"Ok, prepare for a tack" call me to order Simon to announce the next turn. I climb on deck, balance our equipment on the other side and fasten them there again. Seven canisters with ten liters of water, a bag with anchor and anchor chain, the survival pack with the safety equipment required for the distress situation, the food, first aid container, the tool, the sails. Everything serves as a ballast to the boat with as much pressure in the sails and ride a little heel. "Power up the boat," Simon called that and it's quite hard work. The good speed we reached it, proved him right. Simon McGoldrick is Australian and my co-skipper in the Mini-Fastnet, one of the most prestigious races of the Classe Mini with a good 70 boats with large starting field and high power density. It is in a team sailed out of Douarnenez on the southwestern tip of England, then across the Irish Sea to the Fastnet Rock off Ireland and back to Douarnenez, a total of 600 nautical miles. Simon has participated in the 2009 Minitransat on a Pogo2, exactly the same type of boat as RIKKI tikki. From him I can learn a lot.
on the cross from the Bay of Douarnenez, we are far out front and head for the Chenal du Four, a narrow lake road between the Ile de Ouessant at the far western end of Brittany and the mainland. The field is still close together when we reach them in the evening. The entrance leads into the English Channel, which kept us there, next to the high volume of traffic of large ships are Jean-Jacques - From organizing Winchesclub for weather forecasts in charge of the regatta - the morning briefing at the conclusion with a straight face again described in detail. The weather data had hinted in recent days, more and more to this scenario: light to moderate winds for the entire race - only Monday. Would be difficult, strong wind with 28 to 32 knots (50 to 60 km / h) from the northwest. Also, a launch delay was considered, but ultimately rejected because of the additional weather development for the following days were then. Highly motivated, but also with mixed feelings we control for slowly increasing wind strength in the twilight on the Ile de Ouessant by the North.
I am torn rudely from the anchor bag and a canister of water from sleep. I would lie directly below the equipment, my body also serves as ballast on the upper side of the boat. A fifty centimeters wide strap made of linen keeps my upper body in a stable position, the legs are wedged between sailing. When severe pounding in the waves, both objects removed from its mounting and landed on me. Cursing, I brace them back into the appropriate position. The sea is restless in the English Channel, the North Atlantic proof comes in a long swell, which then, depending on the direction of tidal flow or leveling off and build further with additional the wind wave superimposed. Waves from three different directions meet, add up to sharp, steep mountains of water, which are reflected partly in the upper part already. We reduced sail area considerably. With a total of five reefs - three in the mainsail, two in Genoa - is RIKKI Tikki fighting to the northwest. It runs so stable, and when they shoot up one of the very high waves, it stands for a moment half in the air before crashing into the trough. It shakes the whole rig and one wonders what the material can withstand anything. Or has it really like? On radio you could hear all kinds of tasks, including a broken mast was in the process the carbon mast of the 747th Protos But the Pogo2 has proven over the years in difficult circumstances and is not nearly as built at the limit as the latest generation of prototypes. The boats are at other events have been 40 knots wind, and have survived well. In addition, Simons face is serious, but not worried, in his experience, his sentence for me a good reference point for the assessment of the situation. I reject my concerns then, I would be traveling alone, I would see the things differently.
The storm with wind force 7 with us throughout the entire English Channel. A whole night and a full day more below than above water. Almost every wave washed over the boat, and everything inside is wet. Water occurs in small quantities by the emergency exit hatch in the rear, through some of the glands, by the seals of the windows. Sometimes we come across a competitor that builds confidence. We are on the right track, the material holds the status and conditions of our position is in order. When we reached Monday evening at Wolf Rock off the coast of Cornwall, we have weathered the worst, now you can enjoy sailing back. The Irish Sea is presented on the following day in bright sunshine as the Mediterranean, the reefs are slowly disappearing from the sails. For the first time in two days I have dry hands.
The strains are forgotten as RIKKI tikki on South course races back in the direction of Douarnenez. The display of the speedometer climbs slowly to about twelve knots, the water shoots with a comforting noise, the ship's side along the top and in a high, wide arc to the outside, while the boat is surfing down a wave under spinnaker. In permanent planing and with only a few changes between the different cut gennakers we take a bow east of the direct course line in order for the rotating northeast wind to always keep the optimum speed. It only takes a day and a half from the Fastnet Rock to the front bay of Douarnenez. The circumnavigation of Fastnet Rock, the turning point in Ireland's south coast, was tantamount to a redemption, the way there, against the prevailing wind direction as a long mountain rise, which would finally follow the rapid departure. We had reached him at night in striking distance of Amaury Francois, the current leader of the ranking of the Classe Mini, - a clear indication of a good position. The lull after Fastnet had let move up the field again closely - some competitors were already sailed after 300 miles still within reach - but with the onset of the North Wind was the original distance quickly restored.
