The OSTAR and TWOSTAR races got off on time on Sunday after enjoying a hearty full English breakfast in the Club.
All 5 boats are set to take one of the biggest challenges there is in Oceanic racing.
Visibility was a challenge at the start when a ‘monsoon’ like downpour flooded Plymouth Sound on Race Start.
First across the line in the 120-125 degree wind, which was by this time a solid 12-14 knots were AJ Wanderlust, fully powered up and pressing hard, coupled with the crew, Charlene Howard and Guy DeBour, waving frantically!
Alchemy went over second with Blue Horizon and Odyssey setting off side by side. Last but by no means least was Lazy Otter concluding the start to the race. As they exited Plymouth sound to the Eddystone Lighthouse the wind settled into a southerly direction giving them a beat out to the rock. As they rounded, Alchemy had taken the lead on the water having kept his tacks to a minimum, followed by Tomasz Ladyko on Odyssey who managed to tack on a few shifts giving him a position ahead of his rating. Then Jacek Chabowski in his Delphia 47 Blue Horizon followed by the TWO STAR crew of Arrien Lekkerkerker and Ertan Beskardes on Lazy Otter. Finally AJ Wanderlust who, although 5th to the Rock, was leading in the TWOSTAR division. All then settled into a first evening routine as they headed to the Isles of Scilly.
First report back!
This from David Southwell onAlchemy:
All good here. I had a fabulous spinnaker run past the Lizard and up to the point of the TSS. Lost some time getting around that but had a fun job reach nonetheless past Scilly Isles. I decided to leave the (islands) to port to get north due to the northwesterlies today. Lovely upwind today.
As the fleet approached Lands End the boats had a decision to make, high or low of the Isles of Scilly. First to show their cards was Alchemy who scraped around the bottom of the TSS to pass the islands on his port side, followed by AJ Wanderlust who followed a similar line. Further to the North was Blue Horizon who would appear to have crossed the TSS. 4th to head over the top of the islands was Lazy Otter who made a ‘handbrake turn’ to try and avoid the TSS and eventually would round below the TSS on a similar heading to their rivals aboard AJ Wanderlust. Finally Odyssey who took a very similar line to Blue Horizon.
The wind would shift for the entire fleet at 1710-1715, which saw the entire fleet tack onto the favoured starboard tack. As the weather system approached and the breeze lightened AJ Wanderlust would find themselves too close to the centre of the system as others managed to stay further north.
As the morning broke, Alchemy found themselves in a transition zone on the edge of a new system but in good shape some 90 miles ahead of Odyssey who had a great night taking the shifts. AJ Wanderlust, still perilously close to the ‘hole’ lay 3rd on the water some 110 miles back from the leader but still ahead for TWOSTAR. Blue Horizon now 4th on the water and 17 miles to AJ Wanderlust, with Lazy Otter in sight just 8miles from Blue Horizons starboard aft quarter.
A complex system awaits as we progress into day 3 with what looks like a favoured route over the top of it to take on what looks like 22-30knots of breeze from the south initially but could turn out to be a hugea dvantage for those who get over the top to enjoy some very rare downwind sailing in the coming hours and days.
Latest update from Alchemy:
Morning Adrian- I’m in the low wind ridge. Great wind last night and I had a good chat with some Irish fishing boat captains on the shelf. All well here. David
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