The Creation of the RB&I
Following the success of the first two OSTARs, Blondie Hasler proposed to the Royal Western Yacht Club that there should be a two-handed race around the British Isles. No doubt he considered a single-handed race, but the weather conditions and proximity to land necessitated two crew.
The Club considered the proposal and agreed to organise the first Round Britain and Ireland race in 1966. The course, of about 2000 miles, would be split into five legs separated by compulsory stop-overs of 48 hours each at Crosshaven in Ireland, Castle Bay, Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Lerwick in Shetland, and Harwich on the East Coast. It would circumnavigate Britain and Ireland and, with the exception of the Channel Islands and Rockall, all islands and rocks would be left to starboard.
The character of the event was set by the rule which said “The race is a sporting event to encourage the development of suitable boats, gear, supplies and techniques for efficient short-handed cruising under sail, and also to test the speed and seaworthiness of widely different types of boats by enabling them to race against each other on equal terms.”
Early critics argued that a race of this nature is no place in which to find out if a boat is seaworthy or not. But Blondie responded “The only reliable judge of seaworthiness is the sea itself, and the seaworthiness of an individual boat depends to a large extent on how she is handled. Many popular features in the design of modern racers would have been thought quite unseaworthy forty years ago. It is reasonable for inspection teams to reject anything that is in bad condition, but very difficult to reject a hull or rig as being inherently unseaworthy, particularly when the skipper is at least as experienced as the inspector. To exclude a boat on a questionable point of opinion is not usual in yacht racing but creates instant bad feeling and leaves the opinion unproven. To allow the sea to eliminate a design feature is fair, unanswerable, and a useful contribution to the science of seafaring. One of the main points of our two races is to allow experimenters a free rein and to learn something from the results.”
The first race was a great success with multihulls making their mark for the first time in oceanic racing by taking the first 6 places.
The RB&I was established on a four year cycle (two years off the OSTAR cycle). Lowestoft replaced Harwich as the east coast port from the second race on. Thereafter the course remained the same until Kinsale replaced Crosshaven in 2006.
The race grew rapidly to a multinational entry of many boat sizes and types. In 1982 the 85 starters included an 80ft monohull, a 70ft catamaran, several 60 and 65ft trimarans, down to a 25ft monohull, and represented over a dozen nationalities.
The following race was sailed in 1985, since 1986 was given over to the second TWOSTAR so it could run two years apart from the OSTAR. The four year cycle continued with races in 1989 and 1993. The 93 race was sponsored by the Teesside Development Corporation and saw Hartlepool replace Lowestoft as the East Coast stop-over. The RB&I reverted to its original schedule in 1998, returning to Lowestoft, then in 2006 Kinsale replaced Crosshaven as the Irish stopover port.
The Round Britain Race has certainly produced an amazing assortment of yachts. We have seen the 70 foot purpose-built racing yachts, both monohulled and multihulled, along with family cruising boats of all shapes and sizes. We have seen young, athletic crews sitting out on quarter-tonners for long periods while others have chosen to go round comfortably in a 47ft cruising boat with a junk rig which they could handle almost completely from inside.
Although the 48 hour stopovers are intended for rest, replenishment and repair, they are very much enjoyed as occasions for socializing. A tremendous spirit builds up amongst the crews of yachts of like speed as they meet each other in successive ports.
To add to the interest, various handicaping systems were devised but the important thing has always been the boat for boat competition. Handicapping was not universally approved of by the competitors and in one race the only entry on one, daily, page of a yacht’s log read “wind northerly (from ahead) force 9 – HOPE THE HANDICAPPER DROPS DEAD!” For a while handicapping was, as in the OSTAR, replaced by the sub-division of the fleet into a number of classes based on length in which the yachts race “boat for boat”, but now both use IRC and MOCRA for handicapping. However, the winner is still the first over the finish line in Plymouth and elapsed times are still used to recognise records by length.
The first Round Britain and Ireland Race (then called the Round Britain Race) was blessed with predominantly fair winds. The attracted a 16 strong fleet of both multihulls (10) and monohulls (6), including an unusual flat-bottomed monohull entry from Hasler himself.
This was the first race in which multihulls showed what they could do in ocean racing; multihulls finished in the first six places and the remaining four finishers were monohulls.
Derek Kelsall entered a brand new boat of his own design, a 42ft trimaran called Toria. Despite undergoing last minute changes right up the gun, she went out in front and stayed there throughout the race. Her time of 19 days 17 hours was not beaten until 1974.
The first monohull to finish was the 47.5 ft William Fife designed Severn, the largest of the fleet and, at 36 years old, the oldest! She was sailed by owner Tony Wheeler and Angus Buchan.
Blondie Hasler and his wife Bridget entered a very radical, flat-bottomed, slab-sided 45.5 footer called Sumner. Unfortunately they suffered a damaged rudder and had to retire to Barra. James Wharram suffered a broken centreboard in his Polynesian style trimaran and was forced to retire near the Scilly Isles.
The one disqualification was the trimaran Tao which completed the course but with only one crew member on board, the other having left after a disagreement – a problem that would recur in later races.
1966 RB&I Entries
Started… 16
Finished… 10
Nationalities… 1
1966 RB&I Winner
Winner… Derek Kelsall / Martin Minter-Kemp
Nationality… GBR
Yacht NameToria
Hull TypeTri
Time 19d 17h 23m
The following race in 1970 saw 28 entries split 50/50 between mono and multi. It took a 71ft monohull sailed by Robin KnoxJohnston to break the multihull dominance of the previous year – the largest multihull entered was the 52ft Wharram junk rigged catamaran Tehini, which later retired. Rough conditions and mishaps took their toll on many of the entrants which made for an exciting race with the lead changing more than once over the course. First multihull home and second over the line was Snow Goose an 11 year old 36ft catamaran repeating their success in the first race. Kelsall attempted the race with his own 51.5ft proa design Sidewinder, but retired at Crosshaven.
1970 RB&I Entries
Started… 22
Finished… 20
Nationalities… 1
1970 RB&I Winner
Winner… Leslie Williams / Robin Knox-Johnston
Nationality… GBR
Yacht Name… Ocean Spirit
Hull Type… Mono
Time… 20d 21h 10m
The race really began to take off in 1974 when 61 starters were on the line with several big boats present and a strong international entry. Robin Knox-Johnston sailing the 70ft cat British Oxygen was up against the likes of Leslie Williams and Peter Blake aboard the 80ft mono Burton Cutter, Philip Weld aboard Gulf Streamer (60ft tri) and Alain Colas aboard Manureva (70ft tri). Other well known names out to rewrite the record books were those of Tony Bullimore, Nick Keig, Mike Birch and Claire Francis. Snow Goose was back again as was Toria (renamed as Gancia Girl).
In gale force conditions that prevailed for much of the race British Oxygen went on to set a new record of 10 days, 4 hrs 26 mins at sea (18d 04h 26m overall). They were followed closely by Three Cheers (Mike McMullen and Martin Read) and Gulf Streamer (Phil Weld and David Cooksey).
1974 RB&I Entries
Started… 60
Finished… 39
Nationalities… 5
1974 RB&I Winner
Winner… Robin Knox-Johnston / Gerald Boxall
Nationality… GBR
Yacht NameBritish Oxygen
Hull TypeCat
Time 18d 04h 26m
Entries rose again with sailors from ten nations competing with a mix of racing and cruising boats. The race was sailed in mainly light winds resulting in longer than usual times, and some of the slower boats running out of time. Among the competitors were Giles Chichester and Mike Richey in Gipsy Moth V, and Peter Jay, then British Ambassador to the United States, sailing Norvantes (a boat whose position was always known!). While becalmed off the east coast two boats rafted up and enjoyed dinner together – a breach of the rules that was commented on, but not protested!
