Sailing Logic Blog
Sunday, 31 August 2008
RORC Madeira-Cowes Race: Mairead’s Blog Friday 6pm
This time last week I had just taken off on the Easyjet flight from Gatwick to Maderia, with team-mate Rachel to join the 8 Puma Team who had completed Leg 1 and were preparing for the return leg. I had worked that morning to complete my hand-over; this was going to be my first time on annual leave I would not be contactable should an urgent query arise. The other “critical” thing on my mind my ensuring there would be someone in my flat when Currys were due to deliver the tumble dryer whilst I was away! Contrast that with yesterday when the sea state was so rough work hand-overs and tumble dryers and such material priorities were replaced by my psyching myself up for over an hour as to when I could face getting off the rail, taking off my kit and making the 20 minute struggle of a distance of less than 30 foot to go to the toilet and when off watch; the inability to sleep, although exhausted with the sound of the waves crashing against the hull as I was tied into my berth.
But that was just yesterday and I need to add very quickly I was not afraid, yes anxious and uncomfortable but very confident and felt safe with our talented and well experienced Skipper, First-mate, team-mates; Puma’s maintenance and professional shore support! Philippe had briefed us on when the weather was expected to change, I had the privilege of being on watch when it happened and it was an amazing feeling when the wind just dropped off and the sea calmed imminently. Then what I love about competing with Sailing Logic was the adrenalin; instant tactics, focus and excitement of getting the reefs out of the main sail and changing from Head Sail 3 up to Head Sail 1, and getting back to the race – we are all very keen to get our best result after all our hard work!
Back to the race – hurrah – we are seriously in this game and everyone is up for it – so keep watching! Monday and Tuesday were a great settling in couple of days for me, unlike everyone else on the team this was my first time at sea more than 26 hours consistently. By Wednesday I had settled into the watches, we had good weather and I had stopped feeling tired – although I had been sleeping a lot both off-watch and on the rail whilst on watch. Now the bad weather has passed I am really pleased we have 4 more days of this as I feel I’m just getting into it and time has gone really quickly. Funnily enough I am pleased we had a rough time on Wednesday as it was another new experience and makes me appreciate the more settled weather.
So why I am here? Why am I doing this? Well for the past 3 summers I found sail-racing a great stress release from the hustle and bustle of London and fantastic socially. I have had so much fun and I have met so many entertaining and like minded characters and indeed friends for life. I love being out on the water, pushing myself both physically and mentally – its such a complex sport and I can safely say every single day on a boat I learn at least one new skill/technique/technical understanding. I also find it has taught me; and further developed characteristics such as patience, empathy, compromise, listening, when to stand back and when to help out, how to relax and be myself, how to really be a team-player and how to lead by example.
Sailing Logic and in particular this Maderia team and campaign has been exceptional for all of the above reasons. Not sure I’m really a “yachtsperson” as I personally find sailing also makes me appreciate and enjoy my job and life in London; my comforts (high-heels & handbags etc), family and friends! When I’ve been sailing at the weekend I love going home having a bath and I actually don’t mind being back at my desk with my work colleagues having Starbucks and banter on a Monday – but that is because I have had such an exhilarating and fun weekend - the ultimate balance for me.
Sailing has put my life in perspective. I think I will settle to being a part-time yachtswoman if the yachties allow me, but at the same time give it my personal 100%!! I am enjoying every minute and find the time is going too fast. I am looking forward to the remaining days. Thanks for the emails that have been sent to boat – really nice to hear from everyone.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 11:03 AM
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RORC Maderia-Cowes Race Report No 7 - The jib top is out....
At last we have managed to make contact with the yacht after about 24 hours. The satellite phone has not been behaving itself, so getting information from the yacht has been a little tricky.
All is good aboard. Everyone is now very tired but spirits, as usual, are very high. There is plenty of laughter and banter despite the tiredness. Talk of returning home has now begun, where to eat, where their 1st drink will be and so on. They are all wondering if Southampton us ready for their homecoming, and will they be able to drink the Waterfront Bar dry on Wednesday!!
As far as our calculations go, we believe Puma to be around 15-20 miles behind Pen Azen, which means on corrected time (Puma has a better handicap) both yachts are neck and neck so there is everything to play for. British Soldier have still to arrive in Cowes after setting off 4 days before Puma and Pen Azen which means at the moment, both yachts are ahead of them, but there is still a long way to go!
Brighty got very excited this morning as the Jib top came on deck. This is a great sign as it means that the wind is freeing them up more and they are able to start going a little quicker, and using a sail specifially for the purpose.
The forecast shows that the wind should back westerley later this afternoon which means that they will then be able to fly the spinnakers and they will be surfing home......great conditions to finish a race.
All the crew have asked me to thank you for the wonderful messages to them - please keep them coming as in these final few days, whilst they are all very tired, it will make all the difference.
At the moment, the yachts eta in Cowes is looking between midnight Tuesday and midday Wednesday. In time honoured fashion they are bound to finish about 4am as most Sailing Logic's yachts seem to do when finishing long offshore races.....we will have to try and sort that one out for the future!
Saturday, 30 August 2008
RORC Madeira-Cowes Race Report No 6: Cat and Mouse....As those of us who are not racing look forward to a sunnier forecast this weekend, our courageous team aboard Puma have been having far from predictable weather so far this race. Unseasonal gales and erratic seas have made competing against the rest of the yachts quite a challenge.
At the moment, as you know, stealth Puma is playing cat and mouse with Pen Azen. We know where she is but Pen Azen doesn't. Will this matter on board the French boat? You bet it will! They will be constantly looking over their shoulders, scanning the horizon, wondering how far away or how close Puma is, knowing full well in the conditions that the yachts have faced on this return race, both yachts are quite evenly matched. Pen Azen has set sail this time with only 7 onboard which means she is at a disadvantage in heavier weather as the boat is lighter and therefore more difficult to sail and keep on course. However, in lighter airs , they should be more competitive.
The weather model shows a complicated high weather area coming up off Cape Finisterre. Light winds are shown, so tactics will prove to be very important over the next few hours. It sees that there should be some wind due North of them rather than North East, but as we all know, sometimes the wind and weather shows no respect for what the forecast says!
All is still well onboard. The team have got through the uncomfortable night on Wednesday and I would imagine that the motion of the yacht has calmed a little for them to at least cook an evening meal without it ending up in Richard's boot! (see latest blog on website). Dinner tonight is Mushroom Strogonoff with rice.... Posted by Philippe Falle at 10:19 AM 0 comments Leave Comment
Friday, 29 August 2008
RORC Madeira-Cowes Race: BLOG FROM RICHARD
THINGS ARE A LITTLE TRYING DOWN HERE, CAN YOU MAKE DO?
I looked at my watch lying in my bunk; the one lucky one to sleep on the leeward side – there are not enough bunks for everyone to sleep on the high-side. It said 0610.
That’s good, 2 hours sleep; that makes 9 since leaving Maderia. It is the third night and I will be on watch again at 0800. Must get up an extra 10 minutes as I am tired and will need my salopettes to go over my shorts for the next watch. Get up at 0730, that will make the difference, and, another hour and a bit of sleep. Fantastic.
“Richard. It’s 7-30. Time for breakfast.” said Eileen.
Bugger. Forgot breakfast. But it is only normally coffee. No problem, better get going. Body get moving. Get Moving. GET MOVING.
Can’t move. Blimey. I need energy and FOOD!
“Richard. Do you want coffee?” As the coffee is a fresh-ground coffee, that question on Puma tends to be like asking if the Pope is Catholic.
“No thanks, but muesli would be good”.
“Where is it?”
“In the cupboard behind where Alan is sleeping.”
“Okay. See what I can do”.
As Rachel’s blog said we had two days sailing, up-wind, in breezy, sunny conditions; probably described as a pleasant, up-wind slog, but conditions were changing.
My watch had gone to bed after supper at 8pm. All spirits were high.. Oh come on you on-watch guys and gals, you can drive better than that, as Puma started to slam into the waves. Inside the noise is magnified like a drum by the hull, and you are physically thrown around in your bunk. Sleep is difficult. Their driving and the slamming seemed to get worse and worse. A quick check at midnight with the other 3 on my watch confirmed that between 4 of us, we had a total of zero minutes sleep over the last 4 hours!
When we got on deck, we discovered why the other watch was driving so badly. They were not, it was an ugly confused sea with 20+ knots of wind. Here we go again, son of Ushant! It was the turn of the other watch to go to the sleep free zone. It worked, our driving was just as good/bad, and they got no sleep, even after Philippe had made the decision to throttle back to protect Puma. These conditions explain why I am so happy with 2 hours sleep!
“Here is your muesli and how much milk do you want?”
“And here is the spoon”.
I looked aghast as I was hand a teaspoon to eat a big bowl of muesli, drowned in milk.
“Is there a bigger spoon please?” I asked.
“Things are a little trying down here, can you make do please?” said Eileen.
I looked at Eileen, held into the galley area with a strop attached to the cooker. The cupboard with the spoons leaning towards her, just out of reach, its contents visible like a bunch of little school children at the gates of a school, desperate to spend their pocket money at the tuck shop. That would be where Philippe was sat studying the latest weather and position data for his crew briefing at 8.
I looked around the cabin at the rest of the watch. Alan had just managed to get one leg into his salopette and was struggling with a position out of the game “Twister” to get the next leg in. Becki was dressed, with salopettes that any street kidz would have been proud of – a crotch around her knees, her straps undone due to sunburn on the shoulders gained whilst preparing Puma in Maderia. But she was trying to work out how to extricate her lifejacket from underneath a pile of wet sails, crew bags, and Alan who had now fallen on this pile. Mairead was stood by the heads door. Pleased with her achievement of getting from the back of the boat to the heads, was now trying to work out how to open the door, which was on varying 20 to 35% angle uphill, with a pitch as Puma rode the waves, or dropped when the helmsman did not notice a “hole” hidden behind a wave. Eileen had previously decided to demonstrate her break-dancing skills when she flew across the cabin. Coffee pot in one hand and skipper’s coffee in the other. Philippe grabbed, the coffee cup and proudly went on deck to announce that Eileen had fallen over, but had not spilt a drop of his coffee. He didn’t mention that the coffee pot was open and that a shot of hot coffee had hit my bare leg and straight down my boot. No burn but ouch.
On reflection “A teaspoon will be fine, thanks.”.
The next 10 minutes was a blur of little teaspoon on a mission to empty the bowl so that I could be on-time for watch.
I never did put my salopettes on, though I was reminded twice more during the day the secondary purpose of foulies, a protective layer against food substances and hot liquids split whilst eating, or whilst cooking, or by a fellow crew member performing either of the 2 previous functions.
I arrived on deck, delivering two coffees to encounter an in-bound bunk interceptor, Brian, whose face looked as if the last watch had been as tiresome as the sea state. He brushed one of the coffees as he homed in on his favourite bunk. Hot coffee down right leg and boot. again
And cooked lunch was cancelled when the water heating up to cook the pasta decided to leave the saucepan and dance across the cabin towards the nav station. Right leg and right boot AGAIN. Fortunately not hot enough to burn.
Life on Puma can be difficult and messy (all senses of the word) at times. It is hard to describe how difficult some of the simplest tasks can be or the state that we live in when the conditions are difficult. These tend to be soon forgotten when the good times arrive. As I write, 24 hours later the sea state and wind has calmed. During the night we went to full main and no 1. We have now changed to no. 2 and the boat log says we are doing 7.2 knots. Philippe has informed us that we are holding Pen Azen on the water, which is great. Despite the messy conditions, we are all having so much fun. We have already had some great sailing and, with 825 miles to go, there will undoubtedly be a lot more good times to come.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 3:38 PM
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THINGS ARE A LITTLE TRYING DOWN HERE, CAN YOU MAKE DO?
I looked at my watch lying in my bunk; the one lucky one to sleep on the leeward side – there are not enough bunks for everyone to sleep on the high-side. It said 0610.
That’s good, 2 hours sleep; that makes 9 since leaving Maderia. It is the third night and I will be on watch again at 0800. Must get up an extra 10 minutes as I am tired and will need my salopettes to go over my shorts for the next watch. Get up at 0730, that will make the difference, and, another hour and a bit of sleep. Fantastic.
“Richard. It’s 7-30. Time for breakfast.” said Eileen.
Bugger. Forgot breakfast. But it is only normally coffee. No problem, better get going. Body get moving. Get Moving. GET MOVING.
Can’t move. Blimey. I need energy and FOOD!
“Richard. Do you want coffee?” As the coffee is a fresh-ground coffee, that question on Puma tends to be like asking if the Pope is Catholic.
“No thanks, but muesli would be good”.
“Where is it?”
“In the cupboard behind where Alan is sleeping.”
“Okay. See what I can do”.
As Rachel’s blog said we had two days sailing, up-wind, in breezy, sunny conditions; probably described as a pleasant, up-wind slog, but conditions were changing.
My watch had gone to bed after supper at 8pm. All spirits were high.. Oh come on you on-watch guys and gals, you can drive better than that, as Puma started to slam into the waves. Inside the noise is magnified like a drum by the hull, and you are physically thrown around in your bunk. Sleep is difficult. Their driving and the slamming seemed to get worse and worse. A quick check at midnight with the other 3 on my watch confirmed that between 4 of us, we had a total of zero minutes sleep over the last 4 hours!
When we got on deck, we discovered why the other watch was driving so badly. They were not, it was an ugly confused sea with 20+ knots of wind. Here we go again, son of Ushant! It was the turn of the other watch to go to the sleep free zone. It worked, our driving was just as good/bad, and they got no sleep, even after Philippe had made the decision to throttle back to protect Puma. These conditions explain why I am so happy with 2 hours sleep!
“Here is your muesli and how much milk do you want?”
“And here is the spoon”.
I looked aghast as I was hand a teaspoon to eat a big bowl of muesli, drowned in milk.
“Is there a bigger spoon please?” I asked.
“Things are a little trying down here, can you make do please?” said Eileen.
