BNY Mellon & Clanfield Trophies

And so our adventure draws to a close. After the tortuous journey home we are reunited with our luggage and more importantly our collection of trophies won over both legs - the BNY Mellon Challenge trophies for IRC handicap Class and Clanfield Trophies for the Double Handed competitors.

Flagging Officer

Our attempts to return home have been thwarted. Not by high pressures or gale force winds, but by a general strike in Portugal. Have just spent a very frustrating 24 hours in Lisbon Airport, with TAP cancelling our flight after 5 hours, transferring us to another flight only to cancel that one. The utter lack of information or ability of TAP staff to help is astonishing in this day and age. But hats off to the lady behind the booking desk that did a 22 hour shift, only to return today, 3 hours later - she'd do well offshore racing! We have decided to gybe away, find a hotel and fly home via Amsterdam on KLM. We only hope that a rather flagging Race Officer, Roger is not kept in the lounge for a second night.

The Patrick Ellam Chronometer

The Patrick Ellam Chronometer, used onboard Sopranino during the 1951-52 Transatlantic Crossing, was awarded to Richard and Trevor on Jangada Too - winners of IRC Class 4 over 1,000nm of racing to Cascais.

Route 28 tram

Trevor & I found time today for a trip to Lisbon. An energetic walk up to the Castle of São Jorge, a Moorish castle occupying a commanding hilltop overlooking the historic city of Lisbon. To return to sea level we took the quaint Route 28 tram, weaving its way along cobbled streets, past houses with walls faced entirely in colourful tiles - often looking shabby and antiquated, but nevertheless charming in an unspoilt sort of way.

Chilling

It feels like we have gone from one extreme to another. From full sailing attire and wet weather gear to shorts and t-shirts with temperatures over 30C. To round off the afternoon and enjoy a glass of port, or two..... we needed shade. With an unorthodox jury rig using the storm trisail we managed to generate enough shade to sit back and chill......

Drying out

We crossed the finish line at 12:36 on Sunday. A party from JOG met us at the dock with a beer and bottle of bubbly. Just what we needed after the climax of the race rounding Cabo Roca in 40kts of wind with almost full sails up. No wonder we both needed a siesta before dinner in Cascais. We awoke the following morning to find our rivals moored alongside and set about the usual ritual of washing off all the salt and drying out all the kit.

Central Reservations

On passing Cabo Villano we were faced with a strategic decision - to cover
the fleet, bearing in mind that we could only see SX Girl on AIS, or to sail
our own race based on wind and weather predictions and optimum route. The
former risked giving the game away to other boats as you cover your nearest
rival. We decided to have faith in our own routing abilities and headed
South West towards more favourable winds that would allow us to reach south
quickly. But the Westerly option has its own risks - four lanes of shipping
in transit between Cabo Roca and Cabo Finisterre. We waved our way amongst
the northbound ships of which the second lane is dedicated to dangerous and
explosive cargos. Having made it to the middle we now face the gauntlet of
crossing back again, feeling rather like a cat stuck on the central
reservation.

The dove from above

Our bold move to go west - far west, out into the Atlantic, to catch a more
kindly wind, has received an omen from above.. A dove appeared from the east
(no olive branch) and circled the boat four or five times. Finally, it made
for the spreaders to land. I'm not sure in which navy this particular bird
had learnt its aircraft carrier landing technique, but apparently a
downwind, diagonal into-the-boat approach is taught there. Its feet
touched, there was the horrible sound of claws against aluminium as it
skidded along the spreader and thudded into the mast. It managed to recover
flight stability just before hitting tthe deck and fluttered off in a
zig-zag flight pattern, not to be seen again.
I have a feather. Is that a good omen then?
Trev

Fair winds and sunshine!

Richard and Trevor are now in sight of land, passing Cabo Villano earlier this evening, close enough for Rich to email me a photo!  All is well aboard Jangada Too, they are enjoying calm seas, clear winds and some warming sunshine.  Still got around 280 nautical miles to Cascais.

