Puma Logic 3rd Overall in Ouistreham Race

Puma Logic rounded of Sailing Logics offshore season with a superb podium position in the last RORC offshore race of the season.

The Ouistreham race did not provide the ideal conditions for the Reflex 38's with the wind seldom getting above 6 knots! However the team aboard Puma worked extremely hard throughout the the race and were rewarded a superb and well earned 3rd place overall completing the 110Nm race in just under 24 hours.

Sadly Puma Logics arch rival, Pen Azen won the race overall beating Puma into 2nd place in Class 1. Pen Azen have sailed a fantastic 2007 offshore season and well deserve their psotion at hte top of the table.

Puma Logic now finish the RORC championships in an excellent 7th place overall and 5th in Class 1.

Quotes from the boats

Here are some thoughts from those in the beer tent after this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race...


Josh, skipper of Sidney - Oh it wasn’t that bad really.

Claire, 1st Mate onboard Bongani, to Tim, the skipper, on discovery of a rather full bow locker – wow, I have never been on a boat that is sinking before.

Philippe, skipper of Puma Logic, once out of the race – I am really pleased I have been in Plymouth drinking for three days.

Allie, the shore side saviour of Sailing Logic, on arrival at Shamrock Quay on Saturday - can I sleep now?


Karen Whitworth, crewmember onboard Sidney, on reflection of the watch system – It feels like a lifetime; I have been to bed 33 times in 5 days.

Craig Dewey, on behalf of Tom Frame, both crewmembers onboard Puma Logic – Give me another leg! This one is broken.

Bol, 1st mate onboard Jaguar Logic, reacts to complete instrument failure during the race – I am so relieved I didn’t have to get the imaginary sextant out.


… if you have any quotes to add then email them in.

Dartmouth Regatta. Spaces Still Available.

We have a couple of places left on Puma Logic for the Dartmouth Regatta. Dartmouth is a fantastic regatta and is great fun. Click here for full details

Dartmouth Regatta has four days of great round the cans racing and starts on 30 August. We are offering a late booking special offer price so please give Philippe a call to discuss if you are interested.

Safely Home at Last

Watching Bongani slip onto her berth here at Shamrock Quay Marina, our fantastic Rolex Fastnet adventure has come to its conclusion. All yachts are now safely home, all crew on their way back to comfortable beds (which are dry and don’t move!) and probably most back to work for 9am tomorrow morning.

We are incredibly proud of the way our Skippers, crew and yachts performed on this race, with the testing conditions which forced 211 yachts to retire and only 60 yachts to complete the course. No other Sailing School yachts made it past Lands End and many of the yachts crewed solely by professionals did not complete the course either.

The 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race is certainly one which will go down in the history books as one to have raced. Sailing Logic had its fair share of drama right for the off; Exabyte 3 broke her kicker/vang before the start, Jaguar Logic was over the start line early, and Puma Logic were forced into a racing mark by another competitor, and that was only the first hour! The race start in a brisk 25 knots which built steadily into the night and then blew up into a 40 knot gale as the yachts headed south of Portland Bill and down towards the Eddystone Rock area. It was at this point that many of Sailing Logic’s rivals fell by the wayside.

Unfortunately, a broken leg on Puma forced her retirement, where a rig failure affected Lions performance and Pink Panther made a shrewd decision to come in after experiencing more wind than most. After a sleepless night by the shore team after the Puma Logic medical emergency, the yachts continued round the Scillies and into the Irish Sea with the gale not diminishing and the seas getting bigger. Good tactical decisions by all our remaining 4 Skippers saw the yachts making steady progress towards the Fastnet Rock and minimising yacht and sail damage by sailing conservatively at times. After rounding The Rock, a downwind sleigh ride with a more stable platform made sure all crews had some respite from the upwind bouncy conditions, and the sun even came out, what a bonus!

Back ashore, the team of Puma Logic kidnapped Tom from Derriford Hospital so he could be courted by the national press, and also of course, to make sure he had a drink in the beer tent, that was very important! As I type, Tom is undergoing an operation to pin his leg, so all our thoughts are with him at the moment. Exabyte 3 was the first of our fleet to arrive at QAB in Plymouth, and the guys onboard looked terribly pleased with themselves. They had had a good race, with minimal damage or drama, and some were even heard to say they would be back next time!

Jaguar Logic was next to arrive, after a nail biting last few hours trying to catch the evasive Scarlet Oyster, and coming home to a hero’s welcome from the rest of the Sailing Logic crews. Jaguar Logic was the first yacht under 40 feet to have completed the race and the owner of Scarlet Oyster singled Skipper Andy Greenwood out for special praise, commenting that he felt Andy had done an amazing job in a yacht so small! More than 50 people cheered and shouted Jaguar onto her berth, towed all the way from the finish line in Plymouth Sound by Puma Logic and her crew.

Next to arrive in the early hours on Friday morning was Bongani, Skippered by Tim Thubron, leading class for a long time, a torn mainsail meant that the majority of the race was sailed under trysail and headsails only, but still they came in 4th overall in class and 2nd in division, a fantastic achievement.

To conclude the Sailing Logic fleet, was Sidney, the Match 42 who arrived mid-morning on Friday. Again with extensive sail damage, the crews doggedly kept racing right to the end and were justly rewarded with a win in their division of Class 1. Skipper Josh said on arriving ashore…’it wasn’t all that bad really….’. An understatement if ever there was one.

Sailing Logic Results.

Jaguar Logic Class 1 Division B 2nd
Class 1 overall 2nd
Winners of Roger Justice Trophy;
First Sailing school yacht Fastnet Race 18th overall

Sidney Class 1 Division A Winners
Class 1 overall 8th overall
Fastnet Race 44th overall

Bongani Class 2 Division A 2nd
Class 2 overall 4th
Fastnet Race 29th overall

Exabyte 3 Class 0 Division B 9th
Class 0 Overall 10th
Fastnet Race 21st overall

3pm Update: Sidney Wins Division

Sidney, Sailing Logics final boat in the fleet arrived today at 1136 BST in 1st place of IRC Class 1 Division A with a great welcome from all the rest of the crews. The Sidney team has done a fantastic job to complete the race despite having been plagued with sail problems throughout. Some of the crew onboard were amazed it was even possible to sail the length of the Celtic Sea with just a tri sail and either a No1 or No4 jib to choose from and still win their division. But with only two other boats left in the upper half of IRC Class 1 victory is theirs.

Here at Sailing Logic we feel this a very just outcome. Sidney has had a harder journey than most during the four RORC warm up races to the Rolex Fastnet Race. Some of the problems that were met resulted in the team not completing two of them. However, they have worked hard and it has all come together. Their determination to successfully round the Fastnet Rock and return to Plymouth safe and sound having achieved their goal is crystal clear. It is for this reason that the cheers they received from the dock were perhaps a little more heartfelt. We are all very proud of them.

271 boats started the Rolex Fastnet Race this year and just 51 carried on racing, the rest falling casualty to the weather conditions at the start of the race. Of those 51, 10 are still to finish. Ghost and Lutine the other two boats still racing in Sidney’s Class Division rounded the rock this lunchtime. We wish them all well for their return trip from the rock.

7am Update: Big Cheers for Bongani

Just before dawn Sailing Logics third boat to complete the Fastnet Race quietly slipped into QAB Marina here in Plymouth. However, the welcome party shattered the peace and quiet as they cheered and whistled the Pronavia 38s arrival. Apologies now to all those whose sleep we disturbed especially those onboard the two boats Bongani rafted along side.

The team are in great spirits and there was not a lot we could do to hold them back from the beer tent and showers. Once in the beer tent Peter Brownsell commented – I am surprised at how quickly we’ve forgotten how bad it was. Indeed many of crew have expressed their dismay at how much of their time was spent in wet clothing hence the rush for showers and clean clothes.

Bongani reached top speeds of 20+knots on her final approach to the finish much to the excitement of the helm. This is the first rounding of the Fastnet Rock by a Pronavia 38 and they have done a grand job finishing 2nd in IRC 2A and 28th overall. The boats owner, Tom Frame, who broke his leg on Puma Logic earlier in the week, has been eagerly awaiting their arrival and watching their progress from his hospital bed in Lymington.

Seasickness affected all except two of the crewmembers. Navigator, Nigel Symington is adamant that eating and drinking is the only way to get over it. The food has, in deed, gone down well on a boat that was fully vegetarian. The crew decided to take only vegetarian food even though just three of them were veggies to ease life in the galley. Sailing Logic extensively researched many boil-in-the-bag meals and settled for a little known brand called Look What Weve Found who make fantastic gourmet complete ready made meals. Not strictly boil-in-the-bag but works just the same. The Mushroom Stroganoff was a favourite amongst many of the crew.

Bongani have endured the last 24 hours without a working toilet and when asked for a quote skipper, Tim Thubron, said – sorry I can’t think anymore I need a pee.

The final Sailing Logic boat and perhaps the most eagerly awaited arrival, Sidney, should be appearing over the horizon at approx 11am.

11pm update: Grand Welcomes

Exabyte 3 and Jaguar Logic are home!

Two large noisy welcome parties assembled on the pontoons of Queen Annes Battery Marina this evening to welcome home the first of the two Sailing Logic boats that completed the Rolex Fastnet Race 2007. Exabyte 3 finished at 1737 in 10th place in IRC Class Zero and a fantastic 21st place over all. It was a relieved group of friends and relatives that greeted the crew of 12 and joined them in celebrating their finish. The guys are tired but well and are now enjoying a crew meal at the Royal Western Yacht Club. Plenty of champagne will be consumed tonight.

Jaguar Logic arrived just under four hours later assisted by Puma Logic as they were without power to run their engine. The crew of Endeavour who arrived just after Exabyte 3 joined the welcome party. Together, they created more noise than any welcome yet. Jaguar fought all the way for 1st place in class with Scarlet Oyster but finally was placed 2nd in IRC 1. The owner of Scarlet Oyster said - the skipper of Jaguar Logic really put up a fantastic fight. Jaguar in fact beat Scarlet Oyster to the Rock but at the end of the downwind leg home they discovered they had battery problems and did not have enough power to use any instruments onboard. Without flying the kite at night Scarlet Oyster slipped further into the lead.

Bol the first mate shares her thoughts of the race: It was quite breezy and a little bit damp but it was absolutely awesome – an understatement - a tough ride up and a fantastic sleigh ride home.

It is a jubilant crew that are now celebrating in the beer tent at QAB Marina: its going to be a big night here for the Sailing Logic team and a long one as many fight sleep and stay awake to welcome Bongani in who is now approx. 45miles away and making an average of 6.7knots. We should see them here shortly after 5am. Sidney will also be with us roughly 5 hours later. We’ll keep you posted …

Keep it up guys!

8am update – Thursday 16 August
IT has been a much quieter night for our 4 intrepid yachts still battling out there in the Irish Sea. Each yacht is having their own tussle with a another yacht in their class. Exabyte 3 is currently rounding Bishops Rock at the outer end of the Scilly Isles with the Challenge 67 yacht Endeavour, Skippered by friend of Sailing Logic Becky Walford and her crew of Servicemen. Jaguar Logic and Scarlet Oyster have been trading gybes all night and unfortunately, Scarlet Oyster seems to have pulled away over the last few hours, but the latest information shows Jaguar reaching better boat speed so fingers crossed they can claw back a few more miles before Bishops Rock.We have just heard from onboard Bongani. They are all well, but have been using their Trysail after damaging their mainsail in the gales of Tuesday hence the reason why they have lost a little bit of ground on Foggy Dew, Antares and Voador. They have reported a bow locker full of water so one of the crew is going to go in with a snorkel shortly and bail it out! All is well on board and Mark has even managed to smile this morning.Sidney are still hanging on in there. They seem to be enjoying the downwind conditions and are determined to get back to Queen Anne’s Battery before the beer runs out.
Weather forecast today shows more North Westerly winds at 15 knots, so all yachts should have a good run to the Bishops Rock before turning North East into Plymouth. Eta of Exabyte 3 is showing 6pm this evening.