I looked at Eileen, held into the galley area with a strop attached to the cooker. The cupboard with the spoons leaning towards her, just out of reach, its contents visible like a bunch of little school children at the gates of a school, desperate to spend their pocket money at the tuck shop. That would be where Philippe was sat studying the latest weather and position data for his crew briefing at 8.
I looked around the cabin at the rest of the watch. Alan had just managed to get one leg into his salopette and was struggling with a position out of the game “Twister” to get the next leg in. Becki was dressed, with salopettes that any street kidz would have been proud of – a crotch around her knees, her straps undone due to sunburn on the shoulders gained whilst preparing Puma in Maderia. But she was trying to work out how to extricate her lifejacket from underneath a pile of wet sails, crew bags, and Alan who had now fallen on this pile. Mairead was stood by the heads door. Pleased with her achievement of getting from the back of the boat to the heads, was now trying to work out how to open the door, which was on varying 20 to 35% angle uphill, with a pitch as Puma rode the waves, or dropped when the helmsman did not notice a “hole” hidden behind a wave. Eileen had previously decided to demonstrate her break-dancing skills when she flew across the cabin. Coffee pot in one hand and skipper’s coffee in the other. Philippe grabbed, the coffee cup and proudly went on deck to announce that Eileen had fallen over, but had not spilt a drop of his coffee. He didn’t mention that the coffee pot was open and that a shot of hot coffee had hit my bare leg and straight down my boot. No burn but ouch.
On reflection “A teaspoon will be fine, thanks.”.
The next 10 minutes was a blur of little teaspoon on a mission to empty the bowl so that I could be on-time for watch.
I never did put my salopettes on, though I was reminded twice more during the day the secondary purpose of foulies, a protective layer against food substances and hot liquids split whilst eating, or whilst cooking, or by a fellow crew member performing either of the 2 previous functions.
I arrived on deck, delivering two coffees to encounter an in-bound bunk interceptor, Brian, whose face looked as if the last watch had been as tiresome as the sea state. He brushed one of the coffees as he homed in on his favourite bunk. Hot coffee down right leg and boot. again
And cooked lunch was cancelled when the water heating up to cook the pasta decided to leave the saucepan and dance across the cabin towards the nav station. Right leg and right boot AGAIN. Fortunately not hot enough to burn.
Life on Puma can be difficult and messy (all senses of the word) at times. It is hard to describe how difficult some of the simplest tasks can be or the state that we live in when the conditions are difficult. These tend to be soon forgotten when the good times arrive. As I write, 24 hours later the sea state and wind has calmed. During the night we went to full main and no 1. We have now changed to no. 2 and the boat log says we are doing 7.2 knots. Philippe has informed us that we are holding Pen Azen on the water, which is great. Despite the messy conditions, we are all having so much fun. We have already had some great sailing and, with 825 miles to go, there will undoubtedly be a lot more good times to come.
RORC Madeira-Cowes Race Report No 5: Half way home....
This evening Puma Logic should be around the mid-way point in her race back to Cowes. During Wednesday night they had some pretty nasty conditions; steep unpredictable seas and pitch black, not giving the helms much chance of steering good course all the time. The tracker is most definitely not going to work for the rest of the race which is a real shame; we believe its battery life is just not long enough, even though it was working perfectly well before the yacht left Cowes and again on leaving Madeira. I know the yachts position as do RORC but it is interesting to ponder on how this will affect Pen Azen's tactics or indeed those of Puma.
We are also tracking everyday exactly where British Soldier were at the same point in their race (they left 4 days before Puma and Pen Azen) and its quite reassuring to know that the positions are all very similar, so no one has taken a flyer and been sailing in completely different wind conditions. British Soldier seems to have had quite light winds through the bay of Biscay and at one point it looked like they had been becalmed, so there may be a real opportunity in the next 2 days of the race to overhaul there respective position.
Once again, the tactics in a race like this are endless, and one can only assume what each skipper and crew will decide to do. The weather they have currently and the forecast of what is to come is very important to know, so that they can make choices. Without this information, they would be sailing quite blind. This is where the Iridium Satellite phone comes in. Philippe can hook the phone up to his onboard computer and use the phone to download weather information, which is then turned into a picture file which can then be used to interpret what the weather may do. Obviously as we all know, forecasting the weather is not an exact science so each skipper may interpret it differently, and also, the weather might not do what it is expected to....and we all know about that in the UK don't we!
We are expecting another blog today from one of the crew so it will be sent out as soon as it is received.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 8:37 AM
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This evening Puma Logic should be around the mid-way point in her race back to Cowes. During Wednesday night they had some pretty nasty conditions; steep unpredictable seas and pitch black, not giving the helms much chance of steering good course all the time. The tracker is most definitely not going to work for the rest of the race which is a real shame; we believe its battery life is just not long enough, even though it was working perfectly well before the yacht left Cowes and again on leaving Madeira. I know the yachts position as do RORC but it is interesting to ponder on how this will affect Pen Azen's tactics or indeed those of Puma.
We are also tracking everyday exactly where British Soldier were at the same point in their race (they left 4 days before Puma and Pen Azen) and its quite reassuring to know that the positions are all very similar, so no one has taken a flyer and been sailing in completely different wind conditions. British Soldier seems to have had quite light winds through the bay of Biscay and at one point it looked like they had been becalmed, so there may be a real opportunity in the next 2 days of the race to overhaul there respective position.
Once again, the tactics in a race like this are endless, and one can only assume what each skipper and crew will decide to do. The weather they have currently and the forecast of what is to come is very important to know, so that they can make choices. Without this information, they would be sailing quite blind. This is where the Iridium Satellite phone comes in. Philippe can hook the phone up to his onboard computer and use the phone to download weather information, which is then turned into a picture file which can then be used to interpret what the weather may do. Obviously as we all know, forecasting the weather is not an exact science so each skipper may interpret it differently, and also, the weather might not do what it is expected to....and we all know about that in the UK don't we!
We are expecting another blog today from one of the crew so it will be sent out as soon as it is received.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
RORC Madeira-Cowes Race - Blog from Rachel
NEW KIDS ON THE BOAT
Yippeeeee! It’s a ‘clean pants’ day! Perhaps I should rewind a little…….
Team Puma is a team of 12 and Mairead and I are the two return leggers, replacing Alice and Chico who did the outward race.
Like you, we both followed the race on the tracker and like you, we hung on every word sent from the boat, wanting as much information about life on board and how they were coping through all that rough stuff.
As the outward race began I watched and worried and wanted to be with them to help out and muck in. Rather selfishly, I also began to feel those familiar butterflies about the return race – would we have something similar on the way back? Without doubt, the team were brilliant in the way they coped and in the way they came out smiling on the other side and still hungry for victory. We flew out to Madeira on Friday and I still had the same nervous feeling and was in awe of these heroes…….
…..that was until we arrived at the hotel reception on Friday night when we were mobbed by the noisiest rabble of drunken misfits Madeira has ever seen. Who needs nerves when you’ve got this lot? We’d just flown 3 hours from London and yet I had the strangest feeling of coming home – I was finally where I should be. Bring on the next race!
It was a good race start and we’re making good progress. We’ve been beating the whole way (that’s sailing into the wind so the boat is at a constant 30-40 degree angle) and the sea has been a little lumpy at times so we bounce about a lot but we’re not complaining.
We’re settled into the groove now, watch systems in full swing (I’m writing this at 23.00 on Wednesday I think although I really don’t know). General conversations on deck usually centre on boat handling, tactics or weather patterns. And then for the remaining 95% of the time it usually degrades quite quickly into the usual silly banter, smutty schoolboy humour and occasionally to the obscure topics like the robustness of raspberry seeds (I know! Thanks to Brighty for that little marvel).
Yesterday afternoon we had a pod of approx 15 -20 dolphins keeping us company for half an hour or so, entertaining us with the occasional mid-air number. It was a great day, the sun was out and the evening skies were breathtaking. Such was the level of happiness on board that I think the only complaint was from Elaine when she was ‘a bit miffed’ at only seeing one shooting star compared to Pete’s seven!
On the not so nice side, life is pretty primitive. We wash up in a bucket filled from the back of the boat, we have to climb into wet clothes at 4am (got that one to look forward to later tonight), we live below deck in a sauna – especially when the cooker is on for mealtimes and coffee times and yet despite all that, I’m really going to miss all this when it’s over.
Anyway, better get back out on deck – we heard today that we’re holding Pen Azen and might even be beating them on corrected time so every ounce of boat speed counts. I’ve been sitting at the nav table for a while and on this tack it’s on the low side – which is not good. All the weight needs to be out on the rail
so I’m going to layer up and don lifejacket and get my new dry and clean pants wet.
P.S – 0540. It would seem that Puma has been playing with the dolphins for too long as she now wants to be one. Every other wave and she’s trying to jump out of the water. Now whilst we all agree that she’s a graceful beast in the water, she really is lacking something when she tries to leave it. Her crash landings back into the drink have all the finesse of a fairy elephant. After a particularly big one when her whole rig shuddered afterwards, Skip put safety first as always and has clipped her wings.We’ve gone from a 2 to a 3 headsail and chucked a reef in. That should tame her a little – until the Biscay!
RORC Madeira-Cowes Race Report No 4 - Stealth Puma...again!!!!
Please don't worry, Puma hasn't lagged behind during the night, it seems their tracker has malfunctioned again, which is a real shame.
Looking at the routes taken by Change of Course and Pen Azen, it seems that the last successful poll was 1900 last night which coincidentally the last time I spoke to Philippe aboard Puma. They have also been having technical difficulties with their Satellite phone but at least this seems to have rectified itself. Please rest assured that Philippe calls in at least twice daily with positions so that we know where they are and also to report what has been happening aboard and how everyone is.
Spirits were very high last night, and I could hear in the background singing coming from the cockpit and general all round hilarity. This leads me to believe that Brighty must have been somewhere close!
I am sure that they are still up close to Pen Azen, and will wait for this mornings call to find out their exact positions to plot against Pen Azen to see exactly how far they are away from each other. It was a great decision in Madeira for the 3 yachts to leave together. I have been really please to see how well Change of Course is doing, just a few hours behind Puma and Pen Azen. Change of Course is crewed by a team with an average age of over 60, but it doesn't seem to diminish their enthusiasm or sailing ability one iota - good for them! Puma gave them some bread mix before they left, so we hope that they are making good use of it!
Back in the UK, I am being asked what day/time we think that Puma may arrive back to Cowes. It is difficult to say exactly at this point but the routing model says that their eta will be sometime Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning next week. If history tells me anything, it is likely to be either 4pm Tuesday afternoon or 4am Wednesday morning....Puma seems to like this time! The nearer they get the more accurate this will become and I will keep you informed all the way.
Once again, if you have any messages for the crew, please send them through to me and I will forward them on. They do really make a huge difference to morale onboard and we want them in the best frame of mind to trim hard, and sail as fast as they can back to Cowes. Keep them coming!
Posted by Philippe Falle at 8:21 AM
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Looking at the routes taken by Change of Course and Pen Azen, it seems that the last successful poll was 1900 last night which coincidentally the last time I spoke to Philippe aboard Puma. They have also been having technical difficulties with their Satellite phone but at least this seems to have rectified itself. Please rest assured that Philippe calls in at least twice daily with positions so that we know where they are and also to report what has been happening aboard and how everyone is.
Spirits were very high last night, and I could hear in the background singing coming from the cockpit and general all round hilarity. This leads me to believe that Brighty must have been somewhere close!
I am sure that they are still up close to Pen Azen, and will wait for this mornings call to find out their exact positions to plot against Pen Azen to see exactly how far they are away from each other. It was a great decision in Madeira for the 3 yachts to leave together. I have been really please to see how well Change of Course is doing, just a few hours behind Puma and Pen Azen. Change of Course is crewed by a team with an average age of over 60, but it doesn't seem to diminish their enthusiasm or sailing ability one iota - good for them! Puma gave them some bread mix before they left, so we hope that they are making good use of it!
Back in the UK, I am being asked what day/time we think that Puma may arrive back to Cowes. It is difficult to say exactly at this point but the routing model says that their eta will be sometime Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning next week. If history tells me anything, it is likely to be either 4pm Tuesday afternoon or 4am Wednesday morning....Puma seems to like this time! The nearer they get the more accurate this will become and I will keep you informed all the way.
Once again, if you have any messages for the crew, please send them through to me and I will forward them on. They do really make a huge difference to morale onboard and we want them in the best frame of mind to trim hard, and sail as fast as they can back to Cowes. Keep them coming!
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
RORC Madeira-Cowes Race: BLOG FROM BRIAN
TEN GUYS IN A BOAT
Part 2
Scene: N. Atlantic – 400 miles from Portugal
Marmite Watch: Left – Chico, thanks for everything!! Joined – Rachael, welcome to the “A” team
CONSTERNATION
Two independent events, on the surface totally unrelated, that occurred in the last 24 hours have combined to provide a problem of almost seismic proportions, for all in general and one guy in particular – the Navigator
First of all the gas bottle ran out in the middle of the night. No problem here you may think, in the same way that we have a spare back up gas ring to continue the supply of tea in the event of failure of the first ring, we also carry spare gas bottles. So where is the problem and whose responsibility is it?
Those who read part 1 will immediately identify the Navigator as being in charge of tea production – in fact I may have gone so far as to suggest that this is his principal role.
The problem is that at the time of cessation of gas supply we were on a starboard tack (wind from the right) with Puma healed over with the port side in the water. Where is the gas bottle positioned – under the deck on the port side – solution tack the boat and change the bottle. Problem – to tack and replace bottle at night will take longer than waiting for daylight. Result – we are racing, we wait until morning!
Consternation! Mutiny! Make the navigator walk the plank!
Well perhaps I am guilty of slight exaggeration – but until you have spent a dark night in the middle of the Atlantic without the solace of cup of tea – do not cast the first stone!
The second event was that we lost our sat phone connection.
All communications to / from the boat (including all your wonderful e mails) come via the sat phone. I do not fully understand but apparently the signal from our phone is picked up by a satellite just waiting stationary miles above solely on the off chance that we might call, for onward transmission to Allie.
What has happened to our phone system?