Kelsall designed trimarans took first, Great Britain IV, and second (Three Legs of Mann) place with the Newick designed tri Rogue Wave third. Again the only proa entered failed to make it home. Walter and Joan Greene were back again in A Capella finishing fourth and Nigel Irens entered the fray with a 31.5ft tri Jan of Santa Cruz and finished fifth overall.
1978 RB&I Entries
Started… 74
Finished… 62
Nationalities… 10
1978 RB&I Winner
Winner… Chay Blyth / Rob James
Nationality… GBR
Yacht NameGreat Britain IV
Hull TypeTri
Time 21d 01h 24m
Race numbers peaked in 1982 with 85 craft from twelve countries competing, including three French multihull entries. As in 78 the weather was less harsh than in previous years, and with the constant advances in multihull design, the stage was set for a record breaking run. Colt Cars GB – a 60ft tri sailed by Rob and Naomi James achieved just that with a time of 8 days 15 hrs 3 mins at sea. Multihulls won all classes with two Nigel Irens built and designed 40ft trimarans making their mark on the international racing scene, taking 1st in class IV – IT82 (6th overall) and Gordano Goose – 3rd in class IV (8th overall). Twiggy capsized in the North Atlantic off the northernmost point of the Orkney Islands. Luckily both crew and trimaran were saved. A lack of media attention for what had become a top class international event left some competitors and sponsors slightly disgruntled.
1982 RB&I Entries
Started… 85
Finished… 69
Nationalities12
1982 RB&I Winner
Winner… Rob James / Naomi James
Nationality… GBR
Yacht NameColt Cars
Hull TypeTri
Time 16d 15h 03m
Only a three year gap to avoid clashing with the French racing circuit.
This edition was sponsored by the City of Plymouth, the first time they had sponsored a yachting event.
Escape hatches were made compulsory in that year. Three new British designs took to the water just prior to the race – Apricot (60ft tri designed by Nigel Irens), Paragon (60ft tri designed by Adrian Thompson) and Novell Network (80ft cat designed by John Shuttleworth). The competitors experienced strong winds all around the course with several retiring at Barra. But the final leg saw the worst weather, and several of the tail-enders were forced to seek shelter.
1985 RB&I Entries
Started… 74
Finished… 51
Nationalities… 9
1985 RB&I Winner
Winner… Nigel Irens / Tony Bullimore
Nationality… GBR
Yacht Name… Apricot
Hull Type… Tri
Time… 16d 15h 03m
The Observer returned to sponsor the 1989 edition of the RB&I, and 60 boats made it to the start line.
Frenchmen Francois Boucher and Loic Linglois sailing Saab Turbo (ex Elf Aquitaine II) set a new record of 7 days 7 hrs 30 mins on the water, 15 days 7 hrs 30 mins overall, which still stands.
1989 RB&I Entries
Started… 60
Finished… 47
Nationalities… 6
1989 RB&I Winner
Winner… Francois Boucher / Loic Linglois
Nationality… FRA
Yacht NameSaab Turbo
Hull TypeCat
Time 15d 07h 31m
A change to the course this year. A new sponsor, the Teesside Development Corporation, brought a new east-coast stop-over at Hartlepool where they were building a large marina.
The field dropped to 58 but with a rise in nationalities represented. The drop was in the number of large multihulls; of the nine multis entered, only one in class I, two in class IV and six in class V. Steve Fossett’s 60ft Lokata looked set to beat the existing record had it not been for light winds in the channel. Brian Thompson sailing the 40ft Severalles Challenge set a new class V record of 9 days 21 hrs 30 mins.
1993 RB&I Entries
Started62
Finished37
Nationalities11
1993 RB&I Winner
WinnerDavid Scully / Steve Fossett
NationalityUSA
Yacht NameLakota
Hull TypeTri
Time15d 12h 04m
A wild race this year with gale force winds for much of the time, usually on the head, resulted in slower times than usual.
A new development was the reintroduction of handicapping – IRC for the monos and MOCRA provided handicaps, and a Cup, for the multis. However not everyone was impressed and several boats did not provide factors, and two multis refused to sail under their allocated handicaps.
A notable entry was Paradox skippered by Alan Grace, a paraplegic. Alan and his crew, Chris Briggs, drove Paradox hard arriving 8th at Crosshaven. They had a damaged rudder and hull and despite repairs the problems reappeared on the next leg and they were forced to retire.
The race provided an exciting finish with Spirit of England arriving only 36 minutes behind FPC Greenaway.
1998 RB&I Entries
Started… 41
Finished… 27
Nationalities… 6
1998 RB&I Winner
Winner… Richard Tolkien / Robert Wingate
Nationality… GBR
Yacht NameFPC Greenaway
Hull TypeTri
Time 18d 15h 24m
2002 RB&I Entries
Started… 38
Finished… 20
Nationalities… 6
2002 RB&I Winner
Winner… Ross Hobson / Andrew Newman
Nationality… GBR
Yacht NameMollymawk
Hull TypeTri
Time18d 20h 56m
2006 RB&I Entries
Started… 36
Finished… 32
Nationalities… 4
2006 RB&I Winner
Winner… Rex Conn / Etienne Giroire
Nationality… USA
Yacht NameAlacrity
Hull TypeTri
Time18d 22h 58m
2010 RB&I Entries
Started… 40
Finished… 36
Nationalities-
2010 RB&I Winner
Winner… Rune Aasberg / Arild Schei
Nationality… NOR
Yacht NameSolo
Hull TypeTri
Time19d 00h 52m
2014 RB&I Entries
Started… 15
Finished… 12
Nationalities-
2014 RB&I Winner
Winner… Michel Kleinjans / Alexis Guillaume
Nationality… BEL
Yacht NameBrusails for Brussels
Hull TypeMono
Time18d 15h 58m
29 th May 2022 saw the start of the 15 th Double handed Round Britain & Ireland Race. This was to be a very special edition as, for the very first time, the race would be supported by a new fully crewed version. Following the 14 th edition in 2018, many of the past competitors along with a number who had shown an interest in the race were asked for their opinions on what made this special and what would improve the race to help entice other entries. The results lead to the new-look course and some changes to enhance the experience for a bigger audience.
First, the course was to feature 1 less stop over. The 3 stop overs would now be Galway, Lerwick and Blyth. Galway has had previous experience with big yachting events as the city had hosted the Volvo Ocean Race stop over and had the commercial harbour which doubled up to be a race village. Blyth was chosen as it has the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club well positioned ½ way down the East coast and has its own marina within metres of the start / finish line, ideal when finishing the leg and all one wants to do is go to the bar or get your head down for some much-needed rest.
The biggest change to the race would be the introduction of a fully crewed class. Due to the time it takes to sail around the country it was decided that this class would also have the option to change 50% of the crew at Galway and at Blyth. This is perfect for the sailor who wanted to be part of a RB&I team but has time restrictions. It is also great for charter boats. With the 2 handed race, one change can be made but at any port.
