans are a bit weird from time to time I must admit!

Last night I got a glimpse of the famous rock as well! Very impressive, there were some low hanging clouds just above the lighthouse and it was slightly raining, making the beams of light look like eerie otherworld lights; at one point it almost looked like the Batman sign!

Keep on following us and our stories and wish us luck to the finish; I could do with a proper walk and some dogs to talk to rather than just the humans!

Wrrrooooefff!

Rusty

Thursday 13 August 2009
Too early for Rusty

It’s a bit too early for Rusty still, so it’s me again…and I have been happier…

All went great last night, had a good, gentle Rock rounding, nice and close in, cutting between the shallow spot and the Rock, overtaking a few boats while doing so. Fantastic views of the lighthouse up close, even thought it was dark and vis not great. Light beams piercing through the light hazy air, pretty impressive!

Good going to the Pantaenius Bouy too, being able to crack off a little bit already, first time since the Needles of not being totally hard on the wind…we’re all anticipating the rounding of the mark as this signals the ’sleeride home’!

Forecast had promised us a good 10 to 15, sometimes 20 knots on the starboard quarter. Bring it on! We were ready for it!

Rounding the buoy, kite up, all going well, no f*"%$k ups, wind a bit less and a bit more on the stern than we would have liked to, but hey, we’re not picky! We have a nice thing going and we’re doing nicely! Finely go to bed for a bit!

Only to wake up a few hours later from a different movement in the boat - a bit of a wallopy motion…heralding bad news: wind has dropped so much, we’ve had to go down to 3 reefs to keep the main from flapping itself to death and as I come on deck, we decide to take it down completely, hoping to fill the spinaker at least a bit.

Not much good. The spinaker just limply hangs there, as does the palpable disappointment of the crew. We were doing so well, clawing back spaces, nice going under the spi…and now, nothing. The only apparent wind the instruments registers comes from the rolling off the boat…

So back up with the main, to give us some stability, while praying for wind.

And somebody must have some good karma left somewhere, because as we finish hoisting the main with 2 reefs, there is some wind!

Direction has totally changed though and instead of running under kite, we are back to being close hauled in light winds, beating into an light southeasterly! Where the heck did that come from? THe only easterly direction on the grib files was supposed to be 80nm north of us! We were supposed to have a good southwesterly breeze, so we could fly home! What happened to that promised breeze??

Guess it’s just not meant to be. One can only be philosophical about it, as I still haven’t figured out how to manipulate the wind - at least we’re moving at the moment and no longer walloping…

Bishop Rock, here we come!

Marlies

Wednesday 12 August 2009
Almost there

Weeeeelll, we’re almost there .... no, no, not there as in finished, but there as in at ’The Rock’!

It’s not quite how we had imagined it, as visibility is lousy, it’s dark, the drizzle has turned into a proper rain (what’s all this about Irish hospitality?? Must be a land thing!) and the only thing we see at the moment is the light of the lighthouse on The Fastnet Rock. Bummer.

With the forecasted wind and the nice wind shift, we should have been rounding The Rock at about 8pm…however, with the wind dropping instead of the foretold increase and the wind shift never materialising, it is now 10.30pm and we are just about to round the famous lighthouse.

A couple more tacks and that is us on our way to the next mark and then on the home stretch to Bishop Rock, just south of the Scilly Islands, before turning NE to head for Plymouth.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…first need to actually get round it as the wind as dropped and we’re only making about 4.5 to 5.0 knots!

More tomorrow, might let Rusty the Salty Seadog do a blog as he is allowed out on the deck tomorrow! He spent most of his time until now down below as he didn’t have a lifejacket, but that’s sorted now. So the Rusty fans will hear more of him then!

Marlies

Tuesday 11 August 2009
Life is good

How much better can life get?

Racing the Fastnet race on a great boat, with a fantastic crew, we’re actually having a good breeze and sailing quite nicely, sun’s been shining, some delicious fresh pasta coming up and we just got joined by our second pod of dolphins!

Crew’s all excited!

Let’s hope for that forecasted shift now and we’ve got all we need for the night!

Marlies Sanders

Tuesday 11 August 2009
Racing the Fastnet in style

It can be a real slug, beating along the English Channel and across the Celtic Sea.

So you might as well do it in style!

So far, food has been excellent, with great chicken curry and amazing shepherd’s pie for dinner. And we just had Leon’s famous Dutch potato salad…a real treat!

Everybody has had some massive sleep on their off watch as well over the last 12 hours so everybody is in great spirits!

The fact that the sun is finally shining again after 2 day probably helps as well…although we’re back to the old trade off: sun but not much wind.

Luckily it is picking up a touch again, but over lunch we had a meager 6 knots apparent…not quite enough to take off for a 23T Swan!

Back to 12 knots now, with sunshine, after a wet evening and night with plenty of wind. Got down to No3 and a reef at some point.

Currently sailing north in between the Traffic Separation Scheme and the West coast next to Land’s End, crew fully motivated to keep the boat going as fast as we can.

We’re 14 crew for this race: Will and Charles Wrightson, two brothers from the States with lots of Newport Bermuda races under their belt; Andy, who raced the RORC Caribbean 600 with us; Tim, our classy Englishman, who like Hugh, Fozzie and Matt, has done the whole Fastnet Campaign with us; Leon (watch leader), our crazy Dutch man, who you might remember from last year’s ARC; Hugh, who has had a steep learning curve and is greatly enjoying it after he got over his initial bout of sea sickness; Fozzie, our resident clown and dwarf, who always gets a laugh out of anybody or at least a reaction of some sorts! (As I am writing this he has done it again - not something I could write down in the public sphere, but the way he has managed to wake a fellow crew member up who was seriously out has all of us pissing ourselves with laughter right now!)

Then we have Peter, our token Ozzie man, who is a very happy man after last weekend (we think, as we didn’t actually get the final results, but there wasn’t much hope for the English when we left…); Luigi, our multinational man, who is half Italian, half Uruguayan but lives in Switzerland and still manages to get loads of offshore racing done; Martin, our newbie, who is very keen to learn and is doing very well -helped by Rusty he trusty little dog who is racing with us. Must surely be the first dog to do the Fastnet Race! Diana, who has already done two Caribbean Regattas with us (Heineken St Maarten en the Antigua Sailing Week) and some of the qualifiers and is absolutely loving it. She’s almost done more days on the water this year than I have. And an old acquaintance, Matt (watch leader), who, apart from lots of racing and passages on Star Chaser, was with Boogie and myself on Star Chaser for the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race.

And then there is Boogie of course, skippering the boat, keeping everybody on their toes and safe at the same time and myself, trying to navigate us around that famous Rock!

A good bunch and we’ve already had some great evenings out - it is promising to be a good night out in Plymouth.

Before that though, we’ve got the rock to think about - 164nm to go across the Celtic Sea; we’ll try to get a pick or two while racing past!

Marlies Sanders

Monday 10 August 2009
Having it all!

Star Chaser has just passed Start Point in a good breeze and slightly slumpy conditions. It’s overcast and nothing of the nice sunshine from yesterday remains. But we have wind which is more than we could say yesterday!

And let’s face it, we’ll take wind and wet any time over no wind and sunshine! Except maybe when we’re on anchor in the Caribbean…

It’s been a good first 2 days. We went for a kite start straight away and managed to keep some good speed up in the middle of the Solent, gybing our way towards the Needles. Although we could see some boats ahead of us getting in to a great windhole, we couldn’t avoid it and sailed into it…but luckily enough not for long.

When we got out of it, the wind had changed and we had changed to our big No2 headsail. Tacking passed Hurst Castle and out of the Needles, we still had some wind.

It wasn’t meant to last though…we opted for the finding wind strategy and did quite well at first. The risk was getting into water too deep to anchor…we did keep a good breeze for a while, but in the evening things died down a bit, with no option to anchor…

Our strategy paid off though as the wind filled in nicely and we were now well positioned. Still having a good breeze, 22 -25 knots apparent and steaming along under the No3 and one reef in the main. Gained another 6 places overall, so we’re happy!

The grib files are predicting lighter winds again in the next couple of hours, so we have to make the most of it while it lasts!

The crew is all doing well and very motivated, keeping out there on the rail, even when not on watch, to give us those crucial extra few degrees pointing. We’re getting a bit wet, but with curry and shepherd’s pie on the menu, we should be allright!

More later!

Marlies

Thursday 6 August 2009

Less than 72 hours to the start of the Fastnet, one of the world’s most famous offshore races...we are in full race prep, making sure the boat is race ready with our Kevlar racing sails instead of the cruising sails, setting up extra blocks, replacing bungies, packing spinnakers, getting the berths ready for the crew...

It also means shopping for 14 tomorrow and this afternoon, cooking 3 meals for 14! Am about to start peeling the potatoes for the Shepherd’s Pie - maybe I should write some more first!

2 of our crew are already here, giving us a hand with the preparation, tomorrow another 9 will arrive and the last one will jump on Saturday morning.

Saturday is practice day, before the start on Sunday...

Just had another look at the weather, as we keep on hoping it will change...it always does, why not now??? It is promising to be very very light, which for our boat is not a good thing; we want a nice 15-25 knots! A Swan needs a bit of wind to really get to her full potential and that is what we want!

Nothing we can do about it though, but wait and pray. And keep checking the weather...

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Phone: +44 7795 566 277
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