It used to be a case of walking to the corner of the road, enter the bright red box, put in 4d, dial the number (local only) and press button A on connection, unlimited time for 4d. Now you are lucky to find a call box (too well camouflaged) that works (vandalised) or that you can afford. Now we need a satellite!
I digress
All our weather and navigation data is downloaded off the internet via the sat phone, so no phone connection, no data – Navigator in state of shock!
No sextant, plotter, dividers etc – a couple of charts of the Solent covered in “Hangman” games
Where are we? What’s the weather doing? Now instead of disappearing below “to do a bit of nav” when it starts raining, he has to come on deck to find out first hand. The chances are that you know where we are and he does not! Imagine us sailing on for ever like some modern day “Mary Celeste”
All this and no tea!
In fact of course the 2 day old GRIB files do show a little green boat all alone in a large area of blue, which I am assured is us – green boat that is not big blue bit. So we know where we are. The problem is that the red arrows on the same screen indicating wind direction and strength are also 2 days old and therefore not much use. We cannot even turn the radio on at 0525 and listen out for “general synopsis” and “Biscay and Finistere”.
So here we are, mid Atlantic between Portugal and the Azores (or so the Navigator assures me), still racing flat out but with no idea where Pen Azen are or how British Soldier are doing or more importantly what the wind going to do next? Strange feeling!
Final thought – if we do not regain the sat phone connection then I have just wasted the last hour penning this, when I could have been in my bunk asleep.
If you do receive this the Navigator is probably relaxed and in his bed.
Ciao
Brian
Personal:
Maire, Siobhan, Anna & Debbie – great to see you in Madeira – trust that the sight of Puma crew in full rest / recovery mode was not too stressful.
To my grandchildren – Hannah, Joe, Ella & Lillie – love you – see you soon.
RORC Madeira-Cowes Race Report No. 3 - Still trucking along.....
Puma Logic continues her neck and neck battle with Pen Azen this morning. They were so close yesterday we thought that they might be able to see each other. Puma has her nose in front by just a little, but it is anyone's game today. The wind has strengthened a little over night and the yachts are continuing their North Westerly track to keep away for the high pressure ridge that is sitting parallel to Lisbon at present. In this ridge there is virtually no wind, so they want to stay clear of this before they then tack back to the north-east to get a more direct track to the Bay of Biscay and ultimately Ushant. We believe them to be just a little behind where British Soldier was at the same time, but this yacht was further East so again, its difficult to tell exactly.
All is well onboard albeit they have grey and cloudy conditions, a far cry to the brilliant sunshine they had in the same area on the way down to Madeira.
Madeira this morning is also grey, cloudy and raining, so it must know that we are all heading back to England today and sent the weather to remind us of what to come!
Posted by Philippe Falle at 8:36 AM
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Puma Logic continues her neck and neck battle with Pen Azen this morning. They were so close yesterday we thought that they might be able to see each other. Puma has her nose in front by just a little, but it is anyone's game today. The wind has strengthened a little over night and the yachts are continuing their North Westerly track to keep away for the high pressure ridge that is sitting parallel to Lisbon at present. In this ridge there is virtually no wind, so they want to stay clear of this before they then tack back to the north-east to get a more direct track to the Bay of Biscay and ultimately Ushant. We believe them to be just a little behind where British Soldier was at the same time, but this yacht was further East so again, its difficult to tell exactly.
All is well onboard albeit they have grey and cloudy conditions, a far cry to the brilliant sunshine they had in the same area on the way down to Madeira.
Madeira this morning is also grey, cloudy and raining, so it must know that we are all heading back to England today and sent the weather to remind us of what to come!
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
RORC Maderia-Cowes Race Report No 2 - They're in the lead!Great news overnight, Puma have inched ahead of Pen Azen and we believe them to be about a mile ahead at 0700 this morning.
We have also calculated that British Soldier, although leaving 4 days before Puma and Pen Azen, after the same amount of time at sea, were in a position 10 miles astern, which means at the moment, Puma are doing fantastically well.
We have spoken with the yacht this morning and all is well onboard. They have lumpy and grey conditions today, but no sea sickness as yet. The crew are feeling a little weary and a little quiet trying to adjust back into life and routines at sea, but Philippe feels the yacht is going really well, and is very pleased with progress so far. They can't see Pen Azen but they know she is close and breathing down their neck so it will be lots of concentration aboard today, trying to get every last inch out of the sails to edge Puma forward even quicker.
The crew had Mushroom Stroganoff with rice for dinner last night and can look forward to Port Meatballs with Noodles this evening......most of the meals aboard are gourmet boil in the bag type, and seem to be popular. A last minute trip to the supermarket to stock up on chocolate, more chocolate and even more chocolate was required before they left, and of course checking that the stocks of Marmite and Peanut butter were at a good level.....this is what got them through the first 48 hours of the first race......
Monday, 25 August 2008
RORC Maderia -Cowes Race Report 1: And they're off!
The return race to Cowes from Madeira started today at 11am BST. All was well with the three boats leaving today, and Puma Logic did not disappoint the family and friends in the marina, there to wave them off. A rousing chorus of Don't Stop Me Now by Queen, was blasted over the cockpit speakers and the crew gathered in the cockpit and danced, jigged and sang to the music much to the bemusement and hilarity of the locals and all who heard them.What a fantastic way to start a race, with last minute nerves and pumping adrenaline of the crew and supporters danced away to a good old fashioned rock song!
Never has a Sailing Logic team being so focused and so determined to have the best time on the water ever. The crew are missing Alice and Chico but have in their place Mairead and Rachel, who more than make up the volume! Last minute preparations to the yacht were made yesterday with repaired sails bent on, fresh food put aboard and the yacht thoroughly cleaned and stowed ready for sea.
The Team have had a great stay in Madeira and many thanks must go to Catia and her team at the Marina Quinta do Lorde, who have looked after the team and the rest of the crews so very well. The team stayed at the Dom Pedro Hotel in Machico, some 15 minutes away for the yachts; an interesting hotel which took everyone back to the 1980's with its brown and orange decor but we were looked after very well and the facilities helped the team relax and recuperate before the race home.
Puma was third on the race to Madeira, in class and overall which has made her now 5th in the IRC overall championships, which Pen Azen is now leading, for which we congratulate them. This return race to Cowes is a race in its own right and if Puma perform well, she may move up from 5th place in the overall championship which would be marvellous. There is only 1 further race that Puma will be entering this year which is the RORC Cherbourg race which is on the weekend after the yacht return from this one. The intention is that Puma Logic will be there on the start line, with her sister ship Jaguar Logic too.
We will continue to give as much information and regular updates as possible. if you would like to send any messages to the crew please send through to us here at Sailing Logic and I will forward them on.
Please note that the tracking site has changed its address as it is now the Madeira Cowes race rather than the Cowes Madeira. Please go to the RORC website - www.rorc.org home page and click on the link. Please also note that there are 2 yachts that started before the 3 today, so the winners will not be known until all yachts have finished in Cowes and times taken.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 4:02 PM
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The return race to Cowes from Madeira started today at 11am BST. All was well with the three boats leaving today, and Puma Logic did not disappoint the family and friends in the marina, there to wave them off. A rousing chorus of Don't Stop Me Now by Queen, was blasted over the cockpit speakers and the crew gathered in the cockpit and danced, jigged and sang to the music much to the bemusement and hilarity of the locals and all who heard them.What a fantastic way to start a race, with last minute nerves and pumping adrenaline of the crew and supporters danced away to a good old fashioned rock song!
Never has a Sailing Logic team being so focused and so determined to have the best time on the water ever. The crew are missing Alice and Chico but have in their place Mairead and Rachel, who more than make up the volume! Last minute preparations to the yacht were made yesterday with repaired sails bent on, fresh food put aboard and the yacht thoroughly cleaned and stowed ready for sea.
The Team have had a great stay in Madeira and many thanks must go to Catia and her team at the Marina Quinta do Lorde, who have looked after the team and the rest of the crews so very well. The team stayed at the Dom Pedro Hotel in Machico, some 15 minutes away for the yachts; an interesting hotel which took everyone back to the 1980's with its brown and orange decor but we were looked after very well and the facilities helped the team relax and recuperate before the race home.
Puma was third on the race to Madeira, in class and overall which has made her now 5th in the IRC overall championships, which Pen Azen is now leading, for which we congratulate them. This return race to Cowes is a race in its own right and if Puma perform well, she may move up from 5th place in the overall championship which would be marvellous. There is only 1 further race that Puma will be entering this year which is the RORC Cherbourg race which is on the weekend after the yacht return from this one. The intention is that Puma Logic will be there on the start line, with her sister ship Jaguar Logic too.
We will continue to give as much information and regular updates as possible. if you would like to send any messages to the crew please send through to us here at Sailing Logic and I will forward them on.
Please note that the tracking site has changed its address as it is now the Madeira Cowes race rather than the Cowes Madeira. Please go to the RORC website - www.rorc.org home page and click on the link. Please also note that there are 2 yachts that started before the 3 today, so the winners will not be known until all yachts have finished in Cowes and times taken.
Sunday, 24 August 2008
RORC Madeira-Cowes Race: 24 hours and counting.
Well, we are nearly ready to set back off again after a few days rest and recuperation.
Well, we are nearly ready to set back off again after a few days rest and recuperation.
The team are gathering today on Puma for the final preparations before leaving Marina Quinta do Lorde tomorrow morning at 11am.
The yacht is in pretty good shape with only a few items needing replacing or repairing prior to leaving again. It could have been a whole lot worse!
We have seen Jamaica Clipper and British Soldier head back to sea again, and Puma Logic and Pen Azen have decided to leave together tomorow so they can race each other over to the finish, back at Cowes. This is really good news as Puma and Pen Azen have been fighting neck and neck throughout the whole of the RORC Offshire series this year and so having them to race against is great. Change of Course who unfortunately had to retire from the first leg due to back-stay problems, arrived in Madeira on Friday evening and have also decided to start back again tomorrow so there will be 3 yachts on the start line.
Todays preparations on the yacht will be another deep clean, stowing personal kit and then stowing the food. Most of the food eaten onboard is boil in the bag type, and these were shipped out from England. Shopping today will be fresh food and general supplies only. The yacht seems to get through an awful amount of Peanut butter, Ribena and crisps, so we'll have to see if the local supermarket here in Machico has such items!
Everyone has thoroughly enjoyed their stay in Madeira; the people have been super friendly, the weather of course helps as its been sunny every day and the change of scenery has been a tonic to everyone....
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
We Have Finished!
Puma has finished fast, safe and happy! Finishing at 15 58 BST was good enough to secure 3rd overall.
Thanks to everyone for your fantastic support, we have had an amazing experience and are ecstatic to be here and are now off to have a celebration.!
Sorry for the brief Blog but I am sure you will all understand! More tomorrow though.
Loads of love
Philippe and Team Puma.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 5:31 PM
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RORC Madeira Race: FINAL BLOG FROM PHILIPPE
We are now entering into our last night at sea before reaching Madeira. What a fantastic couple of days we have had. They just seem to get better! I have just come off watch having witness the most spectacular moonrise, a real harvest moon; a deep orange, enigmatically lighting the slithers of dark cloud that quietly passed by.
For the past day and a half you will probably have noticed how quickly we have been eating up the miles. In fact we have covered the miles so quickly that it looks like we may arrive before our shore team and supporters. The trade winds have kicked in proper now and we have spent much of the day surfing at speeds of up to thirteen knots! This has been real champagne sailing at its best.
I hope you have enjoyed the blogs that Team Puma have been sending back and that they have given you a good insight to our little world. Our little world, that seems so far detached from the reality that we left behind eight days ago. Mind you, for the time being this remarkable adventure is our reality, reality after all is relative. I know how much pride everyone has written with and the enthusiasm with which they have wanted to share their experience with you all. (Peter, I have publicly shamed Dave and I have a feeling he may be writing a blog tomorrow)!
Our world consists of numbers, targets, wind files, sail changes, daily domestic chores, boat maintenance and most importantly, friendships. Not a thought is given to escalating fuel costs, plummeting property prices, Brown and Darlings ineptness and inability to run an economy or government or work issues. We do not care how much OK! have paid Brad and Angelina for the first photos of their baby or any other trivial and mundane issues that normally fill our brain and newspapers on a daily basis. All these things are inconsequential and irrelevant to our lives at the moment. Mind you; the Euro exchange rate is of mild concern, given the extent of the festivities that will begin tomorrow. For those of you who have not heard, Team Puma’s partying capabilities are legendary!
My huge gratitude goes to the watch leaders and 1st mate on Puma. Their collective support and commitment to their roles have made my job so much easier.
Brighty (Dave), otherwise known to his friends as ‘Not So’ (Bright) aka Uncle/Mr Bounce is the 1st mate on Puma. ‘Not So’ brings a humour to the team which is hilarious, even though his joke repertoire is somewhat limited and repetitive! His enthusiasm, wit and energy have been pivotal in the success of the team’s development. I would love to be able to tell you how old Brighty, it appears to be within the parameters of 28 and 37 depending upon who you speak to, so I can not be any more exact than that! What I do know though is that Dave’s passion for sailing inspires others and every race yacht needs a ‘Not So’ for morale and entertainment. Oh yes, he is a bloody good sailor too!
Peter (Marmite watch leader) first sailed with Sailing Logic on the Fastnet last year and has since become addicted. At 50 years old Peter is ‘semi’ retired, he now works six hours a week as a youth worker. Peter came to us as a quiet, sensible and very likeable chap. It has not taken us long to turn him into a slightly less ‘circumspect’ member of society with relatively few inhibitions (ask him about his rabbit joke sometime, but be prepared for the punch line). I think it fair to say that Peter has really come out of his shell and his lovely sense of humour is enjoyed by everyone. He is a real gentleman and a pleasure to have aboard. A top watch leader.
Richard (Peanut watch leader) who celebrated his 50th birthday party just a few weeks ago is a business consultant living in Southampton. He has been sailing with us for the past three seasons. Richard has a quiet and gentle manner where everything is calmly considered and planned with attention to detail. Richard’s caring and considerate personality is hugely liked by everyone. The Madeira campaign has seen Richard’s overall ability and confidence positively build making him my ideal choice for watch leader.