As with the OSTAR and TWOSTAR the previous weekend, over 100 spectators consisting of family, friends, Royal Western Yacht Club members and press boarded the ‘Plymouth Venturer’ sight-seeing vessel for a bird’s eye view of the start. Unlike the OSTAR and TWOSTAR there was a fresh north-westerly breeze giving all the entrants great conditions to show what their yachts could do in front of a very vocal crowd. Each yacht was introduced to the spectators and received a big cheer, the biggest of which was for Lou Boorman and her crew Elin Jones displaying their Welsh flag with pride onboard their Contessa 32, ‘White Knight’. These two ladies where vying to become the youngest ever crew to complete this historical race.
This time the start boat was positioned in the middle of the line, with a north westerly zone set up for the multihulls and a south easterly zone set up for the monohulls. These boat types react very differently and operate at very different speeds so the safest way to start, particularly when there are 1800 miles to go, is to have 2 start zones. At precisely 1200hrs the start flag dropped, and the horn sounded to start the 15 th edition of the race. Both fleets got underway without a hitch with the early pace setters being the 39ft Shuttleworth Trimaran, ‘Morpheus’. Owned by Andrew Fennell and crewed by Plymouth local sailmaker, Andy Sinclair and local sailor Paddy Hutchings who was taking time out of his preparations in France for the ‘Solitaire de Figaro’.
3 hours into the race and Morpheus would be the first to reach the Lizard. By now separation was beginning to be seen between the Multi’s and mono’s, all but for one mono which was Ross Hobson and Adrian Banks on their open 50, ‘Pegasus of Northumberland’. Rating at 1.493 this was on paper the fastest boat in the fleet but for her to use her entire weaponry she would need a lot of breeze in order to use her water ballast and rig controls to reach the best optimisation for the boat set up. Unfortunately this was to illude them for the majority of the race.
Keeping up with ‘Pegasus’ was a challenge, but Michael Klienjans’ ‘Kahu’ and Simon Baker’s ‘Hissy Fit’ were up for that challenge, right up to the first shut down off of Land’s End, where the race would become a parking lot and patience was the name of the game. Once the breeze filled in there would be 9 boats all in a line with less than a mile separating them. Dominic Bowns was showing how versatile the Sunfast 3300 was as ‘Orbit’ was now right up with the leaders. Co-skippered by Ian Munslow, this team would prove to be a formidable partnership with the drive and determination to challenge for every leg of the race. By the end of the second shut down only 4 boats were out of the pack, the furthest back was ‘Mea’. This was to be expected as she was the slowest, smallest boat in the fleet but quite possibly the ‘people’s favourite’ as this was a beautiful example of a Vertue 25 and its owner, Matteo Richardi, had already sailed thousands of miles to get to the start line. Another notable absence was that of Christian Chalandre and his co-skipper Pascal Body on ‘Olbia’. Christian had already taken part in 3 OSTAR’s with his Aquafibre 34, this year it was a simple choice for which race to do. Although Chalandre had to retire from the 2013 race with damage, he has a great record for the OSTAR of 4 races, 3 finishes, with a 4 th in 2017 and a 17 th in 2009. ‘I have never competed in the 2 Handed Round Britain and Ireland race’ he said, ‘so as this is the last time I will be racing offshore I had to do this one!’ Will he be tempted back in 2024? We will have to wait and see.
Leg 1 was a game of snakes and ladders, with shutdowns a plenty. Finally Morpheus would cross the Galway finish line at around 1700hrs with a finish time of 50 hours and 42 minutes. Once in the harbour Andrew Fennels team would make a b-line to the nearest provider of Guinness and proceeded to unwind from what was a very challenging 2 days. Next in was Hissy Fit who was to begin their Galway stop over at 2300hrs, followed by the first monohull, ‘Pegasus’ who arrived in the early hours of the morning. ‘Kahu’, ‘Suenos’, ‘Belladonna’ and ‘Orbit’ were to make it in time for the BBQ and live music organised by the Galway Bay Sailing Club. It has always depended on the local people to help and support the teams as they arrive with whatever demands they have, could be a nearest shower, a sailmaker, or a beer! The RWYC also provide support with 2 members going to each stop over for a week in order to capture as many of the fleet as possible and give them a cheer as they finish. The Galway stop over was manned by members of the Galway Bay Sailing Club and representation from the RWYC was Race Director Adrian Gray and Jane Gaca, who had started the race with the flags back in Plymouth. A fantastic evening was had by all with prizes given to those entries who outperformed, courtesy of Dubarry. It was a shame that the wind gods were not kind on those who didn’t make last orders. The following evening the team set up in the shed once again so as to share a beer and hear the tails of those who were within 24 hours of the leaders.
The Royal Western RB&I is a unique race. There is no restart as such, instead each boat has 48 hours with which they must stay in port. Only then can they restart. This would mean that ‘Morpheus’ would leave for Lerwick before the 3 slower boats, ‘Pipedream II’ the Beneteau First 34.5 sailed by Alan Charlton and Paul Mead, ‘White Knight’ and ‘Mea’ would see the back of the southwest coast of Ireland.
Unfortunately, the Traffic Separation System (TSS) to the West of the Scilly Isles would come into play. A misunderstanding as to this being part of the course or an obstacle would lead to some disgruntled teams. To try and reach a fair point for all, the end result was to award those who did not go through the TSS redress. The result of this redress would be seen to not affect the overall positions. During this stop over an amendment was issued stating that all TSS were now obstacles and to be avoided at all costs. As ‘Mea’ finished this leg, she would soon see that she would only have ‘White Knight’ as company. The rest of the fleet were well on their way to Lerwick.
Pipedream retired from the race at Galway, noting that the elapsed time would now be too long for them due to work commitments. Leg 2 would see some of the toughest conditions in the entire race which also lead to further retirements. Neil Boughton and co-skipper Julian Weyer Brown would pull ‘Easy Tiger’ out of the race and return to Northern Ireland. Dominic Gooding and Brendan Steward onboard ‘Belladonna’ and Bob Wallace and his crew would also suffer from the slow first leg and run out of time.
Rear Commodore Sail to be, Jerry Lock and his wife Bryony were to represent the club during the Lerwick stop over. They were to be kept extremely busy due to the trackers not behaving. Some went down, others burned through the power. It was imperative that each boat had a fully operational tracker and thanks to their efforts we were able to track every boat around the entire course.
Lerwick was and is always a special and interesting stopover, being at the end of the longest leg. The competitors faced some rough and challenging headwinds around the north of the Shetland Isles. Long term supporters of the RB&I, The Lerwick Boating Club, under their new Commodore Shayne McLeod, had organised a “Boat Buddy” system. Each boat was met on arrival and helped by the LBC’s members. The Lerwick Harbour Authority generously reserved a separate harbour for competing yachts. This was extremely useful during some very late nights and early morning arrivals and departures, in challenging conditions. Some at the same time! Luckily, the LBC’s hospitality extended to keeping the Clubhouse and bar open during these changeovers. One casualty was to retire at Lerwick, being the Newick 38 trimaran, ‘nemo’ owned by Matt Theobald. This was due to some structural damage to one of the floats.