10pm Update

Great news from Sidney tonight.Josh, Skipper of Sidney has managed to send an e- mail this evening clarifying life on board the Match 42. After getting through the first night, and deciding to carry on they have been beset with sail problems and now are busily trying to repair their main. They are tacking towards the rock with a trysail, and have blown their No 2 and No3 headsail giving them limited options to work with. The wind has died considerably but after rounding the Fastnet Rock they should be able to hoist a spinnaker and also use their repaired main, as there will be less pressure on it.

Josh confirms onboard the general feeling of frustration but the dogged determination of everyone onboard to finish this adventure is the driving force behind their perseverance. The shore team and the rest of the Sailing Logic crews here waiting in Plymouth are full of admiration for their resolve and the sense of humour coming from the yacht has been inspirational. Josh says - The sea has not actually been that bad. Better than expected to be honest. It’s pretty bouncy in the squalls doing headsail changes. Bit of a giggle really. Never thought you could get so much airtime before the harness pulls you back down.

Josh has also enlightened us as to what conditions have been like below deck. The 4 girls amongst the crew decided before the race that they wanted to keep as clean and dry as possible. The boys take on this is as follows; “Wish you were here to smell the lavender oil in the girls’ boudoir. All the lads are trying to fart to over power it. A superb blend of delicious aromas!!”

Jaguar Logic continues her fight with Scarlet Oyster, the Lightwave 48, and both are still neck and neck at the moment, flying spinnakers and reaching ground speeds of 15 knots. ETA in Plymouth is showing later tomorrow afternoon (Thursday). Exabyte 3 will be the next Sailing Logic yacht to arrive and the shore team have been shopping to make sure that the beer stocks have been replenished in readiness for their arrivals. Bongani continues to battle with the leading Class 2 yachts Foggy Dew and Voador. There are some miles to make up now but we are sure Tim and his team will be working very hard to claw back some of the lost mileage ensuring there is an exciting conclusion to this fascinating cat and mouse contest.

1100 update: News from Race Village - First boats home

While Allie makes her way from Southampton to join the rest of the Sailing Logic gang at Queen Annes Battery Marina, the two super-maxis ICAP Leopard and Rambler (ex Alfa Romeo) have arrived having beaten the old course record. The IMOCA 60s should begin the next flood of boats to arrive around lunchtime and this will put them inside the old course record as well.

The two Sailing Logic teams, Pink Panther and Lion, were joined by Puma Logic last night for a well deserved drink. Spirits were soon raised with grateful hugs and slaps on backs from all. Great camaraderie was shown throughout our teams, which was a wonderful sight. Puma Logic are planning to make a trip to see crew member Tom Frame who is in good spirits despite his broken leg – always a guy who likes to look at the positive sides of life.

We are all very proud of our four boats still out there battling for class titles. While Bongani and Jaguar have slipped from 1st positions this seems to be strengthening their desire to do well. Exabyte 3 and Jaguar should be rounding the rock in approx. 6 hrs although now that the wind has finally gone NW blowing 20knots it will be a testing time for the them all.

Special mention must be made of Sidney, a team who have struggled to beat the elements in previous RORC offshore races over the last few months. Their decision to continue is proof of how far the team have come and how determined they are to complete the Rolex Fastnet Race 2007 despite the conditions.

6am update
Well its been another wet, windy and miserable night on the Fastnet race. The winds have abated a little but there is still anticipation as to when the wind will swing to the north west. Bongani had lost a little ground overnight on Foggy Dew the nearest yacht to her in class, and Jaguar is continuing its tussle with Scarlet Oyster. Sidney is still hanging on in there and moving nicely, whilst Exabyte has consolidated her position mid-fleet.
The big maxi yachts have rounded the roc and are on their way home, in the hunt for a race record. This is definitely on if the wind does swing north west as then it would be Spinnaker run all the way to Lands End. As the yachts were leaving our base at Shamrock Quay, we went past ICAP Leopard preparing at Ocean Village. We counted some 20+ crew on her, which looked like such a lot of people compared to the 10 we have on Jaguar and Sidney, 9 on Bongani and 12 on Exabyte 3. By this stage, I would think that our skippers will have got very little sleep, if any at all, so I am sure they will be praying for a respite in the weather so they can get their heads down for some well deserved rest before the spinnakers start flying.
Puma Logic has now joined Pink Panther and Lion in Plymouth and the marina is now full of yachts that retired from the race. Most of our teams are staying on to welcome home those who have persevered. It seems, that from 296 starters, there are only 53 left racing, which shows just how courageous our 4 teams are. They all deserve a huge welcome home. Expected eta at this stage will be late Thursday evening.