Those that know me well will be pleased to hear that I could not go for an entire offshore race without exerting my authority by reminding everyone that I am the boss and that I do need to be taken seriously! Some little things had been slightly irritating me and I felt compelled to upset the wonderful equilibrium of laid back approach that makes our team so special. A bemused team looked shocked that I should have an opinion on something they quite frankly thought did not concern me. Maybe I should have taken the Iron Lady’s ‘Laisez Fair’ approach (mind you that did not do our economy much good in the late 80’s either). Anyway, the issues were resolved, things have functioned better and the team are still talking to me!
Team Puma are pushing incredibly hard as I tap away (maybe I should be up there helping rather than writing to tell you all about it)! The kite is up and the trimming is relentless. The guys are not going to give up, no matter how far behind we may or may not be. We are going to arrive in Madeira in a few hours time in the safe knowledge that we have put in 100% and could not have tried any harder. Believe me; no one could try harder than this bunch. We are in full race mode till the moment we cross the finish line.
We will be arriving in Maderia having fulfilled our boat motto; ‘TO FINISH FAST, SAFE AND HAPPY.’ What more could anyone ask for?
Posted by Philippe Falle at 2:37 PM
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We are now entering into our last night at sea before reaching Madeira. What a fantastic couple of days we have had. They just seem to get better! I have just come off watch having witness the most spectacular moonrise, a real harvest moon; a deep orange, enigmatically lighting the slithers of dark cloud that quietly passed by.
For the past day and a half you will probably have noticed how quickly we have been eating up the miles. In fact we have covered the miles so quickly that it looks like we may arrive before our shore team and supporters. The trade winds have kicked in proper now and we have spent much of the day surfing at speeds of up to thirteen knots! This has been real champagne sailing at its best.
I hope you have enjoyed the blogs that Team Puma have been sending back and that they have given you a good insight to our little world. Our little world, that seems so far detached from the reality that we left behind eight days ago. Mind you, for the time being this remarkable adventure is our reality, reality after all is relative. I know how much pride everyone has written with and the enthusiasm with which they have wanted to share their experience with you all. (Peter, I have publicly shamed Dave and I have a feeling he may be writing a blog tomorrow)!
Our world consists of numbers, targets, wind files, sail changes, daily domestic chores, boat maintenance and most importantly, friendships. Not a thought is given to escalating fuel costs, plummeting property prices, Brown and Darlings ineptness and inability to run an economy or government or work issues. We do not care how much OK! have paid Brad and Angelina for the first photos of their baby or any other trivial and mundane issues that normally fill our brain and newspapers on a daily basis. All these things are inconsequential and irrelevant to our lives at the moment. Mind you; the Euro exchange rate is of mild concern, given the extent of the festivities that will begin tomorrow. For those of you who have not heard, Team Puma’s partying capabilities are legendary!
My huge gratitude goes to the watch leaders and 1st mate on Puma. Their collective support and commitment to their roles have made my job so much easier.
Brighty (Dave), otherwise known to his friends as ‘Not So’ (Bright) aka Uncle/Mr Bounce is the 1st mate on Puma. ‘Not So’ brings a humour to the team which is hilarious, even though his joke repertoire is somewhat limited and repetitive! His enthusiasm, wit and energy have been pivotal in the success of the team’s development. I would love to be able to tell you how old Brighty, it appears to be within the parameters of 28 and 37 depending upon who you speak to, so I can not be any more exact than that! What I do know though is that Dave’s passion for sailing inspires others and every race yacht needs a ‘Not So’ for morale and entertainment. Oh yes, he is a bloody good sailor too!
Peter (Marmite watch leader) first sailed with Sailing Logic on the Fastnet last year and has since become addicted. At 50 years old Peter is ‘semi’ retired, he now works six hours a week as a youth worker. Peter came to us as a quiet, sensible and very likeable chap. It has not taken us long to turn him into a slightly less ‘circumspect’ member of society with relatively few inhibitions (ask him about his rabbit joke sometime, but be prepared for the punch line). I think it fair to say that Peter has really come out of his shell and his lovely sense of humour is enjoyed by everyone. He is a real gentleman and a pleasure to have aboard. A top watch leader.
Richard (Peanut watch leader) who celebrated his 50th birthday party just a few weeks ago is a business consultant living in Southampton. He has been sailing with us for the past three seasons. Richard has a quiet and gentle manner where everything is calmly considered and planned with attention to detail. Richard’s caring and considerate personality is hugely liked by everyone. The Madeira campaign has seen Richard’s overall ability and confidence positively build making him my ideal choice for watch leader.
Those that know me well will be pleased to hear that I could not go for an entire offshore race without exerting my authority by reminding everyone that I am the boss and that I do need to be taken seriously! Some little things had been slightly irritating me and I felt compelled to upset the wonderful equilibrium of laid back approach that makes our team so special. A bemused team looked shocked that I should have an opinion on something they quite frankly thought did not concern me. Maybe I should have taken the Iron Lady’s ‘Laisez Fair’ approach (mind you that did not do our economy much good in the late 80’s either). Anyway, the issues were resolved, things have functioned better and the team are still talking to me!
Team Puma are pushing incredibly hard as I tap away (maybe I should be up there helping rather than writing to tell you all about it)! The kite is up and the trimming is relentless. The guys are not going to give up, no matter how far behind we may or may not be. We are going to arrive in Madeira in a few hours time in the safe knowledge that we have put in 100% and could not have tried any harder. Believe me; no one could try harder than this bunch. We are in full race mode till the moment we cross the finish line.
We will be arriving in Maderia having fulfilled our boat motto; ‘TO FINISH FAST, SAFE AND HAPPY.’ What more could anyone ask for?
RORC Madeira race Report No 14: Day 9 - Maderia here they come.....
Nine days at sea may not seem a tremendously long period of time; I remember back in 1992 being at sea for 54 days, but for those of the crew who have not experienced anything like this before, 9 days must have felt like a lifetime. You have read the crews reports on how living conditions can only be described as primitive on board - this will be their last day aboard the mighty Puma, before stepping ashore for a very welcome beer, or maybe even 2!
Nine days at sea may not seem a tremendously long period of time; I remember back in 1992 being at sea for 54 days, but for those of the crew who have not experienced anything like this before, 9 days must have felt like a lifetime. You have read the crews reports on how living conditions can only be described as primitive on board - this will be their last day aboard the mighty Puma, before stepping ashore for a very welcome beer, or maybe even 2!
Sailing Logic's advanced party is already out in Madeira....Philippe's Mum flew in yesterday to make sure she was on the dock to meet the guys, The rest of the group arrive later on this afternoon, touch and go as to whether we arrive in time to see them finish. News this morning is that it seems Pen Azen, and we can only assume British Soldier have already started to drink the marina dry; lets hope that there is beer left for Puma's crew! Congratulations go to them for a superb race.
We won't know until Puma finish what the corrected times are, but it some strange way, I don't think anyone is too worried about this, we just want to see them finish.
As I sit here in Hamble, the weather has been atrocious over the last few days; gale force winds, driving rain, very inclement for mid-August but a little reminder of what the yacht and her crew went through this time last week, and how they have emerged virtually unscathed to sail their little yacht all the way to Madeira.
I will be updating you today as I sit at the airport, and are hoping that we may get another couple of blogs today, hopefully one from Mr Bright the Mate. As soon as we meet the crew and find out what the positions of the race are, you will be the first to know.
Monday, 18 August 2008
RORC Madeira Race - Blog from Richard VisickI get a kick out of seeing teams work, and this is the strongest and most fun team that I have been part of. This is the 5th Sailing Logic team that I have been a member of, 3 of them with Philippe. As I write we are racing as hard as we can towards Maderia. For Chico and Alice Maderia will be the end of the show, and we will all miss them. For the rest of us it is the half way point, with it to run again with 2 new crew members to welcome aboard.
When we first met in April, Philippe made us agree and form team values, this was supported during training sessions and qualifying races with numerous “bonding sessions” that have filled many pages of Facebook. These values showed that we shared similar aims about the race and were summarised into an overall statement supported seven characteristics. These have been posted in various positions around Puma to remind us what we are about. Though why one behind the heads door?
“To finish safe fast and happy” reflects what this team is about. I am sure that the word finish helped Philippe a lot in the English Channel to back off and make sure we got to Maderia. It has now guaranteed us a good result. We are not all about winning, as there is a fantastic sense of adventure and fun. As everyone is now getting tired and dreaming of cold beer, bubbly or tequila, it is time to remind us of the seven characteristics.
Respect for the elements – this ranges from sailing safe to knowing what rubbish to throw overboard. 10 people for 8 days generate a lot of rubbish. Genuinely bio-degradable goes over the side, but everything else is stored for arrival in Maderia. Plastic is definitely not to go over the side – seem to only have one bucket now when we started with 3. Oops!
Team – Puma cannot be sailed fast without a good team supporting her. She is now enjoying charging towards Maderia; will she arrive before Jamaica? Will her handicap let her beat the other boats still sailing? She is guaranteed 5th overall – who would have thought that when we started.
Consideration – in such a small space there has to be consideration for all but should have applied to Brightie when he took his wellies off for the first time in 6 days.
Achievement – I cannot remember if this applies to getting to Maderia and back, or whether this was meant to be about going to the toilet in full foulies and life jacket in a force 8 gale.
Awareness – in good teams, individuals look out and after each other by being aware. This should really have applied to finding or locating sunglasses.
Adventure – for many of us it is the first time that we have sailed outside the English Channel and this was thought an appropriate characteristic. How were we to know that the adventure was to happen in the English Channel with each watch reduced to 2 crew plus mate and skipper, and the most confused sea seen by any on board pounding Puma.
Enjoyment – the last 5 days has blanked the misery of the first 2 days. Everyone has a big grin on their faces and the spirits are high. The log beside reads 8.8 knots, the sun is out and shy blue, everyone is in shorts and t-shirts, Puma is dressed in her 0.75 runner with just over 24 hours to run to Maderia.
Bring on leg 2.
RORC Madeira Race - BLOG FROM BECKI ABOARD PUMA LOGIC
I never thought that it was possible to have this much fun without Tequila.
But apparently this is a ‘dry’ boat (a cruelly ironic term considering the fact that even the insides of our sleeping bags were soaking wet for the first 5 days of this race), and despite my frantic searches, there is no alcohol to be found aboard.
I am talking about fun of the good, old fashioned variety. Of team spirit, investment and reward.
Of course, the definition of fun is a subjective one and it is highly likely that many people would take one look at the conditions we have been through in the last week and quite rightly decide that we are a bunch of insane masochists who should probably be locked up for our own safety, rather than roaming the high seas in a 38 foot plastic boat.
They could have a point. For a start, whilst Puma certainly is 38 foot, only about ten of those feet are available as space to move about and live in. That’s one foot per person. I am not an advocator of animal cruelty, but if one was to swing a cat in here – even a tiny kitten – the poor creature would not come off particularly well.
Add into this equation a heeling angle of about 30 degrees and a hull that constantly crashes and leaps metres into the air without warning (going to the loo is ‘interesting’) and you have the living conditions that we have been putting up with for the majority of the trip. Getting into our wet weather gear (consisting of trousers, jacket, boots and life jacket) has been taking about 30 minutes…
So why on earth would anyone find this fun?
Well, to be honest, it probably wouldn’t be if you had ten people on board who didn’t want to be there and hadn’t bonded as a team the way that we have over the last 4 months of training and racing.
Luckily though, we seem to have had the great fortune of ending up with a crew of people who genuinely enjoy being together, socialise outside of the races and greet each other with a big smile at every watch swap-over.
So here we exist, happy in our watery microcosm with its own special language of halyards, cunninghams, outhauls and backstays. For me, being here is not completely unlike going on a school trip with your mates. There is a well-balanced spread of silly banter, innuendo and mickey-taking from dawn till dusk, not to mention childish giggling from the bunks of the off-watch who should know better as they have to be up again in 3 hours. I never thought I would one day laugh hysterically into the face of a 30 knot ice-squall who’s hailstones would have looked more at home in a glass of G&T than in our cockpit. But such is the morale on board this is exactly the type of reaction bad weather can expect.
Sickly sweet? Maybe. But sickly sweet is the stuff that gets you through the times when you are hanging off the leeward rail in a force 9, barking at seals and meeting your bile for the 5th time that night.
Personally, I doubt how much luck is involved in finding a merry band of sailors who have so many ethoses in common. Whilst the spirit and success of this team is the sum of its parts and not attributable to any one person, Sailing Logic in the form of Allie and Philippe (and first mates such as Brighty) seem to attract a type of amateur racer different to that of other schools. Maybe this is because they do not treat their clients as customers, but almost as professional crew, who are as involved and responsible as the Skipper in performing well and finishing fast, safe and happy. The result is a team capable of taking on and beating professional competitors such as the British Army and yachts ten years younger than Puma. And somehow we manage to do it laughing all the way to the finish line.
Currently we are flying downwind through the waves, clinging to the fur of Puma by our fingernails. Her wardrobe of sails has allowed her to transform from an upwind beast to a downwind pussycat. The moment the first A-sail was hoisted at 2am on Saturday morning was greeted by almost mass hysteria by the crew who knew that this meant hello to being rocked to sleep like a baby and goodbye to the by-then accepted alternative of being smashed into unconsciousness in their bunks.
This is the beginning of the end of Leg 1 and we should be in Madeira tomorrow afternoon. The thought of sipping ice cold beers and eating fresh food is making us even more stupidly happy than normal. And Puma is happy too.
In fact if you listen closely enough, you can even hear her purring.
RORC Madeira Race Report No 12a: Champagne Sailing
From one extreme to another.......just 4 days ago, Puma Logic was sailing in survival mode, now the crew are reaping the rewards of such gruelling conditions as they are now scooting along in the North easterly trade winds. The sun is shining, the 0.75 spinnaker is up and the yacht is speeding nciely towards Madeira at over 12 knots. They are really making fantastic progress and their eta is looking very much like late Tuesday afternoon/early evening.
