Fastnet 2015

Our final position in the 2015 Fastnet race was 55th in IRC overall.  Given that we had rounded the Rock itself ranked 99th we made huge gains on the way back.  Sadly we had lost out in the light winds around Portland, a set back that we never really recovered from.  We are pleased with our overall performance given that this was a new experiment with a reduced crew of four.  In particular we enjoyed the chase, hunting down the pack from Scillies to the finish at Plymouth, under A3 and then A2 with spinnaker staysail set.

With the increasing popularity of Jangada on Facebook it is likely that our future blogs will migrate to that platform.  To keep up to date with our antics please go to www.facebook.com/groups/jangada.racing/

Many thanks to you all for your ongoing support.

Richard

Regards,

Richard Palmer

jangada@me.com

www.jangada.co.uk

"silonce finis"

After almost 48 hours of "radio silence" from us on Jangada I am pleased
to report that all is well as we round the Scillies. The race so far
has been challenging with lots of concentration in the light winds. The
tactical decisions around where the wind might be, using all available
info - AIS tracks on the plotter, Yellow Brick tracking when mobile
signal permits & mark-one eye ball with boats around.

One tool in our kit, the iridium satelitte phone, had let us down making
it almost impossible to connect, download data and track boats. However
we think we have resolved the problem. Our hypothesis is that one of
our PC applications which has some very large files loaded is hogging
the processor and upsetting the network handshaking over iridium.

We are looking out at boats around us, ranging from a 57' Class 1 to a
classic S&S yawl in Class 4. This is far from a normal Fastnet with the
tide gates and light/variable winds mixing up the fleets. With wind
forecast to build from the west we are looking a reasonably quick fetch
to the Fastnet Rock with our ETA late Wednesday morning.

Richard

Autopilot forces retirement

It is with great sadness that we made the decision to abandon racing
yesterday and turn toward Brest.

One of the lessons we learnt from the Round Britain & Ireland Race last
year was the importance of a reliable autopilot when sailing downwind in
heavy seas. During that race Trevor & I had to steer by hand for up to
24 hours and found it exhausting, having to change watches every hour.

So we made the decision to upgrade to a more modern autopilot over the
winter. Unfortunately that proved to be unreliable, going into standby
without warning on random occasions - potentially catastrophic at the
wrong moment.

So late in the day we switched to a third pilot which has has worked
tirelessly without disengaging. However, insufficient time for complete
seas trial meant we started this race at risk. Despite our best efforts
to adjust various sensitivity settings, we just cannot get the pilot to
hold a steady course downwind in moderate seas. So with the forecast
increased winds and seas, we reluctantly made the decision to play safe
and return to port.

As our Fastnet campaign is fully crewed we will not be using the pilot.
So we now have time to sort out the pilot before our next
double-handed campaign.

Thanks to all for your support and do follow us on the Fastnet in August
as we race with a crew of four. We are currently leading the J109 class
in the RORC series, so there is all to play for there.

Richard

Jangada Too withdraws from the race.

Just heard from Richard, he and Trevor are both fine, but because they do not have enough confidence in the Autopilot, they have had to withdraw from the race. It would not have been safe to continue in the rising winds and sea state with an inconsistent Autopilot.  Both are very disappointed but their safety and that of the boat is paramount.
They have informed Falmouth Coastguard and are now heading for Brest in France.  More news when I have it, probably tomorrow.

AZAB - the first 24 hours

The race got off to a good start with a great array of spectators lining
Pendennis Point and also on the water. With a freash westerly breeze
the first decision was to reef or not. We decided against and carried
full main, twisting the leech and spilling power in the gusts.

We sailed slightly lower than the direct course initially to keep speed
up through the swell that was coming in from the west around The Lizard.
As the wind eased overnight and veered around to the Northeast we were
kept busy with several sail changes. First from No3 jib to the Code0
spinaker, our light wind reaching kite. Then from Code0 to Code2
spinnaker, our downwind kite that will take us up to 20kts widn speed.

With the increasing wind forecast and while the spinnakers were up we
took the chance to change jibs and replace the No3 jib with the Jib-Top,
a great reaching sail in stronger winds.

Once that was all complete we realised the spinnaker was not full
hoisted to the top of the mast as we had inadvertantly crossed two
halyards. So spinaker had to come down, be repacked and rehoisted.

After two hours on the foredeck instead of in my bunk, I now feeling the
effectgs of lack of sleep. But before taking to my bunk mid morning I
still found time to donwload the latest weather forecast and upload all
the boat positions. We are really pleased that our strategy to sail
around the high pressure systems seems to have put us up with the front
runners. We are enjoying the company of other yachts all with spinnaker
flying.

I'm off to my bunk now for another hours kip before my next watch.

