SORC Fecamp Triangle

No wind during the SORC Fecamp Triangle race © SORC

Fastrak VIII during the SORC Fecamp Triangle © SORC

Rob Craigie wins the Royal Escape Race during the SORC Fecamp Triangle race © SORC

Solo sailor wins Royal Escape Race... again!

Leg 1 – 35 Miles – Solent to Brighton

31st May 2012 eight yachts set off dead downwind in a ten knot breeze from the forts in the eastern Solent for the first thirty-five mile leg to Brighton. Most went off on starboard, David Cule on J122 Mint Julip and Mike Saqui on Elan 333 Edith heading in shore on port to avoid the remaining ebb tide. The wind soon increased and backed to the south making for a shy approach to Owers buoy the only mark of the course. The yachts further south had an easier angle to the buoy most dropping spinnakers in the increasing wind. Nigel Colley on Fastrak VIII and Edith held spinnakers to the Owers and bore away for a dead run for the remaining twenty miles to Brighton. The wind increased to over twenty knots gusting more and the building seas made for some fast surfing conditions.

Fastrak bravely and successfully gybed first in twenty-five knots of wind (main first then sort the pole), Edith had a lucky escape as the boat gybed unintentionally when Mike thought the pilot was on but fortunately all sorted without a problem. The rest of the yachts sailed the leg under main and jibs given the building wind and waves. As Fastrak and Edith continued to pull far ahead under spinnakers, Elan 333 Edith began to struggle with the big spinnaker set and speeds steadily between twelve to fourteen knots, eventually lost grip and Chinese gybed six miles from Brighton forcing a spinnaker drop and an end to the leg under main and Jib. Nigel Colley sailed the Sunfast 3200 Fastrak perfectly at constant speeds of between eleven and fourteen knots, holding the spinnaker to the finish to take line honours and a worthy first overall win for a Sunfast 3200 in a SORC race, completing the leg in less than five hours.

Leg 2 – 60 Miles - Brighton to Fecamp - The Royal Escape

Organised by Sussex Yacht Club this was the 36th Royal Escape Race won last year by SORC sailor Simon Mitchell sailing Solo against the fully crewed fleet. After local fleet handicap yachts started at 0700hrs a short postponement occurred as with the very, very light westerly breeze many yachts remained on the line. At the first attempt the IRC fleet of over thirty yachts caused a general recall as many were too eager to start. Second attempt under “Black Flag” saw a clean start for the mile leg to the west to a turning mark before the leg south across the channel. Spinnakers soon were set and the fleet were off into the sunshine as the westerly breeze slowly built to 8 knots. A few hours in the wind veered SW forcing many yachts to return to jibs while those with Code Zero’s enjoyed the moment and pulled ahead. At the Greenwich Light Vessel mid channel Fastrak, Jbellino and last year’s winner Simon Mitchell were close to each other having mixed it well with the leading fully crewed yachts. Late afternoon the wind dropped to nothing by 1800hrs some dropped sails, for others patience was tested trying to coax any motion from whatever sail configuration they thought best. As darkness fell John Ford on Geofon and many others retired and motored off to Fecamp but those who stuck it out were rewarded as around midnight as a few knots of easterly breeze filled in to give a reach the finish. Finishing just before midnight Rob Craigie took line honours, couple of hours later Steve Thomas on HOD 35 Truant, just solo for this race, finished followed at 0320hrs by Jerry Freeman on Juliette J105, Simon Mitchell on Roxanne Sunfast 3200 and Mike Saqui on Elan 333 Edith followed by Nigel Colley who sadly had to retire following a confusion over where the finish line was having started his engine and dropped sails prematurely.

When the IRC results were published Rob Craigie racing Solo on J122 Jbellino had won overall ahead by five minutes of fully crewed Xtreme J39Mod and ten minutes ahead J111 Shmokin’ Joe. This was a great result for SORC and the competitive performance of the solo sailors did not go unnoticed by the rest of the fleet with five Solo yachts in top ten overall from the thirty IRC class starters.

Leg 3 - 80 Miles - Fecamp to Solent

At 0600hrs David Cule on J122 Mint Julip with daughter Juliette was committee boat for the start of the long leg home. There was twenty knots westerly wind so all yachts set off with reefs and small jibs into a lumpy sea having hoisted mains within the confines of Fecamp harbour yachts and emerging just in time to hoist jibs and go. Jbellino was soon off ahead sailing low and fast while Fastrak, Roxanne, Juliette and Edith together for a while until the Sunfasts pulled ahead. The wind dropped marginally mid channel and as the tide ebbed the rhomb line course became a fetch enabling all yachts to make fast progress. The wind increased as yachts reached the eastern Solent for the finish at Warden buoy near Horse Sand Fort. Jbellino once again taking line honours was followed by Fastrak, Roxanne, Juliette, Edith with John Ford on Geofon bringing up the rear, twenty minutes separating the first five yachts after eleven hours of racing. The fleet were all safe home and enjoyed a relaxed prize giving supper in the Mary Mouse Lightship on Hasler Marina. With close times again Nigel Colley on Sunfast 3200 Fastrak won the day by seven minutes from Jbellino and Roxanne third.

Overall Results: