Holland proved to be a popular stopover for many of the boats, but for 3 of our crew members it was a bit special - Hans, Frankie and Minke all Dutch nationals had a special smile as we crossed the finish line ahead of Hull. Most crew managed at least one day in Amsterdam, the day we visited the Dutch football team were doing the city tour, not on an open top bus as we would in London, but a flotilla of boats down the canals!! After the usual window shopping and taking in the sights we returned back to the boat to prepare for the final race.
The morning of race day found us rocking around in a force 8 gale and driving rain in the marina although we are due to slip lines at 16.00 with the race starting at 19.00hrs. The forecast suggested that the strong winds were to continue into the night maybe getting lighter through the night, so again a rough crossing was in store for all crews and those who over indulged the previous night would surely suffer.
Cork departed 2 hours before the rest of the fleet and we eventually slipped lines at about 16.30hrs, as we departed the comfort of the harbour breakwater we were hit by a substantial swell and approx 35 knots of wind!! We were to remain in this "holding area" for approx 2 hours, not too bad until disaster stuck once again. This time in the form of a complete tear in our main sail just below the 2nd reefing point! This meant that we would have to complete the whole race with 2 reefs in our main sail, a bit like doing the Isle of Man TT race on a push bike since we had considerably less canvas than anyother boat in the fleet. This would surely give Cape Breton the opportunity to overtake us for the coveted 2nd place overall, only time would tell.
Race start was once again in the Le Mans format and once again we got off to our usual flyer leading the fleet for the first two miles, once the fleet realised that the wind was actually decreasing rather than building, then they all shook out the reefs and went to full main and effectively left us for dead. We really had no control of our destiny, yes we were on the podium whatever, but we wanted to collect the 2nd place overall!
The wind did eventually build but by then the damage was done, we were in last place with Cape Breton climbing through the fleet as they scented a gilt edged opportunity to leap frog us into second place. The seas continued to build and we had a pretty rough crossing, as predicted some of our crew were feeling somewhat green afetr the excesses of the previous night. We needed the winds to build since that would be the only way that the other boats would reduce the amount of canvas that they were flying and give us a chance of catching them. Sure enough, we caught and overtook California as they had a very conservative sail plan and we set our sights on Edinburgh and maintained our focus on staying ahead of California. The news that we were getting on the boat suggested that Cape Breton were now in third place in this race and were looking to take the Australian boat - nail biting stuff on Team Finland!! What none of us had factored in was the "Cork factor" and their handicap, they were actually leading the race with Ull & Umber in second place, Australia in third and Cape Breton in fourth!!
And that my friends was how this race result finished, with Team Finland in 9th place and California in 10th, this gave us a cushion of 1.3 points over Cape Breton after 35,000 miles across the worlds oceans!!
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Cork to Ijmuiden Holland
I suppose one benefit of sprinting across the Atlantic was that we are able to spend more time in Kinsale
and savour the delights of this wonderful place, the downside of course, is that we have all spent a
fortune on the fine food and accomodation!!
For me, I had the opportunity to fly back to the UK to attend Hazels funeral - an event that I thought I
might miss. At very short notice I managed to get a flight and met Anna at Stansted airport and drove to
the service. I was really pleased that I was able to do this and support Phil at this very sad time in his
life.
Having got back to Kinsale Anna and friends arrived and to my surprise both Tommy & Jack turned up - which
was great, Charlie of course, was somewhere in South America but he was missed.
The presentation in Cork was great as Team Finland collected the coveted winners pennant in front of 1000's
of people.
And so we move on to the next race from Cork to Ijmuiden in Holland, race day brought rain but this didn't
seem to dampen the spirits of the Irish as we departed Cork, there is a real feeling now that we nearing
the end of this adventure and return to our normal lifes - whatever they are!!
The start was at Weavers point and the wind was gusting up to 25 knots and the rain as usual meant that
everything and everybody was soaked through before the race had started.
