Report by James Hardiman on Elsa
Solo Offshore Racing Club’s Offshore Series race 5 was a tactical race through the night heading offshore east of the Isle of Wight and into the Channel. Starting from Gurnard at 1800 on Friday 8 August, it would test the solo skippers with night sailing conditions. It was billed to last anywhere up to 18 hours and take boats around 6 marks offshore, which made the most of the tides. An exciting tactical race was on the cards!
I must admit that I entered the race as a solo skipper with some degree of trepidation. Not because it was a night race, (I quite like those), but because it involved a series of marks and tactical decision-making - meaning that energy boosting cat naps (a practice perfected by single-handed racers) was simply out of the question! This was an offshore race with an 'around the cans' format, consisting of six marks that required tactical decisions and skippers not only to be awake to make such decisions, but properly on form to be gybing spinnakers and tacking regularly through the night.
The race started at Gurnard and headed towards Bembridge in a fast east-going tide, so this wasn’t a start to get wrong. If you were bullish enough to cross on the gun, it really needed to be nailed. Two boats vied for first and second over the line - Stephen Thomas’s C&C 115 Azora & James Hardiman's Dehler 38 Elsa. Luckily, both got a clean start after some exuberant big-boat manoeuvres to prevent being sucked across too early. Azora was first, but after getting lines sorted for a spinnaker hoist was quickly overhauled by Elsa with her easier to manage flying headsail (Code 0) setup.
With a 12 to 15 kt wind from the south west, wall-to-wall sunshine and an emptying Solent, it was lining up to be one of the most perfect starts to a Solent-based race that I've enjoyed in 15 years of racing here. Spinnakers were hoisted across the fleet shortly after crossing the line and Chris Morton’s J88 ‘Jester’ started sailing through the fleet with a large A4. The tide seemed to suck Jester a little north & east of the perfect transit around Ryde sands and down to our first mark at Bembridge Ledge. This made way for Stephen Scholefield’s J111 Mustigo II to creep ahead in the light winds around Ryde to be the first boat around the first mark. As the fleet closed in on Bembridge, most enjoyed some useful 15-18 Kt gusts to liven things up. Always fun when skippers are trying to get lines set up for rehoisting spinnakers.
Mark 2 was Pullar buoy, a 10-12 mile spinnaker run north and east. Soon after it was rounded, darkness closed in and a full moon accompanied the fleet through most of the night, giving enough light to see silhouettes of shipping as we sailed close hauled and tacked our way south down to mark 3 on an 18-20 mile leg to a virtual waypoint off Saint Catherine's. This was a leg where positions were traded between boats opting for a route closer to the island versus one a little more offshore, the latter being the favoured option.
Once round the mark, it was 10 miles south-east to another virtual point and favoured skippers who hoisted a decent size kite as the wind was a steady 12-15kts and 150° apparent. The time was now about 01.00 – 02.00 and competitors were more easily identified by the glow of head torches than nav lights as skippers scrambled with sheets and poles to get boats set up for this next leg!
After rounding the final offshore mark, it was a 20 mile beat back to Bembridge and skippers enjoyed glorious sunrise, steady winds and smooth waters for a few hours in their ‘happy-place’. It’s a feeling we all get after racing through the night, right?
However, it wasn’t over yet and no time to relax as realisation dawned into tired skippers that the wind was dropping and the tide was turning! It was always going to be stressful to get back up to Bembridge and cross the finish line west of Gosport before the tide turned foul, but coupled with such a significant drop in the wind, the last mile to the finish was an extremely frustrating hour and emotions were further exaggerated after a night of no sleep!
First over the line and first overall was Stephen Thomas’s Azora; in second place was David Bright’s Archambault 31 Kitty; third was James Hardiman on Elsa; and fourth Stephen Scholefield’s Mustigo II with minutes between all four boats on corrected time.
The view from Azora - Steve Thomas reports
A 65 mile race from Cowes going east to Selsey Bill and out to the back of the Island and finish in the Solent, with the aim of up to 18hrs to complete. The Perseid meteor shower was short lived as the full moon rose to give a bright night sky all the way to sunrise.
Starting from Gurnard at 1800 in a warm 12kn SW wind, the fleet flew spinnakers down to the Forts then fetched to Bembridge ledge. Having missed the first mark and sailed straight to Pullar, realising the mistake Azora dropped the kite and beat back to Bembridge 3.5 miles behind the fleet. Hoisted the kite once more and followed the others to Puller in a fair tide beam reach. Kitty also lost ground after having a spinnaker drop issue and gave Azora company as they started a long beat to the first virtual mark three miles SE of St Catherines. The wind veered to W and increased to 16 knots leaving those who had tacked early and to the East losing their initial gain. At the mark Mustigo had a slim lead over Kitty and Azora, the remaining boats rounding together half a mile behind.
The ten mile SE leg to virtual mark 2 was a foul tide beam reach in 15 kn wind against tide leg requiring constant attention to kite trimming, although Mustigo held on to his lead with white sails.
The final leg was a long fetch leaving Bembridge Ledge to port. Mustigo pulled out a 3-mile lead over Azora and Kitty pulled back the lead Azora had made in the previous leg. In a dying breeze and increasing foul tide, Kitty and Azora crept along the edge of Ryde sands as Mustigo finished at North Sturbridge. Making the leap of faith out into the deeper water Azora and Kitty ghosted towards the finish, Azora just making it two boat lengths ahead of Kitty, who in the now non-existent wind was forced to spend a frustrating 38 mins drifting away from the line before the wind increased. Elsa suffered similarly, finishing 11 mins behind Kitty. While Class 1 was becalmed, Class 2 rounded Bembridge Ledge in freshening new breeze. Sundance had to put in a reef to stay under control as she sailed in through the forts in now fair tide. Nympheas ahead and still in foul tide opted to sail the mainland coast and come into the finish from Gillkicker.
The fleet moored in Shepards Wharf and after a siesta gathered for a prize giving and meal in Cowes.
Friday 22 August sees the next event to St Vaast, open to both solo and double handed boats. Further details can be found on the SORC website.