From one extreme to another.......just 4 days ago, Puma Logic was sailing in survival mode, now the crew are reaping the rewards of such gruelling conditions as they are now scooting along in the North easterly trade winds. The sun is shining, the 0.75 spinnaker is up and the yacht is speeding nciely towards Madeira at over 12 knots. They are really making fantastic progress and their eta is looking very much like late Tuesday afternoon/early evening.
There is no word from the rest of the yachts in the race that we know of, and we can only assume that they are enjoying the same conditions, but hopefully not going as quick!!
British Soldier's tracker is still not transmiitting so we do not know at this stage if she is ahead or behind Pen Azen. However both yachts have a higher handicap than Puma Logic so it will quite a nailbiting few minutes after Puma arrive to see how we have done on corrected time. These 2 yachts have to give Puma time on the water as they are newer and potentially faster yachts, so even though they may arrive before Puma, it doesn't mean that they necessarliy have beaten us...all very exciting stuff..
The first yacht into Madeira looks like it will be the German 56 foot yacht yacht 'Norddeutsche Vermoegen', congratulations go to her.
We have received some more blogs from the crew. Please find Brian Phillips' one follwoing and will send out another by Alice at lunctime.
BLOG FROM BRIAN
TEN GUYS IN A BOAT
(With apologies to Jerome K Jerome)
Time: 0100 hrs Friday 15 Aug 2008
Scene: Atlantic Ocean 50 miles off Spain. Yacht Puma Logic beating South into a 20 knt wind. Sea state medium with occasional waves over the bow. Its raining. Marmite are on watch.
Chico, Peter, Elaine and Brian are sat on the cockpit coaming, backs to the rail facing into the cockpit looking down at the sea. Puma is keeled over at an approx 25 degree angle.
Following a particular sudden drop as the boat fell off a wave, Peter lost his grip and fell down into cockpit, his fall arrested by the safety harness and the other side of the cockpit. The rest looked on in idle curiosity.
Dave on the helm said “why don’t you go further up, sit on the deck, lean on the rail and put your feet on the coach roof. Your backside will be in a pool of damp water but you will be more comfortable.
Peter; “Define comfortable”
This set me thinking about boat design, how do they start? What do they consider? It certainly does not seem to the crew!
Conveniently Chico is a student at the University of Southampton studying Yacht Design so I asked the question. He gave a mass of technical stuff about hull weight, sail area, mast height, length, breadth etc etc and then went onto say that most of his year had been offered jobs on the Airbus project. I queried the relationship between yachts and planes. As though dealing with a child, he asked me to think of a boats hull, take another one, turn it upside down, put it on the top of the first – result plane fuselage!. I am going to fly Boeing in future.
It is obvious that the job of a boat is transport pure and simple, after that it is just a question of how many, how far, how fast – and it what degree of comfort.
Let us consider the design of a medium size offshore racing yacht. How many do we need to race the boat with a spinnaker up. One each on the helm, sheet, guy and winch, plus one specialist making the tea. This latter can also double up as navigator as long as it does not interfere with the main function – sustenance. Total so far 5.
But this boat has to take part in a 10 day offshore race and since it is obvious that we cannot except 5 guys to handle that we need space for 2 crews, one off watch, one on – total now 10.
So far so good, now we just have to pack them in the box with facilities to , drink, eat and sleep. Why not arrange the beds 5 a side – 2 at the back, 2 in the middle and 2 in a cabin across the front. To cut down on the width we can put those at the back and in the middle bunk bed style – simple! Nothing to this boat design!
Between the rear and middle bunks there is the galley – a rather grand name for a cooker and sink, but this is the hub of the whole racing experience. The stove must have a minimum of one gas ring which is to be reserved for the kettle. To make extra sure that this crucial item is covered we have a standby back up ring . Obviously this ring can be used for other things if required. Next to the cooker is the sink which since it has no water supply (just as well since it has no drain either) is to be used for storing the tea mugs. This planning for race conditions at the design stage is essential, imagine the mayhem if there was no way of restraining the mugs during race conditions. The sink can be used for as a temporary home for other items such as drinks bottles, packets of food, torch, molegrips etc.
Between the mid bunks and the cabin are the toilets or heads containing low level toilet without seat, to save on weight and cost. This is complimented by another sink, once again to be used as a storage area for such items as wet wipes. A feature is that is no running water – either hot or cold – on the boat.
Inside yes when off shore but none plumbed in
The only other area that has to be provided for is the navigation station which is situated opposite the galley. This is a throw back to the era of the great English sailors, the days when navigation was done with a sextant and the sun. It comprises a chart table and seat (a luxury indeed!). However nowadays there is scarcely a chart to be seen let alone dividers or Portland plotter. Instead in the desk amongst the mobile phones, sunnies and i-pod is to be found the ubiquitous laptop and associated key board. Files can be downloaded which give weather, tides, boat position and best course to steer. What of the Navigator you ask – well in my limited experience this has always been a position held in overrated esteem. When asked to help around the boat the usual response is “sorry love to, just got to go down to do the nav” this response is also good for the onset of rain or food.
So now the design has reached the stage where we can establish the length. To explain to the uninitiated all boat design names must include a number – Farr 40, Prima 38 and Open 60 are examples of this, it just would not do to call it Farr Fiesta, Prima Uno or Open Allegro.
So our boat length can be simply determined by adding together 3 lots of sleeping areas, galley, heads, then adding a bit at the back for the guy on the wheel to stand on and another bit at the front because sailing boats are traditionally finished with a point – total 38 feet
Gentlemen I give you the Reflex 38 yacht Puma Logic.
Granted there are a number of other ancillary details to be sorted –hull weight, sail area, mast height, breadth etc but since the length is the name it must be the most important design consideration.
Job done! Eat your heart out Airbus!
However……….
Before we can set off on our 10 day off shore race, a number of other thing have to stowed, and it his here that one or 2 minor design flaws emerge. These extras include but are not limited to 8 man & 4 man life rafts, 2 anchors, water maker or 450 litres (kg) of fresh water, fuel, provisions for 14 days, life jackets, spare, tea bags and sails. Add to this the personal effects of the crew and the “compact” design becomes a little stretched.
The sails are a good example of this – where do we put them – on deck of course. This is ok in the marina but another home has to be found for 5 headsails and 4 spinnakers whilst at sea, and the only space available below is the 2 man cabin at the front. So now we have a sail storage area and 8 sleeping stations.
Another minor problem is that the store is at the front and the entrance / exit to the deck is at the back. This necessitates dragging each sail when required the length of the boat downstairs, up the steps to the deck and then all the way back to the front. The return journey is usually a little more memorable for the crew asleep below because the sail is invariably wet as it passes through and over.
Just as a final thought on what started as a process triggered by the word “comfort” and that is the sleeping arrangements. The rear pair of bunks are situated in an area 4 ft high by 2.5 ft wide the top bunk being enclosed on all sides for most of its length. Access is from one end – rather like loading the human cannonball at the circus.
The top bunk in the central area is only accessible from the side which is ok but it is 4.5 ft off the deck and when the boat over at an angle, the entrance envelope is only 15 in high. There are many styles but the most popular is: turn round so that back is towards bunk, place foot on bunk underneath (or occupant) and take off rather along the lines of the Fosbury flop.
Since this manoeuvre is difficult enough in the marina I will leave to your imagination what it was like last Tuesday / Wednesday.
Still no complaints, no point anyway. Its my forth year on Puma and I love it thanks to Allie and Philippe
Trust some of the above made sense
Ciao
Brian
Personal:
Many thanks to:
Maire and Anna – hope to see you Tuesday
Siobhan – ditto Friday
David in Singapore – we are still on the dance floor
And especially to everyone who has sent e mails to the boat – you can be assured that all have been read and enjoyed by everyone on board. It is fantastic to have such support and encouragement from you all. It is also quite informative – Dave gained years in our eyes when his Dad said he was 38, not because of any increase in stature, but because he had maintained that he was 28.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 10:44 AM
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So far so good, now we just have to pack them in the box with facilities to , drink, eat and sleep. Why not arrange the beds 5 a side – 2 at the back, 2 in the middle and 2 in a cabin across the front. To cut down on the width we can put those at the back and in the middle bunk bed style – simple! Nothing to this boat design!
Between the rear and middle bunks there is the galley – a rather grand name for a cooker and sink, but this is the hub of the whole racing experience. The stove must have a minimum of one gas ring which is to be reserved for the kettle. To make extra sure that this crucial item is covered we have a standby back up ring . Obviously this ring can be used for other things if required. Next to the cooker is the sink which since it has no water supply (just as well since it has no drain either) is to be used for storing the tea mugs. This planning for race conditions at the design stage is essential, imagine the mayhem if there was no way of restraining the mugs during race conditions. The sink can be used for as a temporary home for other items such as drinks bottles, packets of food, torch, molegrips etc.
Between the mid bunks and the cabin are the toilets or heads containing low level toilet without seat, to save on weight and cost. This is complimented by another sink, once again to be used as a storage area for such items as wet wipes. A feature is that is no running water – either hot or cold – on the boat.
Inside yes when off shore but none plumbed in
The only other area that has to be provided for is the navigation station which is situated opposite the galley. This is a throw back to the era of the great English sailors, the days when navigation was done with a sextant and the sun. It comprises a chart table and seat (a luxury indeed!). However nowadays there is scarcely a chart to be seen let alone dividers or Portland plotter. Instead in the desk amongst the mobile phones, sunnies and i-pod is to be found the ubiquitous laptop and associated key board. Files can be downloaded which give weather, tides, boat position and best course to steer. What of the Navigator you ask – well in my limited experience this has always been a position held in overrated esteem. When asked to help around the boat the usual response is “sorry love to, just got to go down to do the nav” this response is also good for the onset of rain or food.
So now the design has reached the stage where we can establish the length. To explain to the uninitiated all boat design names must include a number – Farr 40, Prima 38 and Open 60 are examples of this, it just would not do to call it Farr Fiesta, Prima Uno or Open Allegro.
So our boat length can be simply determined by adding together 3 lots of sleeping areas, galley, heads, then adding a bit at the back for the guy on the wheel to stand on and another bit at the front because sailing boats are traditionally finished with a point – total 38 feet
Gentlemen I give you the Reflex 38 yacht Puma Logic.
Granted there are a number of other ancillary details to be sorted –hull weight, sail area, mast height, breadth etc but since the length is the name it must be the most important design consideration.
Job done! Eat your heart out Airbus!
However……….
Before we can set off on our 10 day off shore race, a number of other thing have to stowed, and it his here that one or 2 minor design flaws emerge. These extras include but are not limited to 8 man & 4 man life rafts, 2 anchors, water maker or 450 litres (kg) of fresh water, fuel, provisions for 14 days, life jackets, spare, tea bags and sails. Add to this the personal effects of the crew and the “compact” design becomes a little stretched.
The sails are a good example of this – where do we put them – on deck of course. This is ok in the marina but another home has to be found for 5 headsails and 4 spinnakers whilst at sea, and the only space available below is the 2 man cabin at the front. So now we have a sail storage area and 8 sleeping stations.
Another minor problem is that the store is at the front and the entrance / exit to the deck is at the back. This necessitates dragging each sail when required the length of the boat downstairs, up the steps to the deck and then all the way back to the front. The return journey is usually a little more memorable for the crew asleep below because the sail is invariably wet as it passes through and over.
Just as a final thought on what started as a process triggered by the word “comfort” and that is the sleeping arrangements. The rear pair of bunks are situated in an area 4 ft high by 2.5 ft wide the top bunk being enclosed on all sides for most of its length. Access is from one end – rather like loading the human cannonball at the circus.
The top bunk in the central area is only accessible from the side which is ok but it is 4.5 ft off the deck and when the boat over at an angle, the entrance envelope is only 15 in high. There are many styles but the most popular is: turn round so that back is towards bunk, place foot on bunk underneath (or occupant) and take off rather along the lines of the Fosbury flop.
Since this manoeuvre is difficult enough in the marina I will leave to your imagination what it was like last Tuesday / Wednesday.
Still no complaints, no point anyway. Its my forth year on Puma and I love it thanks to Allie and Philippe
Trust some of the above made sense
Ciao
Brian
Personal:
Many thanks to:
Maire and Anna – hope to see you Tuesday
Siobhan – ditto Friday
David in Singapore – we are still on the dance floor
And especially to everyone who has sent e mails to the boat – you can be assured that all have been read and enjoyed by everyone on board. It is fantastic to have such support and encouragement from you all. It is also quite informative – Dave gained years in our eyes when his Dad said he was 38, not because of any increase in stature, but because he had maintained that he was 28.
Sunday, 17 August 2008
Blog from Peter BrownsellWhat on earth am I doing here? That was certainly not a philosophical question on Tuesday night, off watch, trying to stay in my bunk by hanging on with my toenails.
What on earth am I doing here? Really! I signed up with Sailing Logic to do the 2007 Fastnet Race on a whim with the thought that it might improve my seamanship a bit. I’ve actually learnt a HUGE amount. What has really grabbed me and kept me coming back for more is the sense of teamwork and camaraderie that develops aboard a racing yacht.
At the end of the Fastnet last year I was at such a loss (bereft actually) I ended up doing a Winter and Spring series of inshore racing with Sailing Logic. The Madeira Race then started lurking over the horizon. I didn’t mean to do it. I really didn’t! After all I have my own boat to sail. In the end I couldn’t miss the opportunity to join such an amazing team. It couldn’t be worse than the 2007 Fastnet could it? Yeah, right!!!
What an amazing team. This has been touched on in previous blogs, so I won’t go on to much about how fantastic, happy, considerate and helpful everybody on board is, but I’m sure I’ve made friends for life out of this experience. I can’t leave Puma out of the team. She has looked after us in the worst conditions I hope I ever experience and is currently happily hooning along at 8 knots straight at Madeira. Also part of the team is Allie back at the office in Southampton responsible for forwarding all your marvellous messages of encouragement that mean so much to us out here, they’re a real moral lift, also responsible for making sure Puma is, what I would bet is the best provisioned boat in the fleet. Fantastic job Allie!
