There’s a school of thought that suggests lightning never strikes twice and so it was with this thought that we, the 2007 LLYC Fastnet crew headed game-fully for the South Coast on Friday 15^th June for the latest qualifying round of the aforementioned race. As some readers will know, there are a number of criteria that need to be met even before one can cross the start line and one of these is sea miles. Our last attempt at the Quay St Portrieux race was abandoned due to the forecast Force 9-10 winds and resultant conditions so we had to complete this one.

Due to the Friday evening start, timings were tight as we got to the line for 1940 under grey skies and force 2-3 S/W conditions. However any last minute nerves were put aside as a series of assertive pre-start manoeuvres and some good tidal calls saw us cross the line is a favourable position at pace. The only small incident occurred when a Red Funnel ferry attempted to leave Cowes at the same time as 116 boats were trying to make for the Channel Islands! Luckily only egos were damaged!

Heading East for the Forts and Bembridge with the tide saw us carving through the smaller yachts which had started earlier, whilst defending our position and looking for clear air. Some of the more enthusiastic crews attempted to hold a kite in unfavourable wind angles which ultimately ended for one crew with a fairly entertaining broach! Special note must be given to the helm of the Oyster 65 that proved it is possible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle by taking what can best be described as a ‘racing line’. If your helming is a measure of your courage you Sir, must either have it in spades or you weren’t the owner!!

Rounding the back of the island, the crew settled into the 4 hours on/ 4 hours off system which saw the fleet split. We decided to head West against the remaining East going tide before cutting South in anticipation of the predicted wind shift that would allow for a faster point of sail. Unfortunately the weather gods had other plans: the shift never occurred but instead the wind continued to build to approximately 30kts over the next 18 hours and remained firmly on the nose.

Day break saw us near Cherbourg and the remainder of the morning was spent pushing a foul spring tide to allow us to slowly creep toward Les Casquets to the West of Alderney. At this point is it worth mentioning for the uninitiated that, the Channel Islands experience some of the strongest tidal streams in the UK. This coupled with their exposed location and large tidal ranges mean that if conditions were right (and they were) the seas can be confused and steep. Whilst in a well founded yacht with an experienced crew such as Lutine, it was not a dangerous situation but it did act as a good test of the crew. The author, it must be said, was struck with a particularly acute attack of ‘mal de mare’ that turned a competent offshore sailor into ballast for a good proportion of this trip! A particular highlight was ‘the wave’ that struck Lutine off the coast of Guernsey and resulted in several feet of water washing the decks. All those on deck were of course properly prepared but it did serve as a reminder that whilst this is a leisure activity, offshore yacht racing is a serious undertaking that required teamwork and courage to succeed.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, the crew powered South with 2 reefs in the main before freeing off and heading for the finish in the rock strewn port of St Helier. A particular feature of this course and the size of the fleet meant that there were usually other yachts in sight and at times resulted in some close quarter crossing. We eventually crossed the line at 2124 on Saturday in a creditable mid fleet position. This was testament to the skill and determination of all concerned to grind out a result in less than ideal conditions.

They say that time and tide wait for no man and so it was that after food and a few hours sleep we slipped lines a little after 6am for the rather more direct route home through instead of round the Channel Islands. The weather was the exact opposite of the previous day and saw the crew motor sailing in t-shirts almost all the back to Solent before a steady band of frontal rain started to fall. After making a quick pit stop at Cowes to drop a crew member off, the rest of us made for Portsmouth where we eventually docked at approximately 2230 on Sunday. Following a brief set of goodbyes, the crew spread to the 4 winds to make best speed for their beds and the rapidly approaching working week – such is the joy of a RORC qualifier!!

Following this event, LLYC is proud to announce that the final title sponsor of the 2007 Fastnet Campaign is Zurich Financial Services.

Race Statistics

Position: 51^st out of 116 starters

Distance: 140Nm (Actual sailed – 180Nm)

Duration: Approximately 26 hours

Wind:  Force 2-7 gusting 8

Sea state: Slight to Rough, Confused.

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