We look froward to continuing to receive the support and friendship of Lerwick, the Club and Port in the future. As the boats began heading south, duels were developing throughout the racecourse. ‘Morpheus’ and ‘Hissy Fit’ were locked in battle. The Shuttleworth Tri was still able to hold onto the lead on the water but as they entered the RNYC marina the gap was 4 hours. ‘Pegasus’ and ‘Kahu’ were locked together also with only a few minutes separating them. ‘Suenos’ was next in followed by ‘Orbit’ who had time on the rest of the fleet by this point. Then a regular sight on offshore races was to continue for the entire rest of the race. The two Isle of Man boats were locked in battle. With her striking graphics of the eagle and the Stars & Stripes proudly displayed on the mainsail, Charlene Howard and Bobby Drummand onboard their Jeanneau 43 ‘AJ Wanderlust’ was only an hour behind her arch-rival Kuba Szymanski onboard his Beneteau 40.7 ‘Polished Manx’. They would both miss the 2 lead boats as both ‘Morpheus’ and ‘Hissy Fit’ had already left and were well into the final leg of the race.
2022 was to see the first inclusion of Blyth and the unique Royal Northumberland Yacht Club. The club is actually a light ship, one of only 2 in existence. This beautiful club house paid host to the entire fleet over the course of 3 weeks from start to finish. Rear commodore house Judi Sheldon and her husband Luke manned this stop over for 10 days which would again cover most of the fleet. The fleet very much enjoyed the hospitality of the club and the unusual setting. Blyth is a small commercial port, but the passion shown by the club eclipsed the lack of other amenities that were abundant on the other stop overs. We thank Vice Commodore Mike Bradburn and his entire team for all their help and look forward to returning again.
Probably the trickiest leg of the entire race was Blyth to Plymouth. This would include very light winds for the leaders, strong winds for the back half, Dover straights being the busiest shipping area in the world, not to forget the abundance of TSS’s. The leaders had no fewer than 3 shutdowns. Patience was tested and the final dice were thrown. ‘Hissy Fit’ would opt for a lower route back through the English Channel and stay within striking distance for the entire leg. As they both passed Portland Bill and entered Lyme Bay, ‘Kahu’ would be the next boat to retire. Again, conditions would not allow the 2014 winner the time to finish. Being at the closest point to Belgium, Kleinjans chose to retire. As the leaders passed Start Point, ‘Mea’ was just arriving in Lerwick.
Back in Plymouth Sound and the leaders began their final approach. First to finish was the fully crewed ‘Morpheus’ and team with a leg time of 96 hours. Although 2 nd to finish, ‘Hissy Fit’ was to beat their leg 4 time by 2 ½ hours. Simon Baker and Dan Fellows were named the 2handed Round Britain and Ireland Line Honours winners and have their name inscribed on the winners’ board. Suenos would be the only other multihull finisher. Dazcats would amount to 4 Catamarans, which was ½ the fleet. Built locally in Millbrook, it is great to see that finally Simon Baker gets his name on the winner’s board with one of his own boats.
Of the monohulls, Ross Hobson and this time Chris Briggs were to finish first in the monohulls on the water, but poor conditions for the 2002 winner would see them slide down the results board. Next in was ‘Orbit’. Unfortunately ‘Orbit’ would infringe the TSS on a number of occasions and as such would receive time penalties which would leave them in 2 nd place overall. ‘AJ Wanderlust’ would finish within 22 minutes of ‘Polished Manx’. A long wait would begin for Charlene Howard and Bobby Drummand as they watched Simon Hutchinson and Gary Deakin onboard ‘Carrick’ come in finishing in a very respectable 5th overall and Christian Chalandre with co skipper Pascal Body on ‘Olbia’ pip them to 4th .Following a really fast sail along the south coast, it was now that Charlene Howard and Bobby Drummand were announced as winners of this year’s 2 handed Round Britain and Ireland race on corrected time.
Lou Boorman and Elin jones were next in with ‘White Knight’ and were welcomed by the biggest welcoming party of the entire race. Not only had they finished but they were also the youngest ever crew to finish and Lou Boorman the youngest ever skipper to finish. The finish was beamed across social media and was to be the most watched clip of the entire race.
Last but by no means least, ‘Mea’ crossed the line. This was never about winning the race for Matteo Richardi, it was all about achieving a circumnavigation around the British Isles and finishing, which he did with a huge amount of pride.
2022 Results
2 handed Round Britain and Ireland race corrected time
1st (and 2H overall Line Honours) 2nd
Hissy Fit Suenos
Simon Baker & Dan Fellows Rupert Kidd & Alan Mitchell
2 Handed Monohull Round Britain and Ireland Race corrected time 1 ST AJ Wanderlust Charlene Howard & Bobby Drummond 2 nd Orbit Dominic Bowns & Ian Munslow 3 rd Polished Manx Kuba Szymanski & Ian Davidson
Fully crewed Round Britain and Ireland Race 1 st and line honours Morpheus Andrew Fennell, Andy Sinclair, Paddy Hutchings, Chris Briggs, Richard
And so this wraps up a very successful, 15 th 2 handed Round Britain and Ireland race and the new fully crewed race. Our heartfelt thanks go to all the support volunteers from all 3 stop overs.
Our thanks must also go to MailASail. We have a great relationship with our sponsor, and we are pleased to announce that they will once again be title sponsors for RB&I 2024.
Other partners for the race were Gensys – who were our official Galway stopover partner, Dubarry, Heineken, Harbour Hotel Galway. We thank them very much for seeing an opportunity to support this very special race and hope to work with them again in future races.
The Round Britain and Ireland Race got off to a fantastic start on Sunday at midday, with Paradox3 starting to the West and the 4 monohulls starting to the East of Fulmar, the start boat which was positioned mid-way on the line between Melampus and F Buoy.
For the monohulls, Polished Manx had a perfect start cutting the line within a second of the gun. Owner Kuba Szymanski has handed his yacht over to Maciek Lato for this leg who has a very experienced offshore sailor in Iso Inan co-skippering. They were followed by the Swan 56 Sail Escapade and The Arcona 370 Arcsine who were neck and neck, Arcsine with the favoured windward slot right next to the committee boat, then not too far behind was Enigma of Yorkshire who had the same line to Arcsine.
Over to the west Paradox3 got a great start right on Melampus at full power, a really impressive sight as they wound the Trimaran up for what would be 5 tacks out of the western entrance before they could settle into a routine heading out to the Eddystone Lighthouse.
At approximately 14.26hrs Arcsine was the first to round the Eddystone Lighthouse! Not the expected bragging rights we expected, but with Paradox3 sailing at 15-20 knots and around 20 miles further out they were not officially ‘rounding’ the rock until 14 minutes later once they had tacked and their track was further inside the distance to the Lizard than the lighthouse was.
The Forecast for the next 48 hours will only be managed by the most experienced of teams. Conditions gradually worsened as the day progressed and by 2200hrs Paradox3 was the first to show their cards. Whilst all are very experienced sailors both in and offshore this is the first real time for the crew to be onboard this beast in what was looking like survival conditions. They were now some 40 miles south of the Lizard, but the decision to pull into Falmouth, Paradox3’s home port, was seen to be very sensible. We hope to see them challenge for the overall course record either after the storm has passed or on the next edition. With the current 4crew record being held by the 2022 Trimaran Entry Morpheus with 12days 18hrs 57minutes 52seconds, Adam Davis’ Paradox3 is surely the boat that could possibly do it!
