Isle of man race report

Lopud · Unread post by **Lopud** » Thu May 08, 2008 2:13 am

FRIDAY 
3 boats left the marina Lopud, Jetwind and Triagos and joined up with Misty and Zoom who launched from the slip and we set sail up the river at 9AM. Wind was force 3 from the SE. 2 OR 3 miles past the winmills at Walney the wind died to nothing and we all motored until a few miles off Maughold Head when the wind picked up again giving us a nice sail into Ramsey bay. A mile or so off the end of the breakwater the wind rose to over 20knots as it was chanelled down the valley, as I was single handed (for the first time)it gave me a few anxious moments trying to get the sails down. I had decided beforehand that as Lopud had never dried out in her life that I would pick up a mooring in the bay, but as it looked rather uncomfortable with the wind creating a chop and with the encouragement of the others I headed into Ramsey. I was well organised lines ready fore and aft, courtesy flag flying I slowly entered the narrow channel in Ramsey harbour, the wall was full of rafted boats, 2 trawlers were leaving and another one was coming in. I then realised that I hadn't put out any fenders, I grabbed a couple and tied them on panicking as the wind kept blowing the bow off course. I grabbed another two and went to tie those alongside the two I had just fastened on, uh where were they? I looked astern to see them bobbing along behind me. I concentrated harder on the knots next time and eventually rafted alongside Jetwind without any further mishap at about 18:45hrs. 
Drying out at 2AM is a WHOLE other story earning Lopud the title of the most photographed boat of the entire Isle of Man round the Island race fleet !!!!!!!!
 SUNDAY 
Rice pudding 9 arrived on Saturday to make up the Glasson fleet and Lopud continued to amuse the onlookers. The weather was warm and sunny and the crews on the Glasson fleet relaxed in their cockpits snoozing, eating and drinking. The peace was only broken by the sound of scrubbing and polishing as every other boat in the race fleet was fine tuned ready for the race, they must have been petrified at how organised and prepared the Glasson fleet was!!!!
Registration and pre race meet was held at MS &CC clubhouse on the saturday evening and free drinks and food were handed out. 
The race started at09:30hrs on Sunday morning, with staggered start times for the faster boats, forecast was SE F6 for the morning droppimg to F3-4 SW for the afternoon and evening high tide was 11:00hrs, this looked ideal for a quick time and we all aimed to be around the calf of man before 1700hrs to take advantage of the tide back up to Ramsey. The course was round the island anti-clockwise, rounding a buoy in Peel bay and leaving the Calf to port, passing either inside or to the outside of chicken rock. 
By the time we had rounded the point of Ayre many of the faster boats had allready passed us with their huge kites taking full advantage of the following wind. Lopuds speed dropped to 4knots on the beat down the west coast and we realised we had picked something up on the prop, I managed to release this by turning the shaft with pipe grips until it span freely but even then she would not get over 5 knots. The wind rose and I went forward on the heavily angled deck to put a reef in the main, and dropped BOTH winch handles over the side in one go, you should have seen the look of disgust on Sonnys face. As we beat down the coast big blisters started appearing on my hands as I struggled vainly to get ant tension in our lines and it soon became apparent that I rigging wasn't set up properly as at times the mast began pumping alarmingly and the genoa was badly out of shape. Rice pudding 9 who had started half an hour behind us had shot past and long disappeared from view as had zoom and misty. Triagos was a distant spot on the horizon and Jetwind was on our starboard beam. The sea behind us was empty. 
The approach to Peel was slow as we were in the lee of the cliffs, it started to rain andthe weather was miserable and we were miserable and we thought of retiring into the comfort of Peel. As we neard the marker buoy we caught up to Fugitive, an IOM registered boat. We talked with them and the skipper disappeared below and came back up with a spare winch handle. As he did so the wind picked up and they being a smaller boat they accelerated ahead, we watched miserably as the boat and winch handle moved further ahead of us. They then very kindly slowed down and came alongside and I amazingly managed to catch it when they threw it so we decided to carry on. Within 10 minutes we were enveloped in the Mannan mist (fog) tacking slowly down the coast in 16knots of wind, visibility was down to a couple of hundred feet, Rice pudding calkled us on the radio to see where we were, they had rounded Langness point and were on the final leg up the East coast. In the fog we saw only one other boat, Triagos appaerd and disappeared just as quickly passing only feet in front of our bow, it happened again 3/4 of an hour later, a quick wave and shout and they were gone. 
We as had other boats had decided before hand not to chance the passage between chicken rock and the calf, instead going for the safer option of going out past chicken rock. The drawback with this option was that it would put 3 or 4 miles onto the distance. As we got half a mile off the calf, the fog began to clear so we decide to take the short cut, we were only an hour after slack so it should be ok. 
The waves had reached fro the south Irish sea, they had suddenly come into shallow water, the current was pulling in 2 directions. The vertcal cliffs were reflecting the waves in all directions and an 18knot wind was adding to the fun. There were waves, breaking waves and big random pyramids of water jumping up and down everywhere. The current was pulling us towards chicken rock, but after 5 or 6 minutes we were safely through, we had done it, the hard part of the course was over, we were in time for the tide which would help us along the south and east coasts, we had almost caught up to 5 or 6 boats in front, we settled down to a quick beam reach up to Langness point. And then the wind stopped, absolutely nothing, just flogging sails. We looked back at the 4 or 5 boats behind which were passing inside Chicken rock and hoped that the wind held for them. Amongs them was Triagos and Jetwind, the wind did hold for them, Triagos had to jybe to to stop being dragged over to the rock and according to John Glyn on Triagos they got near enough to jump onto the rock. Brian took a video on the passage through which hopefully he will share on here.Jetwind had a whale breech at the side of them 
We drifted on the tide along the south coast of the island, the occasional puff of wind helping us around langness point. Only after about 6hours did the wind pick up, by then we were just past Laxey and it steadily increased to 16knots from behind us. We turned into Ramsey bay on a reach and all to soon the wind disappeared again as we went into the lee of Maugold head. So near and yet so far we were a mile from the finish line, we had gone 85miles in 15 hours we were not going to give in now, so out came the dinghy oars and we paddled across the finish line at 01:00 and 23 seconds. We decided to pick up a mooring buoy in the bay rather than amuse everyone again with our drying out, and within an hour watched Jetwind pick up the buoy next to us, everyone was soon dead to the world. 
MONDAY 
We motored into Ramsey harbour at 09:30 and found Rice Pudding, Zoom and Jetwind. Triagos had retired due to the lack of wind into Castletown. Jetwind and Rice pudding were getting ready to go to Kircudbright, Lopud, misty and Zoom set off back to Glasson after Martin and Sonny swapped boats. There was no wind and the fog had returned as we motored across the Irish sea leaving Ramsey at 11:00hrs. The fog cleared after a couple of hours and we motored in the sunshine until reaching the windmills, where there was enough wind to sail to Lune buoy. Silver river was also there waiting to go down the Lune, so we all made a dash for it hopimg to get in the dock before her. We did make it but the gates were shut and they only opened as she approached them, leaving the yachts out in the river for 20mins in the dark. Triagos was also there and it was a bit of a challenge trying to stem the incoming tide with 15 to 20 knots of wind blowing down the Lune. We were eventually let in at around 00:40hrs