I’ve been musing on Time, in my idle half asleep of watch moments. We’re driven by time on board. Making it in time for your watch. You’d think that 20 minutes would be ample to prepare, but in the dark, cramped, damp, rolling, pitching saloon of Puma, it becomes a race against time (and where on earth are my socks?) Time flies off watch with a nice comfortable swell and you’re sleeping well, or a busy on watch with lots of squalls and sail changes. Time can drag off watch when Puma is slamming and rocking in an uncomfortable sea and you just can’t drop off to sleep, or you have a cold rainy on watch with poor visibility and not a lot changing. But in another sense time is of little importance. I really don’t know how many days we’ve been out here, and I don’t care how many days are left before we reach Madeira. It’s just great living from watch to watch and enjoying every moment, even the ‘bad’ ones. The only time that is important is the time between Puma and Pen Azen at the finish line.
Love to you all from the happiest boat in the Atlantic, were pressing on and doing our very best.
Ciao
Peter
RORC Madeira Race Report No 12: Get out the shorts!!
Communication has been hindered a little over the last 24 hours due to a bad internet connection at Sailing Logic but we are now back up and running and find that Puma Logic has continued to sail fast and in the right direction, towards the finish line in Madeira. It is difficult to tell exactly how they are doing against Pen Azen and British Soldier but we believe them to be around 40 miles behind British Soldier who should be quite close to Pen Azen. British Soldier has also had a tracker malfunction so their position on the chartlet on the race website is not necessarily correct at the time of the polling. Putting this altogether, means that this is turning into a very exciting and intriguing race as we are not sure how it will finish! The estimated time of arrival (eta) of Pen Azen is looking likely to be Tuesday lunchtime, with Puma approximately 6 hours later. This will change as they get nearer to their destination and we will keep you informed of the latest timings.
The weather has now significantly improved and the shorts are out, sun tan cream is being applied but the serious business of getting to Madeira as soon as possible has not been forgotten.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 10:19 AM
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Communication has been hindered a little over the last 24 hours due to a bad internet connection at Sailing Logic but we are now back up and running and find that Puma Logic has continued to sail fast and in the right direction, towards the finish line in Madeira. It is difficult to tell exactly how they are doing against Pen Azen and British Soldier but we believe them to be around 40 miles behind British Soldier who should be quite close to Pen Azen. British Soldier has also had a tracker malfunction so their position on the chartlet on the race website is not necessarily correct at the time of the polling. Putting this altogether, means that this is turning into a very exciting and intriguing race as we are not sure how it will finish! The estimated time of arrival (eta) of Pen Azen is looking likely to be Tuesday lunchtime, with Puma approximately 6 hours later. This will change as they get nearer to their destination and we will keep you informed of the latest timings.
The weather has now significantly improved and the shorts are out, sun tan cream is being applied but the serious business of getting to Madeira as soon as possible has not been forgotten.
Saturday, 16 August 2008
BLOG FROM ELAINE HYLAND
Our ages ranges from 26 to 68. We are 10 very different individuals who share a common passion for sailing and a love for the sea. That much we knew before we left Shamrock Quay at 6.40am on Monday 11 August to sail to the start line. What we now understand more clearly, after 4 and a half days being flung around in mighty Puma, is the capacity of the human spirit to fight on when the chips are down. I think we all also understand that this ability not to cave in the middle of the raging sea has come only from working together and helping each other.
And this crew was led by example. The indomitable spirit and mental and physical strength demonstrated by our skipper and first mate is something I don’t think will ever leave us. Following their lead, we each individually discovered that you don’t really know what you’re capable of until your limits are tested – and perhaps surpassed.
It is difficult to put into words the emotions we have all been though in the midst of 4 metre high waves and 30 mph winds. Simple tasks like tacking a head sail take on a whole new significance when it’s pitch dark, lashing rain, with enormous waves crashing over your head and you’re cold, tired, hungry or sick – or all of the above simultaneously. One thing I know for sure – you’re in no doubt that you’re truly, fully alive, an awareness that is not always with us during the daily grind.
The counterpoint to these incredibly taxing conditions however has been the awe inspiring beauty and power and majesty of the wild sea, be it in the English Channel or the Bay of Biscay. Yesterday we experienced several squalls where within the space of 15 minutes the wind speed increased from 10 to 33 knots so that we had to take down the head sail and reef the main sail – 10 minutes later the process would need to be reversed as the squall had passed. During the course of yesterday’s 24 hours we also experienced light winds and sunshine, numerous squalls, and a massive hail storm. By the end of the day our speed had dropped to 1 knot under a beautiful full moon. Mother Nature at work in all her fickle glory...
We are completely free out here in our own small sailing world. We are privileged to have witnessed breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, rainbows, full moons and starry, starry skies which we have shared only with groups of friendly dolphins and a couple of whales and their water spouts, as well as some enormous sea birds. While we are relishing this exotic freedom, we have all been overwhelmed with the email messages of support that we continue to receive from Allie in Southampton – they have lifted our spirits immeasurably, especially in the darker hours. We thank you all very much.
Today has been uplifting – the sun has shone, the wind has been helpful, the waves are still beautiful and powerful but are not inflicting physical damage on us and, most importantly, all forms of sea sickness have been conquered so that Puma and her merry, motley crew sail on happily with Madeira in mind. Today has also been uplifting for more practical reasons – mass hysteria broke out on deck at the end of the 4-8am watch when collective teeth brushing and (attempts at) hair conditioning took place! (Yes, it really is the little things.) After 4 days at sea, the calmer seas have meant that clothes can finally be changed and fresh coffee made on board.
Now that we’re making such good progress to Madeira I suspect the thought has stated to form in everyone’s mind as to what we can do to ensure this special shared experience doesn’t end there. Someone suggested we carry on to Brazil?! Watch this space….
RORC Madeira Race Report No 11: Army goes undercover.......
All is well onboard Puma Logic this morning. They have lots of breeze, storming along at 8.5 knots, and everyone is looking forward to the wind veering to the North sometime soon, so that the spinnakers can come out of their bags and get an airing. As soon as this happens, boat speed should increase and the motion of the yacht will flatten out making life much more comfortable onboard.
During the night, the British Army boat British Soldier also had problems with their tracker so it seems that they have joined Puma Logic in going incognito and undercover. This makes life all that more intriguing as we now don't know how close they a re to Pen Azen, or even how many miles Puma Logic may have caught up. Puma has gone further west to try and get more breeze, which seems to have paid off as we think this morning they have managed to reduce the deficit by some 25 miles from yesterday. When the rest of the fleet were stalled in the small high pressure area off the Portuguese coast, Puma managed to keep moving, albeit heading west rather than South-West.
The website at the moment is showing Distances to the finish for the 3 yachts that have working trackers, and Puma believe that they should arrive sometime late Tuesday evening/early Wednesday morning, but this does change on an hourly basis and we will keep everyone informed as and when we know.
We have had a fantastic account come back from the yacht from crew member Elaine Hyland, which will be published following this.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 9:55 AM
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All is well onboard Puma Logic this morning. They have lots of breeze, storming along at 8.5 knots, and everyone is looking forward to the wind veering to the North sometime soon, so that the spinnakers can come out of their bags and get an airing. As soon as this happens, boat speed should increase and the motion of the yacht will flatten out making life much more comfortable onboard.
During the night, the British Army boat British Soldier also had problems with their tracker so it seems that they have joined Puma Logic in going incognito and undercover. This makes life all that more intriguing as we now don't know how close they a re to Pen Azen, or even how many miles Puma Logic may have caught up. Puma has gone further west to try and get more breeze, which seems to have paid off as we think this morning they have managed to reduce the deficit by some 25 miles from yesterday. When the rest of the fleet were stalled in the small high pressure area off the Portuguese coast, Puma managed to keep moving, albeit heading west rather than South-West.
The website at the moment is showing Distances to the finish for the 3 yachts that have working trackers, and Puma believe that they should arrive sometime late Tuesday evening/early Wednesday morning, but this does change on an hourly basis and we will keep everyone informed as and when we know.
We have had a fantastic account come back from the yacht from crew member Elaine Hyland, which will be published following this.
Friday, 15 August 2008
RORC Madeira race Report No 10 - What a difference a day makes.....
Once again, thanks for all your wonderful messages. They are so refreshing and have played a large part in the increased morale. Please keep them coming, everyone loves them.
Yesterday was a great day. The day started with the Levellers ‘What a Beautiful Day’ blasting out of the deck speakers followed by Bach’s Cello’s Suite No1 in G minor, a wonderfully uplifting piece of music as featured in The Master and Commander.
The day just got better, starting with a whale and finishing with the full moon rising above the horizon just as the sun was setting. In between we had a hail storm; yes a hail storm in August just off the coast of Spain, what is that all about? Then there were numerous squalls of warm wind and heavy rain, dolphins, jelly fish and not to mention an amazing increase in morale and humour. What a difference a day can make.
Just twenty four hours ago I was vowing never to go offshore racing again; about five times every hour. Today Brighty (our 1st mate) claimed ‘that was the best day sailing I have ever had!’ For me, the jury is still out but I suspect I will be racing offshore again. Well ok the previous couple of days were not that bad at all really, I love it!
We are now fifty miles off the coast of Spain and heading WSW in a hope to pick up better breeze and subsequent wind angles than those inshore. It is a bit of a gamble but we have nothing to loose as we are never going to close the large deficit by just following. The next twenty four hours will tell, but I hope we may close 15 – 20 miles on them. However it may end in disaster!
To me this race is not just about winning races (I never thought I would hear myself say that). It is about the human element, the camaraderie, the sense of achievement and test of endurance. It never ceases to fascinate me the variety of people that come and sail with me aboard Puma Logic. Our ethos is to provide opportunities that previously did not exist and train people to a level where they can safely compete at a high level with a good degree of success.
To that end we do not exclude anyone and I love watching the teams develop and grow with confidence and ability as the season progresses. This team is no exception and the bond that has developed is incredible if not unique. Through all the tough times this past few days there has not been one raised voice (apart from Brighty shouting at a few waves). There has not been a single niggle between anyone; there has just been humour and empathy throughout.
Alice is a plucky 59 year old city worker who has never been offshore racing before. What an adventure she is having. I am not sure she is enjoying it all the time (understatement) but what a memory she is going to have. Alice is getting stuck in and is a fundamental part of the team, we love having her on the team.
Then there is Brian, a 69 year old, who has been sailing with me for the past four years. He is an inspiration to all of us and I am full of admiration for him and his commitment to sailing. He keeps telling me this is his last year but I suspect he will be back right up until the day he cannot climb on the boat anymore. (Then there is always the halyard) What I do know is that he is a huge asset to the team and has the physical and mental ability of many a person years his junior.
Chico is a 25 year old Portuguese student studying yacht design in Southampton. His ultimate ambition is to design and build his own Open 60! He has come along to learn more about offshore racing and was over the moon when the first squall hit us and he learnt how to prepare for and handle them.
Not to mention Becki, a 32 year old recruitment manager from Brighton, who only did her comp crew course early last year. Now she is addicted to yacht racing and is a very proficient sailor. Her quirky humour and vibrant personality are exactly what every race boat needs; even if she does have a habit of stealing sleeping bags and leaving her wet kit lying everywhere.
This gives you a flavour of the diversity of our team. We are not hardened offshore racing sailors with years of experience but have a commitment to learn, a desire to improve, a passion for offshore sailing and an overwhelming desire to get there with the knowledge that we have tried our hardest. We have proven that we can race and compete at a high level; after all we won the RORC Channel Race. Now we want to complete what is certainly one of the biggest challenges most of us have ever undertaken.
Bring on the trade winds and the sunshine!
RORC Madeira Race Report No 9: Sunshine and Smiles....
Stealth Puma continues steady progress under the cloak of anonymity this morning. Her tracker has unfortunately malfunctioned (we think the battery has died) which means we can only get manual position reports for the yacht when they call in, until the end of this race. Once in Maderia the tracker will be changed.
She has had a great nights sail under a full moon and cloudless sky and all is very well aboard this morning. They have sunshine, whales and most of all, big smiles!
Philippe has made a tactical decision to 'do something different' and not follow where the rest of the yachts are headed today. There seems to be a little high pressure system slowing them down at the north end of the Portuguese Coast and Puma does not want to fall into a windless hole behind those who are already in it. Boat speeds earlier this morning showed that the leading 3 yachts had struggled to keep momentum going in very little wind, quite a contrast to 48 hours ago. The weather model is showing light winds for the next few hours for the leading 3, so fingers crossed that Puma can keep momentum going and claw back a few of those lost miles during Tuesday's storms.
The crew have also settled down now into their duty watch systems, led by Peter Brownsell and Richard Visick, and have finally begun eating normally again. Dinner last night was Chilli with Rice, and today they have Beef Casserole in Thyme Gravy served with mashed potato....yum!
The crew have asked me to pass on a big thank you for all the wonderful messages that you have been sending and have asked to keep them coming.....especially those ones about Brighty (Dave Bright) which are keeping all the crew constantly amused!
Posted by Philippe Falle at 10:54 AM
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Philippe has made a tactical decision to 'do something different' and not follow where the rest of the yachts are headed today. There seems to be a little high pressure system slowing them down at the north end of the Portuguese Coast and Puma does not want to fall into a windless hole behind those who are already in it. Boat speeds earlier this morning showed that the leading 3 yachts had struggled to keep momentum going in very little wind, quite a contrast to 48 hours ago. The weather model is showing light winds for the next few hours for the leading 3, so fingers crossed that Puma can keep momentum going and claw back a few of those lost miles during Tuesday's storms.
The crew have also settled down now into their duty watch systems, led by Peter Brownsell and Richard Visick, and have finally begun eating normally again. Dinner last night was Chilli with Rice, and today they have Beef Casserole in Thyme Gravy served with mashed potato....yum!
The crew have asked me to pass on a big thank you for all the wonderful messages that you have been sending and have asked to keep them coming.....especially those ones about Brighty (Dave Bright) which are keeping all the crew constantly amused!