By 0300hrs this morning, Monday 13th May, our 4 intrepid yachts were seen to be approaching the Isles of Scilly in 20-25knots of southerly breeze. As they turn last the southwestern corner of the Isles of Scilly TSS Sail Escapade was making the most of her waterline length of almost 20 feet longer than that of Arcsine as they sailed past the Arcona 370 with a 4-knot speed advantage. However Arcsine still hold a strong lead on the rest of the fleet as they enter the Celtic Sea. With winds expected to reach in excess of 50 knots some 35-50 miles of the west coast of Ireland before it begins to dissipate, the next 24 hours are going to be a real test of navigation and seamanship.
Tuesday 14th May and the fleet are passing the Southwest corner of Ireland. As they are turning up towards the finish of their first leg attention turns, not to the storm force winds 35-40 miles off to the west but the corridor that leads to the peninsula around the Aran Islands. Meanwhile Paradox3 has made a restart and is flying towards the Lizard averaging 15-20 knots. Conditions are very different for the leaders as they consider how to face the north – northeasterly light breezes. The RB&I truly is a full mix of conditions, leg 1 is about to live up to that.
Latest news: Paradox3 owner Adam Davis has just reported in, having made a great new start Paradox3 has blown a J2 Lock. This is a lock at the top of the 2nd Jib, which is at the masthead. The Jib halyard slides over a hook so the ‘halyard tail’ in the mast is a lot lighter than tying it off on deck. Paradox3 recently went through a huge refit, but this often means that there will be one or two snags. Adam is not deturbed, they will fix it and hope to be back out very soon.
Wednesday 15th
Unfortunately there was to be no re-start for Paradox3, the J2 lock was not an easy fix so the team made the decision to retire but they will be back next time!
Further up the course, a battle was being played out between the Swan 56 Sail Escape and the mighty Arcsine. Approaching the Aran Islands Sail Escapade was stretching out by tacking up the mainland shore whereas Arcsine decided to use the islands as shelter from the early effects of the tide. Then disaster struck! The top forestay toggle snapped and all that was holding the mast in place was the jib. A jury rig was assembled with halyards to the stemhead fitting at the bow and Arcsine made the safe decision to record their position and motor into port.
15th May
At 1002hrs Sail Escapade crossed the finish line for leg 1 giving them a corrected time of 78hrs 39minutes 42 seconds. Arcsine would limp into dock some 5 ½ hours later but further out there was an epic battle developing between Polished Manx and Enigma of Yorkshire. Less than 10 miles separated them as they both experienced a reducing breeze, causing them to short tack along the coast to find whatever they could as darkness fell.
16th May
By 0800hrs Polished Manx were struggling to find anything to help them in, averaging under 2 knots for prolonged periods of time whereas Enigma where still benefiting from a steadier breeze and were reducing the gap by the hour. Polished Manx then made a lunge to the north with the hope of getting further relief from the tide and more breeze, but by 1300hrs this had let Enigma in as she sailed around the southern headland to eventually cross the bows of Polished Manx. Just a few minutes separated them as they both crossed the finish line for leg 1 of this 4-leg race around Britain and Ireland.
Current standings with 3 boats in at Galway;
That evening we had the chance to all get together and share stories of Leg 1, which at times were brutal for very differing reasons; anything from storm conditions in the Celtic Sea to being becalmed and swimming in the bay off Galway. We were joined by Commodore Pat Erwin, previous commodore Jonny Shorten who presided over the 2022 RB&I race, and some members of the Galway Bay Sailing Club, not to mention Nigel Moss and Fergal Lyons who without their endless support and attention to every detail this stop over would be a very different proposition. Thanks was also given to Dubarry, who for the second race in a row have been very generous sponsors and we look forward to working with them again in the coming years.
17th May
“Ready to dock out, restart in an hour. Boat is cleaned , checked, food o/b. Weather is cloudy with some squalls, so far dry. We will be sailing on a broad reach out of the bay a few hours then turn right ( NW) and (there is) a very (long) tack direction Iceland 🥶. Hopefully to sometime the hook into reaching conditions towards Shetlands.
For today and tonight rather string winds.
All good and positive o/b.”
Pieter & Richard
Sail Escapade
At just after 1003hrs Sail Escapade were away and heading out for leg 2 which will see them racing to the highest point in the course and onwards to Lerwick. Unfortunately Arcsine would not be following them out just yet as they were still waiting for the toggle which would then allow them to re-join the race. Whilst all others were enjoying ‘The Craic’ that Galway is so renowned for, Kathy Claydon and Philip Kirk were still battling to get Arcsine fixed and ready for the off.
18th May
“So yesterday we started our second leg with an easy broad reach out of the bay, then a right turn going NW for a very long time.
As night came the wind and waves increased strongly . This delivered a very uncomfortable banging and crashing night with a lot of water over deck. Also the constant heel was uncomfortable and tiring. After sunup the situation started to improve flatter sea and less wind. We continued on STB tack much longer than we should have, sailing way too many miles. After we did tack about an hour ago, we found out that the (B& G yes, them again) wind instrument was in total 30* off!!!!
Painful and frustrating.
Anyway we are now in a narrow H pressure ridge that slowly moves E and over us. We can only hope we can keep some wind and keep the boat moving.
🙏 for us please 😉.
Course straight to an island called St Kilda that we must keep to our STB.
We roughly calibrated the wind instrument , not really possible to do that exact while sailing now.
So a big loss in miles, probably some 25 , which means about 3-4 hours that slipped out of our hands. Not smart.
Ahead , but quite far is a minefield of no wind area waiting for us. As we get closer tomorrow, we will hopefully be able with some luck to take the right decisions .
Pieter and Richard
Sail Escapade
Finally the part had arrived in Galway, was refitted, the rig reset, and Arcsine exited the harbour at 1300hrs. To re-join the race they then had to make their way to the position where they stopped sailing, some 50 NM out, and sail in to finish leg 1 at the finish line just off Galway docks. Once crossed, it was agreed with all concerned that in the interest of the race they could restart into leg 2 immediately and the 48hr stop over time would be added onto their elapsed time so as to keep the fleet relatively close as they headed north.
At 1550hrs Both Enigma and Polished Manx were neck and neck and heading out towards Aran. Some 5 hours later and Arcsine had reached their waypoint and were in full race mode to get back to the finish line. It would be a long night ahead but at 0734hrs this morning the news was received of their completing leg 1.
19th May
Although with 24hrs to be added to their elapsed time, Arcsine was back in the hunt and heading out towards Aran for the official time, leaving them to Starboard, little did they know but things were about to take a turn for the worse at the front.
“At 8.00 we broke the gooseneck ( connection main boom to mast. 6 welds broken, most probably originating from some uncontrolled gybes during the delivery to Plymouth.
After 2 hours work, we have temporarily stabilised the boom. Now looking at options to get repairs done or to continue to Lerwick. But that is still nearly 599 nautical miles. Now looking what we may expect from the weather.
Luckily, we have very light conditions at this moment.
Really shitty situation. Could become nasty if our fix breaks / chafes through.
Race information has been informed.
Stay tuned 🙏🙏🙏.”
Pieter & Richard
Sail Escapade
The race is not over, until it is over….
20th May
As Sail Escapade slowly but safely make their way towards toe peak latitude of the RB&I the race is warming up some 200 miles back. Arcsine has put their problems behind them in style and are rapidly catching up with Enigma and Polished Manx who have been locked in battle for several days.