Richard

Jangada at the National Maritime Museum

The origin of the name Jangada Too comes from the traditional fishing rafts sailed up to 60nm off the Brazilian coast at Recife. An example can be seen at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth.

Visitors!

Richard and Trevor are supporting the AZAB Schools initiative, aimed at involving the pupils in both the race and the geography of the Azores.  On Monday Trevor went to visit his old school and yesterday five pupils from Truro school came to visit Jangada Too. They were very enthusiastic about the boat and asked many questions about both the technology and life onboard.  Whilst they were at the nav table, I sent a text to the satellite phone to show them how the communications work.

The Crew assembles

Although the AZAB is a single or double-handed race, Jangada Too has the benefit of 3 extra crew members!

On the right:  Admiral Sir Waddle Flapjack, keeper of the crew morals - and the Flapjack pot.

On the left: Skipper, Assistant Navigator. Always wants the boat to head south. Is very pleased to hear that the first stop is the Azores.

And in the middle the newest member of the crew: Benedict Bear, who, as you see, is representing RNLI in support of Richard and Trevor's efforts to raise money for the Lifeboat Fund. Please support them by using the link below.

They are also supporting the AZAB Schools project and are linked to Truro Preparatory School.  Trevor is an Old Boy and we hear that Benedict himself is named after another (famous) former pupil. Any guesses as to who that might be? 

https://www.justgiving.com/Trevor-Drew4/

Myth of Malham Race

This race certainly lived up to expectation with close racing, especially against the J109 fleet.  As we rounded the Eddystone light, J-Taime were about 3nm ahead with Jolene II less than a mile behind and several others in hot pursuit with spinnakers flying in all their glory.  As we approached Start Point we headed inshore to pick up the turn of the tide.  But as the wind dropped under the cliffs we began to regret the tactic.  However without too much damage done we continued the chase, changing down from spinnaker to Jib Top early for a fast reach across Lyme Bay.

Having stayed with the peloton, the race was in the balance as we approached St Albans.  With up to 3kts of tide against us over the ledge we chose to stay close inshore under the cliffs.  Code 0 hoisted but remained furled, thankfully as the breezed picked up.  By this stage both J-Taime & Jolene were just ahead of us and slightly offshore.  But we stuck to our gameplan, and stayed in close to the cliffs to keep out of the tide.  As we emerged into Swanage Bay we just managed to squeeze past J-Taime.  Behind us the wind dropped slightly and the chasing pack struggled to keep up against the tide - we'd squeezed through just in time.

Then we switched tactics and headed slightly more offshore than the rest of the fleet.  Picking up a wind shift in the closing miles, with a quick change from Code 0 to A2 spinnaker we just managed to creep ahead, crossing the line 10 minutes ahead of the other J109s.

The J109 fleet certainly offers exciting racing. With only four of us onboard it is hard to keep up such high levels of concentration.  Off watch sleep is interrupted to help with sail changes adding to the challenge.  And without the benefit of the autopilot that we are so used to double-handed we are all aching from the time spent on the helm.

After two RORC races we are currently leading the J109s in the series.  We have set a high benchmark for the Fastnet Race - bring it on......

Myth of Malham - race to the Eddystone Light

The RORC Myth of Malham race to the Eddystone Light and back is living
up to expectation. The Western Solent set the scene for the rest of the
first leg with light northerly beezes competing against the
Southwesterly seabreeze. At one point, as we tried to cross the
transition we caused much alarm, squeezing between two fishing boats.
But it is a fine line between success and failure with one yacht aground
off Lepe Spit and another hooked up to a fishing bouy off Lymington.

Overnight the wind died off Portland and with a sense of deja vue we
started drifting back towards Brighton. Rather than kedge in 60m depths
we persisted searching for a breeze. Eventually there was enough breeze
for the new Code 0.

As I write, we are approaching the famous lighthouse surround by the
usual suspects, many of them J109s. So we look forward to a hotly
contested race back to Prawle Point under spinnaker and a fast reach
across Lyme bay ans the northerly breeze fills in again.

Spirits are high as we have been enjoying some of Jeremy's "Souvide"
vegan dinners and flapjack to match the usual M&S variety. Looking
forward to breakfast as we finish the race just outside the Solent, near
Hurst Point on Monday morning.

RORC Cervantes race

The season is off to a good start with the RORC Cervantes race to Le
Havre. Departing from the normal double handed campaigns we had a crew
of four on board. From the off it was already starting to feel a little
crowded in the cockpit and we found ourselves having to dance around
each other below decks. But we soon settled down into a rythm with
Jeremy helming us to a great start towards the Needles with spinnaker
flying before running to St Albans. Then rounding up to a long beat SE
across the channel to Le Havre. The fleet all headed off on port tack
towards Cherbourg in anticipation of the wind shift. Timng the tack
east toward Le Havre on that wind shift was the most tactical part of
the race. We were delighted to find ourselves aprroaching Le Havre
leading a pack of J109s. Finishing 8th in Class 3 we are pleased with
the first phase of qualifying for the Fastnet and developing ourselves
as a team. Next race at the end of May to Eddystone and back.