Cape Ortago - Land Ahoy

The first sunshine for almost two days. Wind no longer hard on the nose. Wind below 12 knots at last. Sea state slight. Starting to return to normal life. Even the prospect of a decent hot meal and coffee is once again appealing. But best of all is the sight of the Spanish coast. Oh, and 3G reception.

Prize giving

Prize giving last night on the top deck of the Yacht Club. Enjoying the view of La Trinite, plenty of fine wine and the usual JOG hospitality.

We are now set for the next leg across the Bay of Biscay. Forecast fresh and favourable winds should make this a quick crossing.

Sail fast, sail safe.......

Winner of the "Wooden Bung" Award

I have declared myself the winner of a new award - the "Wooden Bung". Let me explain. As we left Hamble the instruments showed 0.0 knots boat speed. Nothing unusual after a couple of weeks in the marina as weed can build up around the impeller. A routine I have followed many times. Extract the impeller from the hull, and quickly before too much water floods in, insert the blank which is conveniently tied nearby. Clean the impeller and replace. Only this time, as water flooded in the blank was too small to plug the leak! Rather than abandon ship a quick dash to the spare wooden plugs provided a temporary solution whilst cleaning the impeller. But on relocating the impeller it would only sit slightly off centre. As a result, the entire race was done with different boat speeds on opposite tacks, negating the time and effort spent setting up all the systems. Determined to fix the problem in La Trinite I discover my error - the impeller sits inside a large adaptor, and it was the later that I had removed - Doh! Hence I really do think I deserve the "Wooden Bung" Award.

Feeling the pressure?

Since the very start of the race Trevor & I have run a rigid watch system. Starting at 6am we do three watches of four hours and from 6pm four watches of three hours. Designed to strike a balance between time in bed and on deck at night, whilst allowing a longer lie in during daylight hours. It's a routine that seems to be working well. Although I was somewhat confused when, half way through my watch, Trevor pokes his weary face out the hatch declaring that it had gone 10 already. A quick glance at the plotter confirmed that the GPS thought it was only 08:25. A second look at Trevor's watch confirmed that it was indeed 1005, millibars that is. "Feeling the pressure, Trev?"

Rounding Ushant

Hot on the heels of Jbellino, we are the second boat to around Ushant, and therefore first in IRC Class 4. A great surprise and quite motivating. I think it would be fair say we are quite weary after the first 36 hours. With smoother seas and lighter winds we are both now managing to get some sleep. Meal routines have not settled down, but a bucket of flapjack on deck is helping morale, even if it looks like we will be beating all the way to La Trinite!

Radio Silence

Have just spoken to Richard via Satellite phone, he is unable to upload or download any data and is therefore unable to blog or post on Facebook.  They are doing fine, actually they are doing really well, currently 1st overall and 1st in class 4 and the Double-handed race.

Their great rival Jbellino is ahead of them, but has a higher handicap and is leading in Class 3 - hence the crown on the Tracker picture.  Its been a windy night, with a lumpy bumpy sea, but the wind should lessen this evening and the ride should be smoother once they round Ushant.

And they're off!

Photo taken by the other Co-skipper Jeremy Waitt just before the start this afternoon.

You can follow them 'live' on the Tracker at www.jog.org.uk and click on BNY Mellon, launch Tracker.  Jangada-Too is currently lying in second place in Class 4 and also second in IRC Overall.

Keep it up boys!

JOG race to Cascais

On Friday 14th June Trevor & I will be starting a new adventure on Jangada Too, in the BNY Mellon Challenge, a JOG race from Cowes to Cascais.  The first leg over 330nm takes us around Ushant and along the Brittany coast to La Trinite-sur-Mer.  The second leg, starting on 19th June, over 645nm takes us across the Bay of Biscay, around Cape Finisterre and along the spectacular Spanish and Portugese coastline to Cascais.  You will be able to track the race at http://www.jog.org.uk.