8pm update:
More beer has been drunk, Katie has arrived in Plymouth with the van and bags after a horrible journey down from Southampton, and Puma Logic has left Salcombe on her way to Plymouth to rendezvous with the other 2 Logic teams, to wait out the weather and welcome back the 4 yachts still out there racing.
We have been listening and reading with interest all afternoon accounts from other boats that have retired talking about the conditions and why they turned back, whether by choice or because of breakages. Dee Caffari, an old friend of Sailing Logic was sailing her Open 60 Aviva with Mike Broughton the weather routing expert and Sir Matthew Pinsent. A novice to yacht racing Matthew was onboard as a journalist reporting back for the BBC. He described his experience as horrendous with Dee describing the conditions as some of the worst she has ever sailed in.
We knew the storm was coming, and we prepared everyone for it, but until you are out there in the thick of it, it’s very hard to describe it to people who have never experienced anything like it before. Most of the 58 crew we have aboard our 7 yachts were complete offshore sailing novices when they came to us earlier this year. Sailing Logic devised a campaign which was felt to give all crew, experienced or not, the opportunity to learn how to race a yacht safely and in an environment that encourages learning and participation. As well as 2 training weekends the teams also competed in 4 offshore races pre-Fastnet, to make sure that they all knew what to expect and also to learn to sail their yachts for days on end rather than just a sunny afternoon in the Solent.
The race organisers, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) decided to postpone for 25 hrs Sundays start due to the unpredictability of the low pressure system coming in, as they felt they would rather the yachts be able to choose to go into a port of refuge if they needed to rather than have the fleet already in the Irish Sea with nowhere to run. This decision was felt by many experienced offshore sailors to be the wrong one, but probably made with all the right intentions. That as it may, the fact is that over half the fleet has now retired and those left still racing are giving it everything. Many a seasoned professional offshore sailor is propping up the beer tent in Plymouth right now, marvelling at the tenacity of the little boats still out there slogging away to the rock. At Sailing Logic we are all very proud of our teams, for racing in a true professional manner and knowing what to do at the right time. Deciding to stop racing and head for port is one of the hardest decisions a Skipper can make, but sometimes in hindsight, in weather such as we have had it can also seem to be the easiest too.
The weather tonight in the Irish Sea where Jaguar Logic, Exabyte 3, Sidney and Bongani are is forecast to be 25 knots from the South West still, with the wind coming round to North West by daybreak. The sea state is described as rough, but the yachts at the moment have said that it is not too bad yet. They will be hoping to get themselves to the Fastnet Rock before the wind shift, and then they will have fantastic surfing conditions on the way back to the Scilly Isles.

3pm update:

More stories are emerging at the Bar at QAB in Plymouth. It seems Lion was lucky not to have a mast failure after noticing that one of the fittings going into the masthead had failed, leaving the mast with a nasty twist and unstable at the top. Skipper Nigel made a top call to head for Plymouth, and out of the mounting gale in The Channel.

Having had chance to catch breath and speak to all the skippers today, it seems that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Brixham Coastguard and the Salcombe Lifeboat who helped coordinate the evacuation of Tom and his broken leg. After speaking with Brixham this afternoon, it seems that they have been involved in some 50 yacht rescues over the last 12 hours so it just shows what the conditions were like. Salcombe Coastguard described last nights conditions as ‘interesting’, a classic understatement if ever there was one.