“Good morning. We struggled through the night in very light and very shifty conditions with some unexpected puffs propelling us forwards. Bit sadly the puffs typically lasted max 15 minutes , mostly much less. So all in all very slow going. We have St Kilda in sight, but it is still some 20 nm away. This weather pattern looks stationary, so we have to prepare for a lot more of frustration. The boats behind are in a different wind/ weather pattern ; it is unclear how much they will catch up. In the meantime however they have decent wind and are straight lining to St Kilda.
Our boom held out ok last night, this morning we made some slight adjustments. Hopefully it will all hold till Lerwick.”
“Utterly frustrating weather. At the St Kilda islands we spent 2 hours with 0,00 kn boatspeed. Never saw that that long lasting. Now underway again in a very light and fickle wind. Next target Sule Segir, another lost rock in the North Atlantic we have to keep to STB.
( circa 59.06/006.11W)
Except for being frustrated all well.”
Pieter & Richard
Sail Escapade
21 may
By the morning there were just 30 miles between the 3 boats. Shifty conditions were plentiful for the rest of the day, with Arcsine being the one who worked the conditions out and made the biggest gains to take back her second position on the water.
Further up the track conditions have become unusually light and the frustration can be felt from 600 miles away!!!
“Another windless night . Initially very thick fog towards the end of the night clearing and a beautiful moon. Sunrise was spectacular with surrealistic colours. Anyone painting it this way would be locked up .
We had to reset the boom repair several times and the constant flogging of the main taking the boom with it made it all very difficult. Part of the night we dropped the main and ghosted silently under just code 0 and small jib through the calms. Slow, but no strain on the boom. so far, the spider’s web of heavy-duty ratchet bands and a very solid piece of rubber foam works. This morning again reset all: 250nm still to go is the distance most yachts do not do in a whole season 🙉🙏🙏🙏.
at 08.00 59.07/006.25W ( Sukkel Sigeit islands abeam)”
3)50
4)6,7kn
5)SE
6) 6-9 kn
22nd May
Overnight racing has remained close, and cover tacks a plenty within the fight between Arcsine, Enigma and Polished Manx. There is literally nothing in it as we see Arcsine tacking to the Northwest in order to cover off her two rivals. There is a bigger race afoot, but it is clear to see that position on the water is the first consideration.
A moonlit night to the west of Orkney
“Fantastic weather: sunshine, wind . But we need to be careful , still a long way to go with our crippled boom.
The weather is however changing, sky is getting cloud covered and Windy forecast significant wind increase tonight. Normally nothing to worry about, it is just that boom 🙏🙏🙏.
ETA Lerwick now between 17.00 and 24.00 BST. on Wednesday.
Our chasers seem to first need to negotiate some big calm patches as we did, but after those very strong winds on the nose for them.”
Pieter & Richard
Sail Escapade
Just after 1016hrs Sail Escapade made the course change to the Southeast which, of course, put them on a close-hauled course as they began their up-wind stint to the stopover in Lerwick. A watchful eye will be on the next few hours as this is a critical time for Sail Escapade to conserve their boat. The Gooseneck fix has held well but these are conditions that they have not faced since the fix. The slightest force in an untested direction could undo all their hard work just when they are so close to their desperately needed stop over where they will have a compulsory 48 hour stop over.
Further back we see Arcsine making time up every hour, even though they have had issues with their electronics leading to their wind instruments failing, as they stretch out from Polished Manx by 12 miles. As they are now just over ½ way on this leg we expect the 3 to be into Lerwick sometime around or after the 25th May.
23rd May
“When asked, when you know your ETA into Blyth, please let me know, roughly…” Pieter from Sail Escapade replied,
“Ha-ha I have completely given up on trusting weather forecasts: we had everything lined up for arrival here between 14 and 15 hours and it became 24.00.
Good wind was forecast, and we were drifting back to Muckle Flugga on the current, zero wind.
And then about an hour before finishing until 3 hours after finishing we had a series of violent squalls , unbelievable. All is not forecasted…
So ETA Blyth ….”
So, May???
During the afternoon conditions continued to cause havoc across the course. Whilst Polished Manx were showing true grit in banging to windward and making ground towards Shetland, Enigma was down to storm sails and struggling to make any sort of positive headway. Indeed it was time to seek shelter in Stornoway and, once taken a position of where they suspended sailing, headed into port to join Arcsine at 1945hrs. We don’t know if it was something they said…. But at 2000hrs Arcsine contacted race control with their notification of leaving harbour to re-join the race! Only they will know… but we are very pleased to see Arcsine back in the race and making good progress to the stopover.
24th May
Conditions continue to challenge the north and northwest cost of Scotland with wings approaching 30 knots from the Northeast but there is a moderating corridor to the east which will allow the fleet to get to the left in preparation for the wind to veer right during the day. By this evening we expect conditions to allow for a beam reach in 15-20 knots all the way to Muckle Flugga, a small island North of Unst and the northern-most point of the RB&I course. Whilst this is great news for those heading north, Sail Escapade prepares for her restart and the start of leg 3 at around midnight in what will be a difficult choice for the first 12-24 hours. Do they head to the east towards a left shift due much later in the day which could set them up for a fast leg towards the northeast coast or do they take the southerly gains early and hope that the breeze shifts far enough left to lift them up around the north-eastern-most coast of Scotland to face the next weather pattern in a much tighter rhumbline towards Blyth…
Enigma of Yorkshire at the Start in Plymouth Sound.
24th May
We have received some great updates from Sail Escapade, after having a torrid time of it on leg 2. Here is their story of the Lerwick Stop over.
“We are nearly ready to start our 3rd leg: from Lerwick ( Shetlands) to Blyth on the English East Coast , close to Newcastle.
But let me take you back to our last day and a half towards Lerwick . After some extremely quiet and big windless areas we started to pick up a nice wind and very good speed towards the southern part of the Shetlands. We were making 9-10 knots in a straight line to the top if the Shetlands ( Muckla Fugga) in a very tight reach along the Shetlands West Coast . Hour after hour extending our lead on the competition behind us . At one point we were nearly 300. nm ahead where the difference had been only about 100 nm earlier. Nice sunny cool weather, high speed , straight towards the turning point. Just above Muckla Fugga
Our most northern point. Here we would tack and go down the East side of the Shetlands in a fast dash toward Lerwick.
But the weather gods decided differently: we got a nice push from the current around the cape, but the wind completely stopped. Where the forecast had us in a nice wind speeding South we were drifting helplessly and hopelessly on the current, by now turned against us. Our ETA Lerwick slipped from 12.00 to 14.00 to 19.00 and finally we arrived just a few minutes before 24.00!
As we were closing in on Lerwick it became dark, and we had to take the code0 down very quickly. Also the genoa we then used had to be taken away and soon we were under deeply reefed heavy weather jib and double reefed main: terrible squalls attacked us. By now it was dark and blowing into the 30-ies with driving rain.
Great conditions for sailing into an unknown harbour!
We beat our way over the finish at a few minutes before 24.00 and I was very emotional having all survived the last few hours with the crippled boom.
Now to find the harbour…
In near zero visibility by the pelting rain we had to moor the boat on a lee shore in a sort of harbour ( not) that is completely open to the wind and waves. The pontoon was bouncing up and down and other yachts were banging and crashing into beach other with damage around. But this was where we were supposed to be. Well, no way Jose, not my boat. Luckily, we had 3 very strong but totally soaked guys ready to help us and we moored the boat on a forbidden but safer spot. The 3 guys were our helpers to repair the damaged boom gooseneck. Without their formidable help we would have turned back to sea , it was suicidal to follow the rules and berth on the designated spot. So finally at 02.00 we went to sleep, wasted, soaked, hungry and cold. Well….welcome to Lerwick: at 06.00 some Scot bloke from the harbour was knocking on the deck that we had to move , NOW!