Thursday, 14 August 2008
RORC Madeira Race Report No 8: Stealth Puma!
Where are they? That is the question we have all been asking today. It seems that Puma's tracker decided to stick at their position from 2100 hrs last night, and they have been there ever since.
Please don't be alarmed, they are all fine, but unfortunately we are not quite sure exactly where they are. We have contacted the yacht to try and get them to reset the tracker itself but are not sure if they have got the message or if the reset didn't work. Anyway, all this means is that if we don't know where they are, then their competitors don't either! They just might have got into their own little wind pattern and are creeping up behind them.....stealthily!
Conditions have improved dramatically during the day and the weather models say that they are experiencing sunshine, steady westerly winds at 15 knots, and so they should be making good progress towards Cape Finisterre, on the Northern most tip of Portugal.
We have been inundated today with messages of support and good will - some of them quite emotional.......keep them coming, it means so much to all of them and really spurs them on to get the yacht moving towards Madeira as quickly as they can.
I find it hard to believe that this is their 4th day at sea; it feels like the 14th with what they have gone through. We have been busy today getting all their crew bags and food for the return race ready for shipment tomorrow, awaiting their arrival, making sure that they get clean, fresh and most importantly dry clothes when they step ashore.
There hasn't been much information coming back from the other 4 yachts left in the race today. None of the yachts that returned to the South Coast on Monday night and Tuesday have set off again, so it seems that the five will stay that way in Madeira...I think I can feel a bit of a party coming on already!!
Posted by Philippe Falle at 5:10 PM
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Where are they? That is the question we have all been asking today. It seems that Puma's tracker decided to stick at their position from 2100 hrs last night, and they have been there ever since.
Please don't be alarmed, they are all fine, but unfortunately we are not quite sure exactly where they are. We have contacted the yacht to try and get them to reset the tracker itself but are not sure if they have got the message or if the reset didn't work. Anyway, all this means is that if we don't know where they are, then their competitors don't either! They just might have got into their own little wind pattern and are creeping up behind them.....stealthily!
Conditions have improved dramatically during the day and the weather models say that they are experiencing sunshine, steady westerly winds at 15 knots, and so they should be making good progress towards Cape Finisterre, on the Northern most tip of Portugal.
We have been inundated today with messages of support and good will - some of them quite emotional.......keep them coming, it means so much to all of them and really spurs them on to get the yacht moving towards Madeira as quickly as they can.
I find it hard to believe that this is their 4th day at sea; it feels like the 14th with what they have gone through. We have been busy today getting all their crew bags and food for the return race ready for shipment tomorrow, awaiting their arrival, making sure that they get clean, fresh and most importantly dry clothes when they step ashore.
There hasn't been much information coming back from the other 4 yachts left in the race today. None of the yachts that returned to the South Coast on Monday night and Tuesday have set off again, so it seems that the five will stay that way in Madeira...I think I can feel a bit of a party coming on already!!
RORC Madeira Race Report No 7 - Puma calls in at last...
Here is the first report we have had back from the yacht to date, and it is pretty gripping reading. If you ever wanted to know what it is like to sail on a 38 plastic boat in a severe gale...don't read this!!
The sea state in the Western approaches was the worst I have ever seen, no where near the biggest, but the hardest. It was horrendous and I was genuinely concerned for Puma and her team. The waves were about 5 metres and coming from three different directions. They were steep with no backs and we were crashing hard down the backs of them.
At that stage seamanship became far more important than any yacht race and I had two choices; either head for Newlyn (too reminiscent of Round Britain and Ireland where we dropped Sara off with Salmonella) or drop the mainsail and continue with just the no 4 jib. With just the no 4 the ride was much more bearable, albeit slow. However, this team has an overriding desire, way over and above winning any race, to complete the course and get there. This race is about an adventure which will be a huge achievement to every person on board who are all battling against it.
For my part the safety of the team and keeping Puma going is of primary importance. In the past I have always pushed very hard and for the first time that I can remember in an offshore race I have had to make the decision to throttle back and treat it differently. A difficult decision, or so I would have thought previously, but when the time came there was not really a decision to make. We just had to do what we needed to in order to look after Puma and keep everyone safe.
Ushant was the first real land mark for us and it certainly did not disappoint. It was pitch black as we rounded; the moon still had not come up, making helming extremely difficult. We crashed off several waves before hitting a big one. Everything shuddered, including me. Puma was fully submerged in the crest of the wave. I then seriously thought about heading into Brest for a break. Down below was a mess with food, pots, pans, cups and everyone’s kit strewn all over the place. Not to mention the bilges full of H2O! Without exception we were all feeling under par and Dave and myself were on the point of exhaustion. First we had to round Ushant (the NW most tip of France renowned for its unforgiving sea state). It was blowing 35 knots of wind and lived up to all expectations. I had briefed the team on watch that we may go to Brest but agreed that we would wait till we had rounded before making the final decision.
After rounding Ushant the nasty unpredictable sea state was replaced by a more manageable Atlantic swell. It was bigger but coming from one direction and a proper ocean swell. We dug deep, deeper than I have ever had to, and made the decision to carry on. Brian asked ‘where are we heading?’ I smiled (although it would not have been seen as it was pitch black) and casually responded ‘Madeira, as your son would have said, we are still on the dance floor!’ I did make a promise to myself though; that I would never sail around Ushant in a F8-9 gale again! Only time will tell if I keep that one or not!!!
For the next few hours we battled through the biggest sea I have seen since being in the Southern Ocean in 1997! This time I am only on a 38 foot plastic yacht not a 67 foot steel yacht designed to race around the world. However I felt completely safe aboard Puma. We had looked after her earlier and now she was looking after us. She coped with the huge swell brilliantly and I never felt at risk or in any sort of danger. It was a tough night for everyone aboard. Sleeping was almost impossible and as for keeping dry; forget it. The wind was holding a steady 35 knots and gusting up to 45 (that is a force 8 – 9 gale). Looking after Puma and the team was still the mot important consideration and to that end I have no regrets that we continued through the night and most of Wednesday with just the trysail (storm mainsail) and no 4 jib (smallest headsail). We have lost huge amounts of distance to Pen Azen and British Soldier but we are still going, all in one piece with hardly any breakages or battle scars. It was one hell of an achievement to get around Ushant and will be an even bigger one when we get to Madeira.
It is just starting to get light again (Thursday morning) and we have the full mainsail up and no 3 genoa (a small headsail). The wind has dropped to between 10 and 15 knots and the sea state is so much more kindly. I must leave you now to go and put up more sail area. We are now ready to rejoin this yacht race and are going to do it at full speed. There is still a long way to go and we are going to fight to the end.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
RORC Madeira Race Report No 6:
Water, water everywhere.......
......and at last the winds have moderated and all the crew are awake, up and about, and getting over their seasickness.
Philippe has called in today to say that everyone is now feeling alot better, as the wind has calmed a little, and the sea state is still rough, but very much calmer than yesterday afternoon and during the night.
You will have seen on the race website that there are now only 5 yachts left. We have managed to find out a little of what has happened to the other yachts in the race and it seems that Puma Logic and her crew have already passed a major test of seamanship by carrying on and sticking with it. Mostly Harmless, the Prima 38 owned by Tom Hayhoe and Natalie Jobling damaged their mainsail as they were tacking along the top of the Brittany coast last evening and headed back across the Channel to Falmouth where they have enjoyed a very hearty English breakfast and are trying to determine if the mainsail is repairable and if they are going to continue to Madeira. Our friends on Kerlaria, sailing double-handed, had a few gear issues, that although were not debilitating in themselves, collectively and with the weather being so bad they decided enough was enough and are now back in the Solent. Change of Course had hydraulic backstay problems and went into Plymouth to effect repairs, and it is hoped that she may continue to Madeira for the race back. Ultraia has also joined them in Plymouth, and are debating whether to carry on after the weather has calmed down or to call it a day. The Class 0 yacht, Aquis Granus unfortunately had engine trouble just after the start and headed back to port without leaving the Solent. They are hoping to set off to Madeira once again when the weather gets better.
In the Solent at the moment, we seem to be getting some of the tail end of the weather that the fleet got during late yesterday evening and night. It has been gusting up to 55 knots off Dockhead in Southampton Water this afternoon, but is now steady at 40 knots, which is Gale force 8.
The race positions at 16.00 bst show that British Soldier is just ahead of Pen Azen in Class 1, with Puma a little way behind them. The race in each class is determined by a handicap system. As Puma is the smallest yacht in her class, she has the best handicap of the 3 yachts, which means that even if she doesn't beat Pen Azen and British Soldier over the line, she can still win on corrected time when the handicap is calculated. This makes the race even more exciting as we just don't know until every yacht has finished the race what the final positions will be.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 5:06 PM
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Philippe has called in today to say that everyone is now feeling alot better, as the wind has calmed a little, and the sea state is still rough, but very much calmer than yesterday afternoon and during the night.
You will have seen on the race website that there are now only 5 yachts left. We have managed to find out a little of what has happened to the other yachts in the race and it seems that Puma Logic and her crew have already passed a major test of seamanship by carrying on and sticking with it. Mostly Harmless, the Prima 38 owned by Tom Hayhoe and Natalie Jobling damaged their mainsail as they were tacking along the top of the Brittany coast last evening and headed back across the Channel to Falmouth where they have enjoyed a very hearty English breakfast and are trying to determine if the mainsail is repairable and if they are going to continue to Madeira. Our friends on Kerlaria, sailing double-handed, had a few gear issues, that although were not debilitating in themselves, collectively and with the weather being so bad they decided enough was enough and are now back in the Solent. Change of Course had hydraulic backstay problems and went into Plymouth to effect repairs, and it is hoped that she may continue to Madeira for the race back. Ultraia has also joined them in Plymouth, and are debating whether to carry on after the weather has calmed down or to call it a day. The Class 0 yacht, Aquis Granus unfortunately had engine trouble just after the start and headed back to port without leaving the Solent. They are hoping to set off to Madeira once again when the weather gets better.
In the Solent at the moment, we seem to be getting some of the tail end of the weather that the fleet got during late yesterday evening and night. It has been gusting up to 55 knots off Dockhead in Southampton Water this afternoon, but is now steady at 40 knots, which is Gale force 8.
The race positions at 16.00 bst show that British Soldier is just ahead of Pen Azen in Class 1, with Puma a little way behind them. The race in each class is determined by a handicap system. As Puma is the smallest yacht in her class, she has the best handicap of the 3 yachts, which means that even if she doesn't beat Pen Azen and British Soldier over the line, she can still win on corrected time when the handicap is calculated. This makes the race even more exciting as we just don't know until every yacht has finished the race what the final positions will be.
RORC Madeira Race Report No 5:
Day 3: And then they're were 5........
A night not for the fainthearted. An exhausted Skipper called in at 11pm last night saying that Puma was only 1 mile from Ushant and the seas were huge. Puma was sailing with No 4 heavy jib and storm trysail, and still going over 6 knots. Jamaica Clipper seems to have definitely forgotten how good the pasties are in Penzance and have recrossed the Channel and are heading in the right direction. Mostly Harmless has turned back from the coast of France and is currently in Falmouth. We hope all is well aboard. Puma was considering pulling in to the French port of Brest last night after rounding Ushant, to grab some rest and continue in daylight, but the tracker shows that they have soldiered on and are now doing really well. The race rules state that a competing yacht can stop at a port, so long as the crew remain aboard and still be able to re-start without penalty.
The wind seems to have abated a little and is coming directly from the west. This respite from the very uncomfortable conditions yesterday will be met with open arms, but it is still gusty, and the sea state is described as very rough. The forecast suggests that it is still 5-7 occasionally gale force 8 at times, so even though the wind has died a little it is still pretty windy!
British Soldier seem to have stolen a march on Pen Azen over night as they had a better direct route around Ushant and gained valuable miles there. The German 56 footer Norddeutsche Vermoegen are still leading and are heading across the bay towards the north western tip of Spain, Cape Finisterre.
It is interesting to note here that Puma Logic is the smallest yacht left in the field now, and sailed by people who have never experienced anything like this before. Although Brian (nicknamed 'Shumey') is our offshore racing protégé at the tender age of 68, all the crew are from normal walks of life. We have Alice, a 59 year old Bank Executive from London , who originally signed up to do the RORC Cowes-La Rochelle Race. We persuaded her that racing to Madeira would be much more fun....I am not really sure what she thinks of us now!
Whilst writing these reports over the last couple of days, I have been overcome with a tremendous feeling of deja-vu. This time last year the Fastnet Race was decimated by a violent storm in the Channel, and the year before, Puma was competing in the non-stop Round Britain and Ireland Race and had gales on the nose for most of the 14 days it took to circumnavigate our islands. It's pretty spooky to think that this is the third year in a row that the conditions have been severe at sea over the same few days, in the same area.
Unfortunately we have no news of conditions onboard the other yachts at the moment, but will update you of any news later on today.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 9:02 AM
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A night not for the fainthearted. An exhausted Skipper called in at 11pm last night saying that Puma was only 1 mile from Ushant and the seas were huge. Puma was sailing with No 4 heavy jib and storm trysail, and still going over 6 knots. Jamaica Clipper seems to have definitely forgotten how good the pasties are in Penzance and have recrossed the Channel and are heading in the right direction. Mostly Harmless has turned back from the coast of France and is currently in Falmouth. We hope all is well aboard. Puma was considering pulling in to the French port of Brest last night after rounding Ushant, to grab some rest and continue in daylight, but the tracker shows that they have soldiered on and are now doing really well. The race rules state that a competing yacht can stop at a port, so long as the crew remain aboard and still be able to re-start without penalty.
The wind seems to have abated a little and is coming directly from the west. This respite from the very uncomfortable conditions yesterday will be met with open arms, but it is still gusty, and the sea state is described as very rough. The forecast suggests that it is still 5-7 occasionally gale force 8 at times, so even though the wind has died a little it is still pretty windy!
British Soldier seem to have stolen a march on Pen Azen over night as they had a better direct route around Ushant and gained valuable miles there. The German 56 footer Norddeutsche Vermoegen are still leading and are heading across the bay towards the north western tip of Spain, Cape Finisterre.