At the gun, we crossed the line in 6th place but by the first mark we were slightly ahead and making great
speeds just ahead of Hull & Humber and Australia, disaster struck as one of the Yankee sheets broke and the
huge head sail flogged heavily in the huge swell and growing winds - we had no option but to tack away from
the fleet and surrender our 1st place whilst we made the appropriate repairs.
The very rough conditions continue as 6 crew go down with seasickness and we push on the retrieve lost
ground on the fleet.
Numerous headsail changes are required and for those of us on the bow we are forever under water as huge
waves crash over the bow and activate our life jackets.
Day 2 saw a shift in the weather as the wind calmed and we sent up the medium weight spinnaker to take
advantage of the down wind conditions. Great sailing conditions until disaster struck again when we
destroyed the spinnaker and moved back into 7th position.
AS we move past the Lizard point we can see most of the fleet (ahead of us) and we decide to make a move,
amazingly we move from 7th to 1st in the space of 2 hours!! There is now a real feeling that maybe we could
do the double and win this one as well, we start shedding water from the on board water tanks to reduce
weight as we try to increase boat speed and keep ahead.
Day 3 seea the fleet compress as we all hit light wind conditions and there is a constant change in race
order as all boats try to keep the boats moving forward in the light wind conditions but also have to
contend with the tide that races down the Straits of Dover.
A really busy night as we fight with Australia for the lead, both boats are trying to keep the light weight
spinnakers flying but both kites keep collapsing in the non exsistant winds. Somehow we manage to wriggle
out of the wind hole and put some miles between us and the rest of the fleet, surely this is the decisive
moment in this race as we dodge super tankers, ferries and all shape and sizes of boats in the busy
shipping lanes of the English Channel.
Day 4
We push on and failing some sort of disaster we now feel that we have this one in the bag and cross the
finish line in Holland only 10 mins ahead of Hull & Humber to take another 10 points in our bid for the
overall 2nd place. Australia come in 5th and claim the overall prize, worthy winners given the conditions
but what might have been had we not lost our mast???
Our three Dutch on board are very happy as they enter their "home port" first to make up for the
disappointment for the Dutch losing in the World Cup Final.
Now we are looking for the hat trick on the last race across the North Sea home as we are now the boat that
has the most wins in this series of races - bring it on !!
and savour the delights of this wonderful place, the downside of course, is that we have all spent a
fortune on the fine food and accomodation!!
For me, I had the opportunity to fly back to the UK to attend Hazels funeral - an event that I thought I
might miss. At very short notice I managed to get a flight and met Anna at Stansted airport and drove to
the service. I was really pleased that I was able to do this and support Phil at this very sad time in his
life.
Having got back to Kinsale Anna and friends arrived and to my surprise both Tommy & Jack turned up - which
was great, Charlie of course, was somewhere in South America but he was missed.
The presentation in Cork was great as Team Finland collected the coveted winners pennant in front of 1000's
of people.
And so we move on to the next race from Cork to Ijmuiden in Holland, race day brought rain but this didn't
seem to dampen the spirits of the Irish as we departed Cork, there is a real feeling now that we nearing
the end of this adventure and return to our normal lifes - whatever they are!!
The start was at Weavers point and the wind was gusting up to 25 knots and the rain as usual meant that
everything and everybody was soaked through before the race had started.
At the gun, we crossed the line in 6th place but by the first mark we were slightly ahead and making great
speeds just ahead of Hull & Humber and Australia, disaster struck as one of the Yankee sheets broke and the
huge head sail flogged heavily in the huge swell and growing winds - we had no option but to tack away from
the fleet and surrender our 1st place whilst we made the appropriate repairs.
The very rough conditions continue as 6 crew go down with seasickness and we push on the retrieve lost
ground on the fleet.
Numerous headsail changes are required and for those of us on the bow we are forever under water as huge
waves crash over the bow and activate our life jackets.
Day 2 saw a shift in the weather as the wind calmed and we sent up the medium weight spinnaker to take
advantage of the down wind conditions. Great sailing conditions until disaster struck again when we
destroyed the spinnaker and moved back into 7th position.