So the day started early, our support troops dismantled the boom fitting and started to assess the damage. Rain was gushing down, and they needed a dry place to weld.
That was found more or less in the entrance to a local hotel: surely, we were loved by the locals.
All good what ends good, thanks thanks thanks to a band of helpers. Hard work, enormous commitment, huge sense of humour and a “ move over Buddy we need space to do our work” mentality!
And remounted, made stronger than before”.
Pieter Heerema and Richard Klabbers
Sail Escapade
It is worth noting that this race has everything; Its one of the most challenging courses in the world with the three stop overs placed as they are means that tactically there is never much of a chance to break away offshore, so the sailors have to remain alert the entire time. It has extreme conditions which turn up every edition without fail. One minute there is nothing, the next its survival. Fatigue is huge, whilst they may be sailing two handed, they are more often than not solo on deck as your co skipper is navigating or resting. Then they have the stop overs where they are given chance to recover but almost always this period is taken up with fixing the damage sustained from the previous leg. Thankfully, we often hear of fantastic stories of the locals rallying around with the sole mission to get our boats back out there and onwards to the finish of their RB&I, without them this race would have a very different ending for many. Conversely, we also hear of the struggles that our sailors face, whether that is finding a berth, getting power, finding somewhere to reprovision for the next leg, getting a rigger, a sail maker, somewhere to refuel… you name it, and those issues are magnified following days and weeks of 2 hours on watch, two hours off… if they are lucky!
It is worth remembering the origins of the 2 Handed Round Britain and Ireland Race. Following the success of the first two OSTARs, Blondie Hasler proposed to the RWYC that there should be a two-handed race around the British Isles. No doubt there were thoughts of it being a solo race but the proximity to land coupled with the weather conditions made this too risky, so the concept necessitated at least two crew, a principle that stands firm today.
The club agreed and the first race took place in 1966, which would be split into 5 legs separated by compulsory stopovers of 48 hours – the first race being Crosshaven, Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Lerwick in Shetland and Harwich on the east coast. These 48 hour stop overs feature today as they did then, but the nature of those stop overs has evolved over the years. It was standard practice and aligned to expectation to only have an anchorage at those stop overs. Indeed part of the original compulsory items on the checklist was a dinghy and oars to be able to get ashore. It was very much a self-sufficient challenge, whether that was on course or in port. There were no sail makers, no chandleries, no supermarkets, no hotels, indeed none of the luxuries we find today.
Times move on and priorities change, so do demands. As we work to evolve the RB&I in line with our entrants constraints and demands, we are mindful of the need for better facilities and as a club we will always do our very best to ensure that our entrants are not only looked after but have the provisions and skills they need to be able to recover and face the next stage as they did the start line back in Plymouth.
26th May
A solid performance from the 2 Polish lads aboard Polished Manx. The leg up from Galway has been a hugely challenging one for all boats. Here is an update from Maciek Lato, Skipper for the first 2 legs on Polished Manx:
“The second leg is behind us. Saturday 25.05 1307 we cross the finish line. After almost 800 nautical miles finally on land. This leg was a big challenge. Mad Arcsine’s big lead was quickly diminishing due to the lack of wind. Weather forecasts were joking in this regatta. Long time we were very close with our friends from Enigma of Yorkshire. We decided to look for a wind more to the west, which did not turn out great and what was our surprise when in the morning at St. Kilda, Arcsine called us on the radio. Moments before the approaching storm they were ahead of us. When the wind came up, we reefed and headed for Rone. In the afternoon it was necessary to hoist a storm jib. In the meantime, we noticed technical problems with the engine. We had to solve the engine problem with 35kt of wind and with almost 4 meters wave because we were in danger of blackout. The Coast Guard was notified by radio of our situation and monitored our position, regularly connecting with us. Finally, the engine started up, but worked only at one tack. So to charge the batteries we had to sail west instead of to Lerwick…. We spent almost two days in strong winds up to 40kt. This allowed us to gain a lead of about 120 miles over Arcsine. Near Shetland we already had a weaker wind and Muckle Flugga was passed with a favourable current. The last straight was again a little wind. At the end we put up the gennaker and proudly under Manx’s three legs we crossed the finish line in Bressay Sound. On the spot we met with great hospitality of the locals who welcomed us wonderfully.”
Maciek and Symon
Polished Manx
27th May
For leg 3 Polished Manx welcomes back her owner, Kuba Szymanski, who has been watching progress intensely from a distance. Due to some last-minute work commitments Kuba had to get some replacements onboard. He chose well, Polished Manx has been unrelenting and has really performed well so far. Kuba and is now in Lerwick, very excited to be getting back onboard and into one of his favourite races on the short-handed circuit.
Further news from Sail Escapade:
“1) 12.30 BST/ 13.30 NZT
2)56.12N/001.10E ( ca 60 nm E of Edinburgh)
3)225
4)7.5-8
5)160
6) 15
7) after a very fast route south the wind has now shifted from 60* to 160*. So tacking now to Blyth. Obviously, this will slow VMG considerably , making ETA Blyth evening today.
Some small squalls, some drizzle, some fog patches, some watery sunny periods. Nothing spectacular, all good o/b. Enjoy the Monaco F1 GP. We would have liked to watch it but not possible on the boat.”
Pieter and Richard
Sail Escapade
Whilst Sail Escapade wonder what is happening in the Monaco Grand Prix, so Arcsine cross the line in Lerwick to finish their second leg. Some hours later Polished Manx make their way to the start line, only to find that they have company…. One of the many cruise ships seen in Lerwick during the season had decided to park on the finish / start line!
They set off as Sail Escapades Stop over comes to an end in Blyth. A sense of frustration can be felt between the words as they begin the final stage of their race around Britain and Ireland:
“Bit of a boring stop over after a somewhat boring crossing from Lerwick. After 2 tacks to get out of Lerwick harbour
leg, looking forward to Plymouth and the RWYC. Again we will push hard but aiming at keeping everything in one piece.
29th May
1) 12.15 BST
2)53.53N 000.54 E ( NNW of Gr Yarmouth)
3) 148
4)8,5-9
5) W varying
6) 12 kn ( up and down a bit, feels like H pressure area wind
7) started last night in nearly no wind just after front passage so building and veering .
Had a fast night. Now less wind and more fickle. Cool but sunny. All well. we judged (…) the layline perfectly to arrive within 100 meters of the most N windmill at Blyth. A layline of approx 40 hours.
Blyth is basically nothing. Sad, derelict and poor. Lots of alcohol. Water on the dock is non- drinkable. Floating docks are leaking so tilting to one side. Nearest supermarket a 15 min walk. However we did get a good rest, did some minor to-do’s , shopping and ready to go.
Dinner in Newcastle ( 30 min taxi ride) and Newcastle itself were very nice.
Could be a fast last leg , maybe wet by some rain but also that should improve later, no howling winds.
Our competitors are leaving Lerwick today( or have just left) . They will have a better ride than we had as they will have good strong reaching and downwind conditions. Maybe they can better our time on handicap for the Lerwick- Blyth leg, we can just wait and see.
Presently in Blyth it is cold and rain on and off. Expecting WSW winds to start and slowly freeing so we can probably sail straight-line.
