Alex Bennett and Malcolm Dickinson aboard Fujifilm
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With the drama that befits this classic event the final leg of the Round Britain and Ireland yacht race started this evening. First out of the chocks and with a two and half hour lead was the Class 40 of Marco Nannini and Paul Peggs. Starting in second place and with a deficit of two and a half hours but with everything still to play for, Alex Bennett and Malcolm Dickinson aboard the Owen Clarke Design Class 40 ‘Fujifilm’ will be trying to reel in the leading yacht as they make their way down the UK East Coast. Fujifilm has already had a taste of the coveted top spot, as the leading Class40 on the third leg from Barra to Lerwick in Shetland and was only narrowly pipped to the post as the wind died on the approach to Lerwick. Fujifilm was caught in a wind hole and her pursuer was able to sail around the stalled ‘Fujifilm’ and steal first place.
The fourth Leg start was packed with drama as gale force winds blew directly into Lerwick Harbour, pinning many of the competitors against the granite harbour walls, tugs and RIBs had to be drafted in to extricate the leading yachts from under their rafted neighbours. Minor damage was incurred by many of the race fleet and most were initially glad to be heading out to sea once more. Where light airs had greeted the front runners at Lerwick it was gale force nine winds that hurled them on their way for the fourth leg. An extract from Malcolm's’ blog sums up the run down the North Sea: ‘While everyone was settling down to watch England demolish their next opponent last Friday evening, we made preparations in the afternoon to leave harbour. This was not as easy as it seemed, since there was still a strong north wind blowing us on to the pontoon, the same wind that had done so much damage to the side of the boat the night before. The problem was essentially solved when the harbour tug managed to get a line to us and drag us off the pontoon. So, dramas even before we started the leg! At our appointed start time just after 5.00pm, we hoisted a heavily reefed mainsail and genoa and headed out down the Sound of Bressay and into the North Sea. Given the forecast – this was not without some trepidation. Our plan was to head South East into the middle of the North Sea to give us a better sailing angle once we had turned for Lowestoft. The only problem with the tactic was the fact that this was where the strongest wind and largest waves were predicted. The North Sea produces particularly vicious, steep waves because it is so shallow. All night the wind gradually built in strength until we realised that we were no longer racing, but making sure we survived. For at least 12 hours we sailed with only a storm jib and no main. The waves reached 20-30ft in height at times, with winds recorded of up to 48 miles an hour. Certainly, these were some of the worst conditions that I have experienced at sea. Both Alex and I were washed out of the cockpit by massive waves, relying on our life lines to keep us attached to the boat. Eventually, we re-hoisted the main and turned back towards the English coast. The waves were still massive. It must be the ultimate adrenalin rush to be sitting in the boat as it teeters on top of a wave and you look down a sheer drop into a valley below. The wind picks the boat up and you are off, tearing down the side of the wave with spray everywhere. At the bottom, the boat buries itself into the trough and you pray that the bow comes up – then it’s off again and on to the next wave. At times, we were surfing at over 20 knots, with a top speed reached of 26 knots – insane really for a 40ft boat! Apart from the extreme conditions – the trip did throw up a few other dramas and, with hindsight, you might even think they were amusing. The first involved me planting my head on probably the only sharp point on the boat when it pitched violently. There was blood everywhere and I sent Alex for the med kit. He set about trying to cut my hair away so he could get a plaster onto the wound. If only we had a video of the incident – I am sure he came very close to planting the scissors well and truly into my head with the violent roll of the boat. The repair was, however, successfully made! The second incident was most unusual. We had shut the hatch door to stop the water from the waves rushing down below. At the same time, we were running the engine to charge our battery. The engine needs air and, in doing so, created a vacuum in the cabin, which prevented us from opening the hatch door. Alex tried to break the perspex viewing porthole with a winch handle, but it was too strong. So, there we were in a full on gale, sitting outside in the cockpit with no means of getting into the boat! Eventually, we managed to get a knife between the hatch and the seal, which broke the vacuum and we were safe again – but a close call. After all the dramas, the last 100 miles to Lowestoft were relatively straightforward and we were given a warm welcome by the Yacht Club when we arrived. Sunguard has sailed a great race and must now be favourite for line honours. There are, however, three other boats behind Sunguard, including ourselves, who all have a chance of taking first place. The final leg is likely to be a light wind affair, which could easily mean anyone of the first four boats slipping through to take the lead. At the moment, Alex and I are making final preparations for our start tonight and we will be doing our utmost to make sure we bring Fujifilm into Plymouth in first place sometime on Thursday or Friday.’ Following closely on Alex’s heels in third place is the Norwegian Class 40 of Rune Aasberg. This, an Owen Clarke Design Express 40, has been busily chipping away at the front runners and may yet have an important part to play in the final rankings. Consistently in the top three, Rune has put in an impressive performance and has been using the Round Britain as a shakedown for his entry in the Route du Rhum, setting off from St Malo in October. Not to be forgotten and no less impressive are the Owen Clarke Design Class 40’s of Andrew Magrath with ‘Roaring Forty’, in sixth place, the boat that started our association with Class 40’s and commissioned by a client in 2005, and ‘Spliff’ another Express 40 belonging to Andrew Dawson currently lying in seventh place. And so the final act must now play out, with light airs forecast for the final leg, tactics through the various tidal gates and picking the best wind they can sniff out will ultimately decide who wins the duel to the finish. |