It is interesting to note here that Puma Logic is the smallest yacht left in the field now, and sailed by people who have never experienced anything like this before. Although Brian (nicknamed 'Shumey') is our offshore racing protégé at the tender age of 68, all the crew are from normal walks of life. We have Alice, a 59 year old Bank Executive from London , who originally signed up to do the RORC Cowes-La Rochelle Race. We persuaded her that racing to Madeira would be much more fun....I am not really sure what she thinks of us now!
Whilst writing these reports over the last couple of days, I have been overcome with a tremendous feeling of deja-vu. This time last year the Fastnet Race was decimated by a violent storm in the Channel, and the year before, Puma was competing in the non-stop Round Britain and Ireland Race and had gales on the nose for most of the 14 days it took to circumnavigate our islands. It's pretty spooky to think that this is the third year in a row that the conditions have been severe at sea over the same few days, in the same area.
Unfortunately we have no news of conditions onboard the other yachts at the moment, but will update you of any news later on today.
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
RORC Madeira Race Report No 4: Day 2 - afternoon round up
Well if the weather is anything to go by here in our offices in Southampton, then spare a thought for Puma Logic out in the thick of it today in the English Channel.
Philippe made contact this lunchtime via our Satellite phone to say that all is well onboard although the yacht and everyone was very wet and very tired after a bit of a pasting during the night.
No real news as they are 'just getting on with the job', but it's not pleasant sailing conditions. I think Philippe was making me read between the lines of the conversation, but I gather that there is a very large sea running, and the wind has increased to over 40 knots this afternoon gusting up to 50 which is particularly strong. Puma Logic is holding up well, and before the yacht tacked back South this afternoon, the yacht was sailing with the no.4 jib only, after taking down the main. This is a sail preserving tactic, as there is still a very long way to go to Madeira.
News from the rest of the fleet is that it seems there are another 2 yachts retiring or heading for port. Jamaica Clipper (Clipper 68) has set a course for Penzance in the last 2 hours and our friends on Kerlaria (Open 40) seem to be heading back up the Channel to the Solent. The guys on board are sailing 2 handed, and with the weather and sea state they have been experiencing, might have decided that enough is enough before heading into the Bay of Biscay.
The Class 0 yacht Norddeutsche Vermoegen seem to be heading around the Isle de Ushant at the moment and are the first yacht to pass but as they are a 56 footer, this should be expected!
Puma Logic has tacked back onto a southerly course this afternoon and are heading straight to Ushant. Their speed suggests that they have rehoisted the main and are speeding along at 8.60 knots, the fastest on the 4pm schedule.
The weather model at the moment suggests that the winds that were meant to be abating later on this evening and overnight seem hell bent on staying put, and the MET Office has conditions as Gale force 8 where all the fleet are at the moment.
Please be reassured that Puma Logic as well as her sister ship, Jaguar Logic, have many times raced through weather such as this and are very strong little yachts. The crew have we believe raced and sailed more miles together than any other yacht in this race and we know they are very capable of getting through this with a little detemination and I would assume much gritted teeth. On the yacht the conditions will not be pleasant; the crew may have been able to get a hot meal down them as they were sent off with 3 main meals pre-prepared. Thai green chicken curry with noodles was on the menu for last night, and chicken chasseur was tonights gastronomic delight but it may come down to eating snacks and drinking tea until the weather starts to be a little kinder. The crew will be well into their watch system by now, with 4 crew being on watch and 4 in their bunks, changing over every 3 hours. Most things on board are shared such as bunks, sleeping bags and toiletries and there is very little room for any privacy or quiet...
Stop news:
Jamaica Clipper seem to have tacked back away form the Cornish Coast and are heading back across the Channel in the general direction of Ushant so it seems that they either had a technical problem or decided that Madeira was a better destination than Penzance! Mostly Harmless (Prima 38) seem to have set a course back across the English Channel towards the Solent but it may be that they have had a local wind shift making them tack unfavourably to get enough north in to then tack back again and lay the rhumb line to Ushant.......all very exciting stuff!
Posted by Philippe Falle at 5:25 PM
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Well if the weather is anything to go by here in our offices in Southampton, then spare a thought for Puma Logic out in the thick of it today in the English Channel.
Philippe made contact this lunchtime via our Satellite phone to say that all is well onboard although the yacht and everyone was very wet and very tired after a bit of a pasting during the night.
No real news as they are 'just getting on with the job', but it's not pleasant sailing conditions. I think Philippe was making me read between the lines of the conversation, but I gather that there is a very large sea running, and the wind has increased to over 40 knots this afternoon gusting up to 50 which is particularly strong. Puma Logic is holding up well, and before the yacht tacked back South this afternoon, the yacht was sailing with the no.4 jib only, after taking down the main. This is a sail preserving tactic, as there is still a very long way to go to Madeira.
News from the rest of the fleet is that it seems there are another 2 yachts retiring or heading for port. Jamaica Clipper (Clipper 68) has set a course for Penzance in the last 2 hours and our friends on Kerlaria (Open 40) seem to be heading back up the Channel to the Solent. The guys on board are sailing 2 handed, and with the weather and sea state they have been experiencing, might have decided that enough is enough before heading into the Bay of Biscay.
The Class 0 yacht Norddeutsche Vermoegen seem to be heading around the Isle de Ushant at the moment and are the first yacht to pass but as they are a 56 footer, this should be expected!
Puma Logic has tacked back onto a southerly course this afternoon and are heading straight to Ushant. Their speed suggests that they have rehoisted the main and are speeding along at 8.60 knots, the fastest on the 4pm schedule.
The weather model at the moment suggests that the winds that were meant to be abating later on this evening and overnight seem hell bent on staying put, and the MET Office has conditions as Gale force 8 where all the fleet are at the moment.
Please be reassured that Puma Logic as well as her sister ship, Jaguar Logic, have many times raced through weather such as this and are very strong little yachts. The crew have we believe raced and sailed more miles together than any other yacht in this race and we know they are very capable of getting through this with a little detemination and I would assume much gritted teeth. On the yacht the conditions will not be pleasant; the crew may have been able to get a hot meal down them as they were sent off with 3 main meals pre-prepared. Thai green chicken curry with noodles was on the menu for last night, and chicken chasseur was tonights gastronomic delight but it may come down to eating snacks and drinking tea until the weather starts to be a little kinder. The crew will be well into their watch system by now, with 4 crew being on watch and 4 in their bunks, changing over every 3 hours. Most things on board are shared such as bunks, sleeping bags and toiletries and there is very little room for any privacy or quiet...
Stop news:
Jamaica Clipper seem to have tacked back away form the Cornish Coast and are heading back across the Channel in the general direction of Ushant so it seems that they either had a technical problem or decided that Madeira was a better destination than Penzance! Mostly Harmless (Prima 38) seem to have set a course back across the English Channel towards the Solent but it may be that they have had a local wind shift making them tack unfavourably to get enough north in to then tack back again and lay the rhumb line to Ushant.......all very exciting stuff!
RORC Madeira Race Report No 3: Day 2 - Bashing in the Channel
Overnight there has been some interesting developments.
Overnight there has been some interesting developments.
Puma Logic has continued her race at a steady pace, the wind has started to increase as predicted and the two Class 2 yachts, Change of Course and Ultreia, have headed back to Plymouth. We don't know yet if they have retired or are effecting repairs but time will tell.
So back to the racing, Pen Azen seems to be leading the four Class 1 yachts at the moment, but Puma Logic was first to tack away form the course to Ushant when the wind came round and started to head them. This means that they were unable to lay the direct course to the next mark, which is Isle de Ushant (off the Brittany coast near Brest). They will follow this non-making course until they can lay the course and then they will tack back again. It seems that British Soldier, and Pen Azen have followed them with this tactic. The yachts should reach Ushant sometime later this evening.
The next mark of the course is the Chausee de Sein lighthouse off Duarnenez, which then leaves open the entrance to the infamous Bay of Biscay. Weather conditions this morning are bright with a stiff breeze which has been building over the last few hours. The wind has obviously gone south a little, but the weather model shows south westerly winds of up to 30 knots with a 2 metres swell at the moment. This means conditions will be lumpy and a little uncomfortable, but the yacht is well prepared for this and I think the crew well up for it too. Puma Logic called in last night to say all is well onboard.
Skipper Philippe managed to get a few hours sleep in the afternoon and everyone is settling into the watch system well, and looking forward to the nicer weather which is on the horizon.
Just a quick check to let you know who the crew are:
Philippe Falle - Skipper
David Bright (Brighty) - Mate
Becki Milton
Alice McMillan
Elaine Hyland
Alan McBride
Richard Visick
Peter Brownsell
Francisco Azevedo (Chico)
Brian Phillips
Brian is probably the most experienced offshore sailor we have on the crew of Puma (apart from Skipper Philippe and Dave Bright who have both raced around the world). Brian first sailed with Sailing Logic on the 2005 Fastnet Race (where Puma Logic won Class 1) and since then has competed on Puma in the non-stop Round Britain and Ireland Race 2006, Fastnet 2007 and then Madeira Race this year. Brian also happens to be the most mature crew on board Puma, and we think in the whole race at the tender age of 68...go Brian!!
Posted by Philippe Falle at 9:47 AM
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Just a quick check to let you know who the crew are:
Philippe Falle - Skipper
David Bright (Brighty) - Mate
Becki Milton
Alice McMillan
Elaine Hyland
Alan McBride
Richard Visick
Peter Brownsell
Francisco Azevedo (Chico)
Brian Phillips
Brian is probably the most experienced offshore sailor we have on the crew of Puma (apart from Skipper Philippe and Dave Bright who have both raced around the world). Brian first sailed with Sailing Logic on the 2005 Fastnet Race (where Puma Logic won Class 1) and since then has competed on Puma in the non-stop Round Britain and Ireland Race 2006, Fastnet 2007 and then Madeira Race this year. Brian also happens to be the most mature crew on board Puma, and we think in the whole race at the tender age of 68...go Brian!!
Monday, 11 August 2008
RORC Madeira Race Report No 2: .......And they're off!!
At 0900 hrs this morning, Puma Logic started the RORC Cowes-Madeira Race from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line at Cowes, Isle of Wight.
Although the support rib failed to materialise after the driver slept in (!) disappointment for the shore crew has been replaced by smiles as Puma stormed out of the Eastern Solent through the Needles, neck and neck with the other 3 yachts in her class, Pen Azen (J122), Mostly Harmless(Prima 38) and the Army's British Soldier(Archambault 40). All 4 yachts have been battling together all season in the RORC Offshore Campaign series, so this race in particular will I am sure be a very close and tactical one.
The weather this morning was 10-15 knots westerly, meaning a couple of tacks required to get to the Needles and then some interesting tactical decisions required during this afternoon as when to tack, to get down the English Channel.
The first mark of the course is to leave Alderney, Burhou and the Casquets to Port, which the yacht should reach sometime during the night.
Right now, on board, watch systems will not have started, the whole crew bar mainsheet trimmer and genny trim will be on the rail, trying to flatten out the yacht and make her go as quick as possible. With the weather forecast, it will be upwind and unconfortable sailing for the next 48-72 hours and then going through the Bay of Biscay the wind should become a more constant westerly, giving the yachts a chance to crack off a little although the sea state will be still pretty rough.
RORC Madeira Race Report No 1: ...... it's 7am.....
Well......what a busy weekend, and now all is quiet.
A whirling hurricane of human energy has been passing through Sailing Logic's offices this weekend. Very busy people getting very anxious ahead of the biggest adventure of their lives.....
All the preparations are complete, all stores and belongings packed away and the yacht is looking in the best shape she has ever been. Admittedly she is a little lower in the water than she is normally but stowing provisions, kit and 10 people for a 10 day race means an awful lot of stuff!
Saturday was spent doing last minute jobs on the yacht such as checking all sails, checking all rigging, re-tuning the rig, cleaning bunk cushions, diving on her hull, looking at the weather models, cleaning EVERYTHING, and then the crew party in the evening. A rather large night ensued, but it was Alice's birthday! Sunday dawned bright and sunny after the torrential rain of the night before and things were starting to take shape. Essential kit started to go on, the seemingly endless jobs list was getting smaller and even the skipper managed a smile....minor miracle! The food was packed up, water put aboard, and then the crews personal belongings. A very small clothing list was given to each crew member, as stowage space is very limited in Puma Logic, no large suitcases allowed!
I write this as we have just waved the yacht off the dock ready for the 9am start this morning.
If you would like to follow the progress of the yacht and also the race, please go to the Royal Ocean Racing Club website - www.rorc.org, and click through on the Cowes Madeira link.
Allie
Posted by Philippe Falle at 12:26 PM 0 comments Leave Comment
Well......what a busy weekend, and now all is quiet.
A whirling hurricane of human energy has been passing through Sailing Logic's offices this weekend. Very busy people getting very anxious ahead of the biggest adventure of their lives.....
All the preparations are complete, all stores and belongings packed away and the yacht is looking in the best shape she has ever been. Admittedly she is a little lower in the water than she is normally but stowing provisions, kit and 10 people for a 10 day race means an awful lot of stuff!
Saturday was spent doing last minute jobs on the yacht such as checking all sails, checking all rigging, re-tuning the rig, cleaning bunk cushions, diving on her hull, looking at the weather models, cleaning EVERYTHING, and then the crew party in the evening. A rather large night ensued, but it was Alice's birthday! Sunday dawned bright and sunny after the torrential rain of the night before and things were starting to take shape. Essential kit started to go on, the seemingly endless jobs list was getting smaller and even the skipper managed a smile....minor miracle! The food was packed up, water put aboard, and then the crews personal belongings. A very small clothing list was given to each crew member, as stowage space is very limited in Puma Logic, no large suitcases allowed!
I write this as we have just waved the yacht off the dock ready for the 9am start this morning.
If you would like to follow the progress of the yacht and also the race, please go to the Royal Ocean Racing Club website - www.rorc.org, and click through on the Cowes Madeira link.
Allie
Posted by Philippe Falle at 12:26 PM 0 comments Leave Comment