On a brighter note, we seem to still have 2 yachts leading their respective classes, Jaguar Logic and Bongani with Exabyte 3 and Sidney now round Lands End and heading into the Irish Sea. Weather there at the moment is windy, blowing 25 knots from the SSW and with about a 1 metre swell running. To put it into perspective, the Challenge 67 yacht ‘Endeavour’ skippered by Becky Walford is just 1 mile ahead of Jaguar and Bongani, and is twice the length, so our little boats are doing exceptionally well in these very difficult conditions.

Skipper of Puma Logic, Philippe, Shares His Thoughts

Words cannot begin to describe the gut wrenching low that we are experiencing aboard Puma Logic today. Two years of planning and meticulous preparation with a unified goal of winning the Fastnet have been cruelly wiped out with one rogue wave and a broken leg.

To say that morale here in Salcombe is low would be a gross understatement of fact. Never before have I felt like this or had to deal with such a bag of mixed emotions. Our team Motto is SAFE, HAPPY, FAST Before the start of the race I reiterated that safety was of primary importance and never before should anyone’s respect of the sea be greater than it needed to be for this race given the forecast.

Full credit must go to every member of the Puma team who bought Tom home safe and sound with the smallest amount of fuss. They acted in a hugely professional manner. When the chips are down I know I can rely on anyone of the Puma Logic team and feel honoured and privileged to have sailed with them. They have a healthy respect for the sea and as a result made the team decision not to continue racing whilst in shock and in such bad conditions. However hard it feels it was the right decision.

Many thanks go to Brixham coast guard and the lifeboat who escorted us over the treacherous Salcombe bar at low water in gale force winds. We cleared the bar by centimetres and could not have done it without their assistance. Looking at the six foot standing waves from the headland in daylight I can only say that I am pleased it was dark and that the lifeboat was there to show us the way in!

Making the blow even more crushing was the last poll that we received which stood Puma Logic in 4th place overall. Something I will always be proud of and a part of this race that I will always remember. Puma was on fire and flying with a reef in and no3 jib up, it was all coming together.

For me there is an element of dejavue. It is a year to the day that Sara was evacuated off Puma Logic, one day into the Round Britain and Ireland race, with a serious bout of salmonella poisoning. Only today’s incident surpassed the emotions of that day, on the positive though, I have not shed a tear today like I did on that day (she is my girlfriend after all and much more attractive than Tom)!!

All of these events can only reinforce what I have been known to say in the past; offshore yacht racing is the toughest sport in the world which commands a healthy respect for the sea, a strong passion and love of the sea, a dedication and determination that is possessed by all those that compet. Everyone who competes in offshore racing are true winner and very special. It is this thought that will keep me going and will bring me back in two years time to try and win the Fastnet race.

Meanwhile my thoughts and complete respect are with those teams that are still out there, battling against the elements in extremely tough conditions. I know you they will be safe, they are with the best skippers who I would sail anywhere with, on some of the best prepared yachts in the race. Good luck Jaguar, Bongani, Sidney and Exabyte I wish we were still out there with you guys. God speed and bring back Puma’s trophies please.

1 pm update:
Sailing Logic is in the paper! For those of you discerning enough to read the Daily Telegraph, look at the back page of the sports section and you will see a photo of Puma Logic at the start yesterday…..looking great as well!
We have now spoken to the skippers of the yachts safely in port and all are well, just grateful to be out of the washing machine conditions in the Channel. The infamous Fastnet Race beer tent had not even being put up yet so the bar at the marina is pretty full with fragrant sailors at the moment.
Bongani and Jaguar Logic continue to storm along and are heading their respective classes at 1pm. Anticipation, the 40.7 leading Class 1 for a few hours seems to have headed to Falmouth leaving Jaguar fighting for first place along with Philosophie IV, another Beneteau 40.7.
In Class 2, Bongani are well clear ahead in first place, even beating one of the other Sailing Logic yachts, Exabyte 3 on the water, which is excellent. Bongani is a Pronavia 38, which is the newer version of the Reflex 38 like Jaguar. She is a little heavier than the Reflex yachts and therefore the conditions the yachts are facing at the moment means that it will favour Bongani, which is all the better. Reflex yachts always go better when its windy rather than light winds so although we don’t wish for any more gales, we wish the wind to still blow as this will be good for the teams results.

