It’s been far too long since I posted anything, but we’ve been ultra busy over the last few weeks. Qualifying for The Fastnet is now all done! The crew have grown in stature of the last few months having covered more than 600 miles in both training weekends and races since April. The task ahead…
Budding crew for this years Fastnet were treated to the required pool dunking the other weekend, part of the offshore safety training we put everyone through for the campaign. And the intensity didn’t stop there with the first race to Le Harve over the bank holiday. This was the first offshore sailing, yet alone race…
The first race of the campaign is a week away and the making of a Code Zero to add to the sail wardrobe is nearly complete. You just can’t make sails without true craftsmen…
So, the Fastnet 2017 crew assembled for the first time the other weekend and how blessed we were with the weather. Really couldn’t have asked for better. Not only did we have a good breeze on day one to practice tacking up the Solent but we also had perfect conditions for Spinnaker training on the…
The technology is here, is the capability from the middle of the Solent with 1,600 other boats? We’ll find out this Saturday. We are going to try and stream the start (and possibly the finish) of the JPMorgan Asset Management, Round the Island race. What could possibly go wrong? Apart from mobile signal, weather, the…
Our first race of the season, The Cervantes Trophy race taking us from Cowes to Le Havre, approximately 135m was definitely an eye opener for the crew. For half, this was a first; long distance non-stop through the night passage. For all; doing it under racing conditions was a first. And fabulously handled by everyone…
Less than two weeks to go until the start of the Cervantes Trophy race. Starting from Cowes at 1000hrs straight across to Le Havre, the 120mile race is the first training race for the Fastnet crew. The campaign slowly builds from this 120mile race followed two weeks later by the Myth of Malham Race essentially doubling…
The Fastnet 2015 campaign has officially started! Budding crew assembled for the ISAF / RYA Offshore safety training last weekend and were duly thrown straight into a swimming pool! The two day course covers a range of topics all focused on remaining safe at sea and, in the event of disaster, how to survive in…
Doesn’t matter how you wrap it up, telling your better half that the rudder needs to live in the dining room for a couple of weeks doesn’t go down well! I’ve read a few articles about rudder bearings over the last few months as the bearings on Polka were decidedly wobbly. There was a least…
…but I guess that’s part of the fun of boat ownership; no time for anything else! Having got to know her much better and clocked up a few hundred miles, the real work can now start. Lots of basic maintenance has been carried out along the journey. A few false starts (really shouldn’t have enter…
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