AS we move past the Lizard point we can see most of the fleet (ahead of us) and we decide to make a move,
amazingly we move from 7th to 1st in the space of 2 hours!! There is now a real feeling that maybe we could
do the double and win this one as well, we start shedding water from the on board water tanks to reduce
weight as we try to increase boat speed and keep ahead.
Day 3 seea the fleet compress as we all hit light wind conditions and there is a constant change in race
order as all boats try to keep the boats moving forward in the light wind conditions but also have to
contend with the tide that races down the Straits of Dover.
A really busy night as we fight with Australia for the lead, both boats are trying to keep the light weight
spinnakers flying but both kites keep collapsing in the non exsistant winds. Somehow we manage to wriggle
out of the wind hole and put some miles between us and the rest of the fleet, surely this is the decisive
moment in this race as we dodge super tankers, ferries and all shape and sizes of boats in the busy
shipping lanes of the English Channel.
Day 4
We push on and failing some sort of disaster we now feel that we have this one in the bag and cross the
finish line in Holland only 10 mins ahead of Hull & Humber to take another 10 points in our bid for the
overall 2nd place. Australia come in 5th and claim the overall prize, worthy winners given the conditions
but what might have been had we not lost our mast???
Our three Dutch on board are very happy as they enter their "home port" first to make up for the
disappointment for the Dutch losing in the World Cup Final.
Now we are looking for the hat trick on the last race across the North Sea home as we are now the boat that
has the most wins in this series of races - bring it on !!
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Day 4
The downwind sailing conditions continue as we eat up the miles in our bid to be the first boat across the Atlantic, we are consistantly posting 200+ miles over a 24hour period which will have us in Kinsale within 8 days.
More damage has been reported amongst the fleet as we push on relentlessly, on Team Finland we have suffered some damage to the main sheet traveller, a temporary repair has been effected but we will need to replace this once we get into port. Other boats are reporting spinaker pole tracks coming adrift from the mast and more kites have ended up in many pieces.
We see that we are in 8th position in this race and the mood on board becomes slightly more despondant, once again we are taking a different route than the rest of the fleet, we are taking a more southerly route trying to keep on the southerly edge of a low pressure system that is generating 30 knots of wind. The northern route appears to be generating more wind (upwards of 40 knots) but this could expose the boat (and crew) to more damage, the only course open to us then would be to reduce the amount of sail that we are flying and thus reducing speed. This could be the biggest tactical decision of this particular race.
Day 5
The very cold, damp conditions persist as the Labrador current continues to bring cold air from the Artic, this means that most crew are now wearing base & midlayers with the foulies over the top although I cannot remember the last time we donned some many layers - Pacific I suspect. It all comes back now, 10 days of persistant rain left everything soaking wet - boots, socks, foulies and midlayers, oh the joys of putting that lot on at 02.00hrs!
We are looking at the race "scheds" which show that we are slowly climbing up the leader board, we are now in 5th position and the mood is upbeat although we have been in this position before.
Australia report a whale strike, this could be a very dangerous liason as a35 tonne ocean yacht comes into contact with the beast from the deep, thankfully both craft and creature escape seemingly unscathed.
Day 6
We continue to pound on grinding out in excess of 200 miles a day, if this pace continues we will certainly arrive in Kinsale early and it will be one of the fastest crossings across the pond. We were reminded of the potential perils of this particular ocean by Sir RKJ, who recounted a story of the QE2 passenger liner encountering a wave that hit the bridge, if you bear in mind that the bridge is 120 ft above the water line then you get an appreciation of the size of these rogue waves.
We are now deep in this low pressure system and we are experiencing consistant winds of up to and over 40 knots, this allows us to generate over 20 knots of boat speed as we surf down the huge rollers which seem to be well organised in sets of 3 which makes helming slightly easier.