12 pm update:
The beers are flowing freely in Plymouth for those who are now safely sheltered alongside. War stories are being told and thoughts move to Tom, now at Derriford Hospital Plymouth, with a broken leg in 2 places – get better soon Tom! We are all thinking of you….
Jaguar Logic, Bongani and Exabyte have all made it round The Lizard and are now heading to Lands End with a favourable tide. News from the yachts is good; Jaguar is taking it steady but is right at the front of the class still. They’re having problems with gas at the moment so making a hot cup of tea is taking a while but there are determined to get it sorted. Exabyte have decided to give the next part of the race their best shot as the sun has come out, and the wind has died off a little. Sidney are down to 3 reefs in the main due to some tears but are just plodding along happily. Bongani are the real stars at the moment, heading their class and also keeping up with some of the bigger yachts in Class 1 and Class Zero.
Katie has been dispatched to Plymouth with crew kit, and should arrive late afternoon at Queen Anne’s Battery. Allie will be heading down tomorrow morning as scheduled with the sails, tools and beer!

11 am update:
We have been in contact with all the yachts this morning since the last blog, and all is well apart from some seasickness and general wet and cold. Puma Logic, Lion and Pink Panther have retired and are in port; Sidney, Exabyte 3, Jaguar Logic and Bongani are all carrying on at this stage. Notable news this morning from Jaguar is that an 18 inch fish was washed onboard during the night, probably a cod they say, but as they have not brought their fish identification book with them to help them distinguish what type it was it remains a mystery. Someone mentioned it could have been a small whale but not quite sure if this is correct!!

A wet and windy night.
Tuesday morning has dawned and there had been significant activity during the night in the Rolex Fastnet Race.Firstly and most important of all is that all Sailing Logic yachts at the moment are safe and sound. Exabyte 3 and Bongani are leading the way, and doing very well their respective classes as is Jaguar Logic just behind them. Sidney is also cracking along nicely and in a really good position. Pink Panther and Puma Logic have retired from the race during the night. Puma Logic diverted into Salcombe at 3am this morning, due to an unlucky incident on the foredeck by crew member Tom Frame. Tom has unfortunately received a broken leg and the crew have decided to retire rather than carry on. Pink Panther are currently heading for Plymouth, after making the decision to retire due to the weather conditions. All is well onboard and the crew are looking forward to a beer and a shower at Queen Anne’s Battery Plymouth.Lion have just called in and have retired and are heading for Plymouth all is well onboard. 10am

Rolex Fastnet Race Start

And they’re off!!

The Sailing Logic fleet has started racing - 7 skippers, 7 teams and 7 yachts all away safely from Cowes this lunchtime.

After yesterday’s postponement, all crews took a welcome extra day preparing their yachts for the race, and the expected high winds that have been forecast. Safety equipment has been checked and re-checked, weather forecasts have been poured over and many a conversation between skippers has been noted on the pontoons, each wondering what the best tactics will be in the unpredictable weather lying ahead. The mood was calm, and very collected this morning on the dock, and the yachts slipped quietly from their moorings at 9am.
A few last minute mini dramas behind them, teams headed down Southampton Water to join up with the rest of the race fleet heading towards Cowes and the Royal Yacht Squadron start line.

After the delays from yesterday, the race started with the Open 60 class powering away including old friends Dee Caffari (Aviva) Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) and Johnny Malbon (Artemis), heading west down the Solent towards The Needles in a steady 20-25 knot South westerly breeze. Bongani, our Pronavia 38 in IRC Class 2 was the first of the Sailing Logic yachts to start. They got away well and were sailing steadily in conditions that were suiting the boat down to the ground.

Next away was Class 1, with the 4 Reflex 38’s and Sidney, the Match 42. Class 1 is the biggest class in the race with 71 entries and the start line was a jumble of brown and gold sails, all jostling for the best position to cross the line. A recall was called for 3 yachts, but in general all went smoothly. Jaguar Logic, Puma Logic, Sidney and Lion were all together after the first mile taking the island side, with Pink Panther staying in the middle hedging their bets amongst a throng of Beneteau 40.7’s. Puma Logic, in a competitive mood, had a interesting tussle with French X40 yacht OptimeX which saw them cross tacking many times trying to edge ahead. Jaguar Logic were keeping Puma in their sights at all times, whilst Lion and Sidney were having their own private battle not far away.