the afternoon of the fifth Race Day will be announced by radio the finish of the first production boat. Xavier Macaire and Yves Ravot have the route completed in record time, between them and the second-place are more than six hours. As we enter already announced in the dark in the Bay of Douarnenez more boats on the approach to the finish line, we are not far behind some of the best mini sailors. In the morning at four, four and a half days, we go through the finish in seventh. Also at this time we are greeted warmly at the port, in the clubhouse there is even a hot meal, which I greedily devour before I fall into a short, exhausted sleep.
on the cross from the Bay of Douarnenez, we are far out front and head for the Chenal du Four, a narrow lake road between the Ile de Ouessant at the far western end of Brittany and the mainland. The field is still close together when we reach them in the evening. The entrance leads into the English Channel, which kept us there, next to the high volume of traffic of large ships are Jean-Jacques - From organizing Winchesclub for weather forecasts in charge of the regatta - the morning briefing at the conclusion with a straight face again described in detail. The weather data had hinted in recent days, more and more to this scenario: light to moderate winds for the entire race - only Monday. Would be difficult, strong wind with 28 to 32 knots (50 to 60 km / h) from the northwest. Also, a launch delay was considered, but ultimately rejected because of the additional weather development for the following days were then. Highly motivated, but also with mixed feelings we control for slowly increasing wind strength in the twilight on the Ile de Ouessant by the North.
I am torn rudely from the anchor bag and a canister of water from sleep. I would lie directly below the equipment, my body also serves as ballast on the upper side of the boat. A fifty centimeters wide strap made of linen keeps my upper body in a stable position, the legs are wedged between sailing. When severe pounding in the waves, both objects removed from its mounting and landed on me. Cursing, I brace them back into the appropriate position. The sea is restless in the English Channel, the North Atlantic proof comes in a long swell, which then, depending on the direction of tidal flow or leveling off and build further with additional the wind wave superimposed. Waves from three different directions meet, add up to sharp, steep mountains of water, which are reflected partly in the upper part already. We reduced sail area considerably. With a total of five reefs - three in the mainsail, two in Genoa - is RIKKI Tikki fighting to the northwest. It runs so stable, and when they shoot up one of the very high waves, it stands for a moment half in the air before crashing into the trough. It shakes the whole rig and one wonders what the material can withstand anything. Or has it really like? On radio you could hear all kinds of tasks, including a broken mast was in the process the carbon mast of the 747th Protos But the Pogo2 has proven over the years in difficult circumstances and is not nearly as built at the limit as the latest generation of prototypes. The boats are at other events have been 40 knots wind, and have survived well. In addition, Simons face is serious, but not worried, in his experience, his sentence for me a good reference point for the assessment of the situation. I reject my concerns then, I would be traveling alone, I would see the things differently.
The storm with wind force 7 with us throughout the entire English Channel. A whole night and a full day more below than above water. Almost every wave washed over the boat, and everything inside is wet. Water occurs in small quantities by the emergency exit hatch in the rear, through some of the glands, by the seals of the windows. Sometimes we come across a competitor that builds confidence. We are on the right track, the material holds the status and conditions of our position is in order. When we reached Monday evening at Wolf Rock off the coast of Cornwall, we have weathered the worst, now you can enjoy sailing back. The Irish Sea is presented on the following day in bright sunshine as the Mediterranean, the reefs are slowly disappearing from the sails. For the first time in two days I have dry hands.
The strains are forgotten as RIKKI tikki on South course races back in the direction of Douarnenez. The display of the speedometer climbs slowly to about twelve knots, the water shoots with a comforting noise, the ship's side along the top and in a high, wide arc to the outside, while the boat is surfing down a wave under spinnaker. In permanent planing and with only a few changes between the different cut gennakers we take a bow east of the direct course line in order for the rotating northeast wind to always keep the optimum speed. It only takes a day and a half from the Fastnet Rock to the front bay of Douarnenez. The circumnavigation of Fastnet Rock, the turning point in Ireland's south coast, was tantamount to a redemption, the way there, against the prevailing wind direction as a long mountain rise, which would finally follow the rapid departure. We had reached him at night in striking distance of Amaury Francois, the current leader of the ranking of the Classe Mini, - a clear indication of a good position. The lull after Fastnet had let move up the field again closely - some competitors were already sailed after 300 miles still within reach - but with the onset of the North Wind was the original distance quickly restored.
the afternoon of the fifth Race Day will be announced by radio the finish of the first production boat. Xavier Macaire and Yves Ravot have the route completed in record time, between them and the second-place are more than six hours. As we enter already announced in the dark in the Bay of Douarnenez more boats on the approach to the finish line, we are not far behind some of the best mini sailors. In the morning at four, four and a half days, we go through the finish in seventh. Also at this time we are greeted warmly at the port, in the clubhouse there is even a hot meal, which I greedily devour before I fall into a short, exhausted sleep.
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