JOG BNY Mellon Challenge
by Fiona Cloke 3 Jul 2013 07:37 BST
14-20 July 2013
JOG BNY Mellon Challenge © JOG Racing
Race winners triumph in challenging conditions
JOG's longest race yet, a 1000 mile 2 leg race from Cowes to Cascais, Portugal via La Trinité (Brittany), saw 17 boats set off in sunshine on the 14th June 2013 with a gale warning looming large.
Leg 1: Cowes to La Trinité
Leg 1 from Cowes to La Trinité tested boats and crews to over 350 miles of challenging sailing into the wind, gusts reportedly regularly topping 35 knots, and with heavy seas. Several boats retired or took shelter for repairs, another took a diversion to A&E in Dartmouth after a crew member needed stitches (and then gamely carried on racing), and the double-handers valiantly battled on. JOG racers' attitude to offshore is a very down to earth "carpe diem" and get on with it, and 11 boats completed the race leg.
The crews arriving in La Trinité were all still good humoured if a little damp, and whilst the first arrivals had had winds on the nose all the way, those coming a little later saw some interesting match racing under kite along the Breton coast towards the finish.
BNY Mellon Trophies were presented to the winning boats by sailing legend, Patrick Ellam, one of the founding members of JOG, back in December 1950, who had made the trip over from his home in Arizona especially for the race.
Leg 1 Pictures available on Flickr here.
Leg 1 BNY Mellon Trophy winners:
Class 3: Jbellino (J122) owned and raced by Rob Craigie (doublehanded)
Class 4: Jangada Too (J109) owned and raced by Richard Palmer (doublehanded)
Class 5: X-toSea (X332) owned and raced by David Hunt
Class 6: Pyxis (X332) owned and raced by Kirsteen Donaldson (doublehanded)
Leg 2: La Trinité to Cascais
If the first leg hadn't been challenging enough, after a day of drying out, repairs and re-provisioning that made the marina a hive of activity, 8 boats left for Cascais at 1430 on 19th June 2013, competing for prizes donated by Patrick Ellam especially for this race, including the sextant used on Patrick's original transatlantic crossing in his 19' sloop Sopranino, having been carefully restored by JOG member Mark Wynter.
This time, the fleet were off under spinnaker, but it was to be short lived and the wind swung round, built, and it was white sails, wet and lumpy across Biscay for most. For the lead boats the Spanish peninsular was a sunny, sailing with dolphins experience, but cabo finesterre proved a less pleasant experience for the class 5 & 6 boats who had to contend with very rough seas and huge waves.
OJE (class 3, J111) as lead boat, and eventual race winner, set a new boat speed record (click to watch raw footage) at 22knots, flying down the Portuguese coast, carving 50 miles in just under 3 hours and overtaking a tanker(!), before encountering 52 knot gusts off Cabo Roca, 12 miles or so off the finish in Cascais. It was a tired but happy crew that crossed the line at 04.02am on Sunday 23rd June after 86 hours and around 650 miles at sea.
Patrick Ellam, once more presided over the Prizegiving, having travelled more comfortably by car down from La Trinité, but he did enjoy a day sail with the crew of OJE, marvelling at today's instruments and modern materials and looking instantly at home once on board.
Leg 2 pictures on Flickr here.
Leg 2 winners:
Patrick Ellam Trophies for overall race winners in each class
Class 3: OJE (J111) - Andy Hill
Class 4: Jangada Too (J109) - Richard Palmer & Trevor Drew
Class 5 & 6: Pyxis (X332) - Kirsteen Donaldson & Judith Eastwood
BNY Mellon Trophies:
Class 3: OJE (J111) owned and raced by Andy Hill
Class 4: Jangada Too (J109) owned and raced by Richard Palmer
Class 5 & 6 (combined for Leg 2): Pyxis (X332) owned and raced by Kirsteen Donaldson
Clanfield Properties Doublehanded Trophies:
Class 4: Jangada Too (J109) Richard Palmer & Trevor Drew
Class 5 & 6: Pyxis (X332) Kirsteen Donaldson & Judith Eastwood
Despite the tough conditions en route everyone had a smile on their face for the prizegiving party at the Clube Navale de Cascais, and the BNY Mellon Challenge race was declared a great success.
JOG is already looking forward to "JOG Offshore Week 2014". They are planning a week of passage racing around the south coast / Brittany / Channel Islands in the style of the Tour de Ports in early July 2014 which promises to provide great sailing and great socialising too. Pencil it in your diaries now!
JOG's next race starts on Friday 5th July 2013 to Brixham, followed by St Peter Port on 23rd August.
www.jog.org.uk