For now ( very rough ETA Plymouth is sometime Friday night .
Pieter Heerema and Richard Klabbers
Sail Escapade
But that is to be looked at with a margin as there are some windless holes forecasted along the English South. Coast where the current could even push us back. For now we are looking forward to the last
Further back, Polished Manx have further issues as their electronics fail. The current diagnosis is water ingress, but whatever the reason may be, it will not help until they get to Blyth. With their nav and autopilot down, this is going to see like a very long leg.
Further back Arcsine also have their issues, as their gas runs out. Some would say not as concerning as electronics, but if stuck with nothing hot to eat or drink for the entire leg then that may feel just as daunting.
30th May
Just after 1000hrs sees Kuba and Maciek complete leg 3. Just behind and Arcsine approaches the stop over having gained a huge amount of time enjoying the Northerly winds building on a new weather system in the North Sea which is likely to hang around for the weekend. With their restart set to a compulsory 48 hours following the finish of the previous leg frustrations will be at their highest as they watch Sail Escapade stretching their lead whilst threading their boat through the narrow gap which is the Dover Cliffs and the TSS which stretches as far as the eye can see along their path to the final stretch to Plymouth
“1)12.15
2)Dover Straight
3)222
4)11
5)NW
6)8,5
7) squeezing ourselves through the narrow lane next to the TSS. Hoping for more right turn as in about 2-3 hours current will be against us and it will become more difficult to keep clear of TSS ( racing rule).
We have approx 235 nm to go. Probably some wind holes ahead and shadow of the cliffs. But all in all very good progress.
Hoping for Plymouth early evening of Friday if wind holds.”
Pieter Heerema and Richard Klabbers
Sail Escapade
With the finish in the Cattewater on a transit from the RWYC Club line, it is hoped that Sail Escapade will be given a very warm welcome. We will keep you posted as to what time we expect to see them and will be showing their finish live on the RB&I Facebook page which is https://www.facebook.com/RWYCRoundBritainandIreland/ so please join us.
Friday 31st May
Now we focus on the closing stages to the Line Honours finish:
“1)11.00
2)50.09 002.47w
3)255
4)8,5
5)330
6)12-16 kn
7) finally improved ( tourist’s weather. Sunshine. But wind could be less W for our liking . Many sail changes as wind strength is up and down a lot. Weather forecasts give a big windless bell south of Start Point, exactly on our way to Plymouth. Trying to avoid it will mean a big detour but with the experience of yesterday….
Consequently our ETA still difficult to pinpoint.
A good guess would be between 21.00 and 23.00 . Hopefully the club is open 😉”
By midday everything was glamor!
“The best weather of the whole race. The start in Plymouth was fine snd now approaching Plymouth it is fine. Why did we ever want to go all around, it is perfect here .🤔”
2100 – 2300 turned later and later as the evening drew in. A huge light wind corridor stretching for 50 miles North to south from Start Point and was proving incredibly tricky to break through. By midnight Sail Escapade were back up to speed and were closing in to Plymouth Sound, with a Northerly! It was not going to be a final fetch under spinnaker, instead a very tricky beat entering the western entrance as they did at around 0100hrs.
Sail Escapade then set about the final stretch, initially with good pressure and good progress into the hoe foreshore where they tacked for the final time onto Port with the line in sight. It would take a further hour to creep across the foreshore and into the Cattewater. The glassy tide had now turned and was ebbing, making tacking angles wide and forward motion very tricky. Following a final hour which would test anyone’s patience, Pieter Heerema and Richard Klabbers finish the 2H RB&I with a very respectable net time of 13 days, 14 hours and 45 minutes. Not only is this a winning time on line honours and on corrected but is the record line honours time for a monohull!!
Some words from Pieter and Richard from Sail Escapade:
“Late late night drink. Thank you, Royal Western Yacht Club, to welcome us at this late hour! I guess their text says it all!
Honestly, we are proud to win, line honours, on handicap as well and most if all: besting the record set years ago.”
“Surely some of you will wonder why we took the enormous detour on the last day, adding some 50 nm ( = normally 6-8 hours). Well look at the picture of the weather/ wind situation at that cape we had to pass. No wind . Had we gone through it we might still be out there 🤬🤓🥵. In the end after 13 sailing days and nights and after a very difficult approach to Plymouth because sailing into a H , decreasing wind and a lot of current we glided over the finish line with 15 minutes to spare to the record. Happy we were not aware of this at that moment!!🥵😵💫
Now a few chores on the boat, a BBQ at the club tonight and tomorrow we are off, back to Medemblik.
Thank you all for your support and remarks. A very special thanks to our guy’s Niels, Henk, other Niels, Luuk and Rems getting the broken gooseneck welded and working perfectly again.
Maybe till the next crazy challenge!”
“And of course many thanks to Tamara the Boat Witch for looking after us. We bought her in Santiago de Compostela 21 years ago and ever since she has safeguarded boat and crew”
1 June
As The victorious duo from Sail Escapade enjoy a traditional English breakfast at the RWYC at a very respectable 1300hrs (!) the race continues, with Kuba and Maciek on board Polished Manx as they head out to start their final leg. The sun is out, it is a glorious day on the water but unfortunately it is not all good news, as there is every expectation for the wind to die. Unlike the previous visit to the eastern most point of the race, Polished Manx is enjoying some downwind conditions which will continue for the next 36 hours.
By lunchtime, Bob Wallace and Tim Goodwell with Enigma of Yorkshire cross the line at Blyth to finish their 3rd leg, just as Arcsine make their way out to their start time for leg 4. Arcsine’s stop over would not have arrived too soon, having had a real tough race to date, their leg 3 was not to be any better as, just shortly after restarting from Lerwick they ran out of gas so had to complete the entire leg with no hot food or drinks.
At just 325 miles, the ‘hop’ from Lerwick to Blyth is the shortest in the entire race. For some it has been upwind all the way, for others it has allowed a little respite and time to see spinnakers, a rarity in the race so far. Indeed Sail Escapade had completed the entire race earlier in the day without seeing their brand new, asymmetric downwind sail for the entire race.
2nd June
A light system is tracking from north to south, slowing Arcsine as Polished Manx hands into the front edge holding 12-16 knots. Polished Manx can only do one thing and that is to stay into the pressure band for as long as possible taking them on a south easterly course and in towards the most complex area of the entire race full of shipping and the multiple TSS zones which must be avoided. By this evening there will be a huge ‘hole’ covering 30+ miles offshore from Norwich to Brighton, and from Dover to Calais. For them a huge decision, north or south of the Straights of Dover TSS? Although the light winds are expected to last for 2 days, it is fairly localised to the straights of Dover, so it is likely to pull them all to the north. There is likely to be a very interesting period for Arcsine as the breeze will hold further north for longer, so we may even see the two side by side once again as we did just off the west coast of Scotland.
There is a very different race forming for Enigma of Yorkshire. Her restart will be in a solid 16-20knots of westerly pressure, diving them a great opportunity to gain on the boats in front. With handicaps still coming into play, Enigma remains 3rd for the 2H RB&I and will be pushing hard to keep hold of that spot knowing that Arcsine will not give up the chase to the very end. At 520 miles, Leg 4 will be a brutal test of strategy, stamina and seamanship as the race comes into its final stages. Weatherwise favour is given to the late starters who will manage to stay closer to their hull speed for a longer percentage of the leg, a critical factor when handicap racing.