Richard, Jeremey, Trevor & Paul

Re: Under pressure!

What a sport! It would've given me something to blame it on!


> On 10 Sep 2014, at 09:40, Richard Palmer <jangada@me.com> wrote:
>
> With a goatee beard developing under her bow, it was definitely time for a lift & scrub. Even the saildrive was covered in crustaceans. This year seems particularly bad for marine growth - the combination of warm sea with rain washing the fertilisers and associated spores off the fields perhaps.
>
> Given that I'll be racing against Jangada this weekend I'm beginning to think I should have left the pressure wash until next week.
>
> Might have to rethink the strategy and return to dry sailing next year.
>
> Richard
>
> <photo.JPG>

Under pressure!

With a goatee beard developing under her bow, it was definitely time for a lift & scrub. Even the saildrive was covered in crustaceans. This year seems particularly bad for marine growth - the combination of warm sea with rain washing the fertilisers and associated spores off the fields perhaps.

Given that I'll be racing against Jangada this weekend I'm beginning to think I should have left the pressure wash until next week.

Might have to rethink the strategy and return to dry sailing next year.

Richard

All over

With the racing over and Jangada back in her home port, it's time for quiet reflection on our achievement.

The worst damage to Jangada is a bent stanchion from an accidental gybe - a testament to her reliability and set-up. The worst injury was to Trevor's finger when slicing parmesan, although even that hardly warrants a mention - but the galley is one of the most dangerous places onboard.

It was a stunningly fast pace - we averaged 6.7kts over almost 2,000nm of racing, including 3 hours rowing. Total corrected time was 12 days 13 hours - 2 days faster than last time. And to cross the finish line, 3rd boat on the water ahead of many faster boats is an achievement I'm sure we will boast about for some time.

So now we hang up our wet weather gear, enjoy the sunshine and start planning our next big adventure - the Azores & Back Race in 2015. With 100 boats entered the competition will be fierce and already we are thinking of how we can improve.....

Enjoy the summer and return to follow us to the mid-Atlantic in June 2015.

Richard

Plymouth - so near yet so far!

As we reach the final approach to Plymouth we are drifting on a glassy sea, spinnaker flying. Excitement is running high onboard as most of the fleet are still chasing us to the East of Start Point. But at 2 knots it will be some time before we reach the bar.

Becalmed

It's so still in Lyme Bay that even a spider has decided to risk spinning a web on the pushpit. With winds less that 3 knots we are drifting with the tide hoping to keep ourselves between the finish line and our rivals.

Solent Coastguard on Channel 16

And so we round the final corner at Dover and into the English Channel
with the familiar sound of Solent Coastguard on Channel 16.

A far cry from the heavy seas and strong winds that we have endured to
get here, we are now enjoying champaign sailing. Our initital concern
that the smaller fleet this time around would leave us racing in
splendid isolation. But this could not be farther from the truth - at
one point we could see Suenos, Hikari, Insomnix and Greyhound. Out of
sight but hot on our heels is Zest.

It is great to be back in the familiar area that we sail so frequently.
This race has also left us facing the same decisions that we have
tackled in so many races - how close to the Isle of Wight and Portland
Bill to pick up the sea breezes? Lyme Bay - often notorious for light
winds, but has been used to good effect in some races. Or across the
channel to France - a more radical move, 30nm further that risks
splitting away from the pack and surrendering all the ground made so far?

Whichever tatic we choose, I think it is fair to say that the final 24
hours will offer some exciting and nail biting moments as we close in on
Plymouth.

Wench service?

Trevor said he was off to service the wench - to be stripped, washed and oiled. I clearly misunderstood his intentions as I found him up to his elbows in winch grease and pawl oil. Now put it back together Trev!

Llowestoft

Jangada Too enjoying pole position in front of the RN&SYC at Lowestoft. We are clinging onto first place with Zest only 19 minutes behind us on corrected time after 10 days of racing.

The next leg across the Thames Estuary and along the south coast to Plymouth will be tactically very challenging with tidal gates at headlands and variable winds. Whilst we have maintained our position with the lead pack, the sprint to the finish starts here. Expecting to take around 3 days we should be in Plymouth on Sunday.

Richard

Hikari

As we make our way south a familiar sight approaches from the distance -
the distinctive red sails of Hikari. On the opposite gybe she soon
passes close astern for a photo shoot.....

Richard