COGS Eddystone Night Race

COGS Eddystone Night Race winners Jonney Walker, Geoff Davies, Evan Beattie & Neil Chamberlain © Andrew Laming

Very quiet conditions greeted the fleet of yachts for the 'The Eddystone Race' an overnight race, this being part of the COGS (Coastal Offshore Group Series).

The St Mawes Sailing Club start line was used for a staggered start on Saturday Evening with the slow yachts starting first then the faster one's following. The course was set by Tim Pratt The" OD" in his usual calm clear voice over the VHF saying course 2 which was straight to Hands Deep Buoy, round The Eddystone light house, then finally leaving Gwineas Buoy (near to Mevagissey) to Port then back to St Mawes for the finish. An estimated distance of 61 miles.

The yachts had a small amount of tide helping them to St Anthony's Head this, as the yachts were soon to discover the only favourable tide to help them for the whole of the race. Soon spinnakers were set by all the fleet, as they raced for the first mark 26 miles to the East of Falmouth. Slowly the faster yachts with the higher handicaps caught up the slower ones.

It was a spectacular site with multi coloured spinnaker flying and the sea quite empty of other boats. With a bright moon, even as the clouds filled the sky, the crews found working on deck easy, as torches were not needed. The yachts cleared Hands Deep buoy, most had to jibe their spinnakers for the four mile run to the Eddystone Light House. So crews with life jackets on and lanyards fixed to secure fixings, soon had the yachts on their new heading.

The Sailing Instructions stated that the yachts were not to take the inside line close to the lighthouse, which is deep but is very close to the reef the light house is built on. The yachts were soon around and a course had to be set to Gwineas Buoy 20 miles to the West. But the tide was now in full flow against the fleet. The fleet now split some going south to find less tide, others sailing the direct line, but found this very slow going. Also the sky darkened and now with a small amount of rain it made sitting on the side deck, not much fun.

Slowly the fleet left the bright lights of Plymouth shinning in the sky. As dawn was breaking the Gwineas buoy came into sight, to be rounded by most of the fleet at six o'clock on Sunday morning, together with a few fishing boats looking for Mackerel. A seal was spotted by one of "Scorpion" crew as they silently passed by, being watched with its larges round eyes as the seal held a large fish in its paws, taking big bights out of it.

With a flock of seagulls waiting for any left overs. Then as the wind freshened to a force 4 the final headland was in sight the yachts called in to "Tim" at race control, to announce clearing Zone point. Then on to the finish line. So after a marathon 15 to 16-hour race. The crews went ashore to The St Mawes Hotel the sponsors of the race, to a hearty full English breakfast, with tired eyes now refreshed, the prize giving was next on the agenda.

A thank-you speech by Chris De' Glanville of yacht "Pasco's Jaguar" and the Manager of St Mawes Hotel Ben Bass giving out Glasses and Toughies'. All the crews now headed home after a good race for a well-deserved sleep. Praise must be given to the yachts who sailed two handed, and the new entries this year. As to sail over night with no sleep, trying to get the most at of a racing yacht in the dark is a mammoth feat.

Overall Results:

IRC
1st Scorpion - Geoff Davies
2nd Juno - Jonney Walker
3rd Pasco's Jaguar - Chris De' Glanville

Handicap yachts
1st Aura - Evan Beattie
2nd Tai Mo Shan – Neil Chamberlain
3rd Celtic Spirit – Gawain Bysouth

Two-Handed
1st IRC - Juno
2nd Handicap - Aura