That said, keeping the kite flying and maintaining boat speed is taking it's toll on the boat and the crew. I was off watch in my bunk below when I heard a crash and the boat lurched sideways - no doubt about it, the boat had crash gybed after the preventer had broken. The preventer stops the boom swinging in an uncontrolled manner, when this happens clearly anyone or anything that gets in it's way could be in potential danger. Unfortunately one of our female crew left her head in it's path and got hit by the vang block that is attached to the boom. She wasn't knocked out initially but about a minute post injury she collapsed on deck. Imagine the scene, 40 knots of wind, a rolling deck as we surf down huge waves, the boom doing it's own thing and a "man down". As the boat medic I was summoned on deck and "Taffy" Morgan a retired dentist came on deck to check on the fillings!!
After an initial assessment on deck the casualty was brought down below and neuro observations were commenced over the next 24 hrs, thankfully all transpired to be well and we continued racing, not that we had alot of choice really since we were still just under a 1000 miles from land and expert medical help. As a precaution I asked for the cordless drill to be charged up and made ready!
Australia play their stealth card and go "under the radar" for 24hrs, they are maintaining their northerly position but will they head south? Time will tell.
We continue to take miles out of the fleet and move up to 4th postion, this race is critical for us so that we can consolidate our position and aim for an overall podium position in Hull, not bad considering that we havn't raced in three races due to the Cork rescue and the demasting.
Jamaica are leading this race at this point, they too are really pushing for a win in this race, they are in 4th postion overall and want to be on that podium in Hull.
Day 7
Casualty in reasonable condition although her usual outward persona is somewhat quieter post accident, not surprising really given the trauma that her body has experienced.
800 miles to the Fastnet rock and there is a real buzz on the boat as we all recover from the "head injury incident" and find that we are now up to 3rd postion in this race as we get nearer to the finish and take miles out of the Cork boat.
Jamaica experience problems with the mast track and have to reduce the amount of canvas that they are flying as any additional pressure on the track could rip it off altogether.
Australia come out of stealth and we continue to pull ahead of them - great news.
Wind is now blowing force 9 and we decide that this is the moment to play our own stealth card and go under the radar.
Life on board continues as usual, on watch, off watch, mother watch producing the usual mix of pasta, rice and pulses with the occassional treat of spam or corned beef thrown into the mix!
Day 8
Out of Stealth and we are in the lead, we are pushing this boat as hard as we dare, we have been flying the Yankee 3 due to the wind conditions but the pressure is breaking some of the hanks (brass connectors that connect the sail to the forestay and allow the raising and dropping of the sail) these will need to be replaced "on the move". Still averaging over 11 knots per hour and the sea state is getting a bit more confused.
We need to attach a line to the second reefing point on the main, this means hoisting someone up the mast (me) to do this task. Not easy given the conditions and trying to tie a bowline one handed with the boat pitching and rolling at 21.30 hrs in the semi darkness!! Excitement growing as we near the iconic Fastnet Rock 5 miles ahead of Jamaica and with a favourable tide that should aid our passage.
Cork have arrived into their home port, really pleased for them although they will not win the overall race due to the handicap system. We are told that we have to be across the finish line before 10.00am to beat them.
Our own mast track seems to be coming adrift, this could cause us problems as we approach the "Old Head" at Kinsale since we have to put in a gybe to get around the headland and Jamaica are closing in on us fast, surely we are not going to blow this race as well, are we?
Foredeck crew are ready to manually take the spinaker pole down if we cannot effect the dip pole gybe as we approach the "Old Head" at 04.30hrs and the lead on Jamiaca down to 1 mile. The command goes out from Rob on the helm as the whole boat holds it's breath as we perform perfect gybe and head towards the finish line which is two miles up the estuary.
At just after 5am TF cross the finish line only 8 minutes ahead of Jamaica to land the first podium postion since Australia, long long overdue and the party will be long.
