The First Day Out

I arrived at Town Quay in Weymouth very excited, albeit slightly nervous! I was very eager to get out on the water and see first hand what all the excitement is about these race machines. I have seen the photos, watched the adrenaline rushing TV footage and talked to friends with first hand experience of them. However, I still had never been aboard one before.

I have long since had a strong desire to sail aboard an Open 60 and there I was, on the quayside in Weymouth looking at Spirit of Weymouth. This time I was not drooling with envy watching the boat slip her berth. Now it was to be my turn to realise my dream. Sailing on an Open 60 is the pinnacle of all aspiring short handed ocean sailors.

Steve White, owner and skipper, greeted me aboard with a warm smile. He immediately put me at ease with his laid back and unassuming manner. Our first sail together was to deliver the boat from Weymouth to Southampton in readiness for two corporate sailing days. Simon Kearsley a close friend and keen supporter of Steve was joining us. Simon has been Steve’s main sponsor for the past year but had only been out on the boat on corporate sailing days. Today was a great opportunity for him to sail offshore properly and share Steve’s enthusiasm and passion for the boat.

Simon had a huge grin on his face from the moment he stepped aboard till the time he got off the boat. I think his beaming smile was only rivalled by mine! As we slipped Weymouth in twenty knots of northerly breeze I realised how big the learning curve was going to be. The engine on Spirit of Weymouth is the same size as that on Puma Logic! Just getting the bow of the boat through the wind proved a task in itself and controlling her under power was nothing short of difficult. Steve admitted with a cheeky grin that it took two attempts to motor into Portland Harbour the previous week!

The techniques to sail this beast are very different to those of anything that I have sailed before. Whilst the principles are the same the terminology is a different language and characteristics of the handling are poles apart. Hoisting the main was to challenge number one!
Keeping the boat head to wind in 20 knots of breeze with a vastly underpowered engine was always going to be difficult. I think having two mavericks on board did not help Steve’s course! ‘What must Steve be thinking of me?’ I thought as my performance more resembled a buffoon than that of an experienced offshore sailor!

With the main up it was time to put the bow down and see what all the fuss is about. The acceleration with just the main was tremendous. Within seconds we were powering along at twelve knots. ‘Right’ said Steve, ‘Let’s put the Solent up!’ I looked blankly and then plucked up the courage to admit my complete ignorance ‘Ok. Sounds great’ I replied, ‘but which one is the Solent’

Steve laughed, nervously and pointed to the sail at the front that was furled around the forestay! ‘Ok,’ I thought, ‘so that is the headsail then!’

With the Solent unfurled Spirit of Weymouth picked up pace and was effortlessly sailing at sixteen knots. Before we knew it we had reached Anvil Point and were beating up wind at just under ten knots in 25 knots of wind toward the Needles in the dying sunlight! Suddenly upwind sailing did not seem quite so bad after all. It is all relative though and I guess ten knots upwind will soon become as tedious as a beat across the channel at seven knots in a 38 foot yacht.

The full moon rising over the Needles Lighthouse was the fantastic welcome we received into the Solent (that is the stretch of water between the Isle of Wight and England and not a headsail)! My first sail on an Open 60 was coming to an end. I did not feel I had made a complete idiot of myself but the realisation of just how much there is to learn has completely sunk in.

I now know how people feel when they arrive on my boat for the first time! I suspect I may be a little more accommodating and sympathetic in the future!