The final Sailing Logic yacht to start was Exabyte 3 in Class 0, taking a mid-route line as per Pink Panther, and settling down nicely mid-fleet. A broken kicker during the pre-start period gave the shore team a few minor worries, but a high speed rib ride in the M12 Rib for Nick the Skipper, back to Hamble for another part was successful, which was quickly fitted and all is now well onboard.

The weather forecast this evening is predicting winds to increase form the south west, which will give the Sailing Logic teams some interesting conditions and mean that they will be tacking backwards and forwards down the Channel heading for the first milestone in the race, the Bishops Rock at The Scilly Isles.

We will be monitoring their progress every step of the way, and will be keeping you updated as often as we can.

Lunchtime update

Well, it’s a very strange day that has dawned today at Shamrock Quay, Southampton. The frenetic activity from yesterday, with crews eagerly but anxiously making the final preparations for the Fastnet Race start has changed to one of frustration. The postponement for 25 hours of the race start due to an unpredictable low pressure system forecast to bring in heavy winds and rain along the race track, has given many real food for thought.

Have they trained enough, have they prepared enough, do they know what they have let themselves in for? However, crews are quietly getting on with it. A few headaches are there from excesses last night, drowning sorrows of what could have been, but the last minute jobs that were not going to be crossed of the work list last night, now have a greater chance of completion in more calm surroundings today. Sailing Logic has 58 crew and 14 professional sailors on our teams and all just want to get out there.

Severe Weather Warning delays start of Rolex Fastnet Race

The RORC Race Office announced yesterday afternoon that the Rolex Fastnet Race start will be postponed for 25 hours due to a severe weather warning issued by the UK Met office.

The first start for the 300 strong fleet will now be Monday 13 August at 1100 BST.

The decision was made after consideration of the severe weather warnings issued by the UK Met Office, in order to ensure that the fleet is not in the exposed waters of the Western Channel and the Celtic Sea at the time that the predicted weather is expected. This postponement is a first in the 83-year history of the race and will not have been taken lightly by the Race Organisers.

RORC Racing Manager, Janet Grosvenor said “it remains the RORC policy to start the race when it is safe to do so and the responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in the race or to continue racing is hers alone.”

Sailing Logic Racing fully supports this decision. Philippe Falle, our Director of Sailing, has been in touch with RORC to offer our support. “While we are of course very disappointed with the delay we totally endorse the decision that RORC have come to. It is not an easy decision to make especially while many of the bigger boats were keen to keep to the original start time, as they would miss the worst of the weather. It was a question of safety for the fleet as a whole and we therefore welcome the decision.”

All our teams are now embracing the opportunity that this extra preparation time has given them. While some have taken to the Solent for a training day others are using the time to check over their game plan and double check all is in order for the new start times tomorrow.

With the forecast boding a fast race, plans for the finish in Plymouth remain in place with the prize giving scheduled for Friday17th August at the historic Royal Citadel.

The Sailing Logic Shore Team will be in Plymouth with the help of Mercedes-Benz Weston-super-Mare who have very kindly donated two very smart Mercedes-Benz vans to us for the duration of the Rolex Fastnet Race. They arrived here in Shamrock Quay on Friday afternoon and are now equipped with team logos and are sitting ready to take our 72 crew members shore kit and the boats delivery sails down to Plymouth. Our thanks go out to Mike Sands, Rupert Knibb and Nic Surry of Mercedes-Benz Weston-super-Mare for making this possible.

We would love to see any of you there in Plymouth. Just come and find the Sailing Logic vans and meet the crew who hopefully by then will be sharing their stories of rounding the Fastnet Rock.

Monday 13th starting times for all classes are as follow:

IMOCA 60 1100
IRC 3 1120
IRC 2 1140
IRC 1 1200
IRC Z 1220
IRC SZ & CK 1240
Multi-hulls 1300