Just to illistrate the importance of getting that gybe right, reflect on the plight of the Hull & Humber boat, lying in 3rd postion with Quindao in 4th they got "that" gybe wrong put the pole through the spinnaker and lost a podium place by just 90 seconds. Never ceases to amaze that after 2000+ miles racing across the ocean that it comes down to 90 seconds to seperate one boat from another!
Breakfast provided at the Kinsale Yacht club washed down with copius quantities of Murphys - life is good!!
Bring on the presentation and the coverted yellow winners pennant that so many of us want as TF are crowned winners of the Transatlantic Race.
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Monday, 5 July 2010
FW: Sydney Nova Scotia to Kinsale Ireland
We approach the last great ocean crossing, - The Atlantic, of this adventure with the result from the last race still fresh in our minds. How we managed to lose 4 places in the space of 18 hours to end up a disappointing 6th is hard to believe, however, we must pick ourselves up dust ourselves down and prepare for the next race. We called a crisis meeting so that we could air any concerns and discuss our "battle plans" for the Atlantic, Team Finland have done well on previous crossings and we do not want to let ourselves down again and become the laughing stock of the fleet. We do have a habit of leading many races but end up in the lower half of the leader board as the race progresses.
The day before we were due to leave, I received the news that my brother's wife Hazel had passed away after a short but courageous battle against cancer. Having spoken with Phil and other family members it was decided that I would continue on with the journey and pay my respects when we arrived in the UK, although not entirely happy it seemed to be the best course of action. Would I come to regret this decision later?
So with a slightly heavy heart, I said my goodbyes to Anna & Debbie who were now well and truely "Clipper Groupies" - Anna is even talking about doing the race herself, and set foot on again on the good ship TF for the race start.
The start was to be in the river and would be a traditional line start with all boats jockeying for postion as the canon fired, I say all boats, but two days earlier the Cork boat had departed to complete her passage. Since she is slightly shorter and heavier than the other 68's she is subsequently slower and this presents some issues to the sponsors of Cork since they would rather the home boat didn't come in last again! So a handicap pursuit race was decided with the rest of the fleet hunting down Cork across the Atlantic and final positions being decided against the handicap formula.
Race start and not a lot of wind as we headed out into the river, large crowds lined the river as we waited on the decision regarding the start. Out of nowhere, about 10 knots of wind puffed up from behind and all of a sudden we were going to start a downwind race with the likelihood that all boats would have the spinnakers up - a great sight for the crowds, but a potential nightmare for the boats as we navigate down the narrow channel!
On the gun we were in 2nd place but could not raise the kite since one of the lines had been run incorrectly - school boy error, however we managed to retrieve the situation and maintained 3rd spot as we left the harbour area. Next problem we encountered was to weave our way through 1000's of lobster pots in the bay, thankfully we didn't snag any and made our way out into the Atlantic.
First full day at sea, I find myself on "mother watch" with the JB (John Beattie), not what I would have wanted so early in the passage (mother watch) but a case of getting on with it and providing fuel for the crew of 19 for the 24 hr period.
The sea state was rough and confused but we continued with the downwind sailing conditions and made great miles as we started to eat into Corks lead and reel them back in. The wind was gusting upwards of 40 knots and we had already decided that we were going to push this boat to it's limits to give us a realistic chance of a podium place.
Around us, other boats were dramatically inflicting damage on themselves, we witnessed California "blow up" their medium weight spinnaker as it exploded into pieces!! That day 4 boats in the fleet lost spinnakers, we however, managed to keep ours intact despite pushing very hard but we did manage to damage the end of one of spinnaker poles which rendered that useless for the rest of the trip - we do carry another one but to lose a pole so early could cost us dear later in the race.
Illness seems to be sweeping though the crew on TF, colds, coughs, ear infections and flu type symtoms are presented to the boat medic as we plough on through high seas and high winds, cries of "man up" resonant throughout the boat!
We approach the Grand banks and The Flemish Cap - made famous in the film "A PERFECT STORM", there is a dramatic drop in the temperature and an eerie fog encloses the entire fleet.
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