And I may be persuaded to show what happened to Lopud in Ramsey harbour, then again !!!!!
PHOTOS, TRACKS AND VIDEOS AT:

http://everytrail.com/profile.php?user_id=7388

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Thu May 08, 2008 4:31 pm

Did we win the trophy? I guess not because it would have been announced. How well did the boats do? Taking part is great, congratulations to all of you.

dr.syn · Unread post by **dr.syn** » Thu May 08, 2008 8:49 pm

Thanks for sharing

kerrygirl · Unread post by **kerrygirl** » Thu May 08, 2008 8:59 pm

John's report makes very good reading and is an accurate summing up of the whole trip. The hospitality shown by the Manx cruising club was excellent and much appreciated by everyone. The start in Ramsey bay was exciting with a F6 making for choppy conditions and a sharp lookout was needed as boats milled about, looking for a good starting position. Then we were off, as usual I managed to make us tail end charlie but as we approached Point of Ayre we tucked in on the inside and overhauled a few. As they say, if you can't spit on the beach you're too far out. Be that as it may we watched in fascination as a Southerly 28 seemed to be sailing in the surf. He was alright though, must have been a local boat. Once round the point we were in flat sea with a F5 on the port beam and we several times hit and sustained 9 knots over the ground. Eventually, the dreaded Mannin came down and visibility went down to a few hundred yards complete with heavy rain. As we tacked to approach the starboard hand marks off Peel harbour the wind eased considerably but once round we bore away and soon found a good breeze. Now the seas were bigger and soon the spray was flying and the foredeck awash. We were beating now and still visibility was down to a couple of boat lengths when out of the murk a yacht appeared like a wraithe crossing our bows, it was Lopud. A least we weren't alone. That's the funny thing about thick fog, there must have been at least half a dozen boats nearby but we felt as if we were the only boat at sea. We tacked to and fro for what seemed like hours when suddenly as if a curtain had parted we shot into bright sunshine and there not two miles away was Chicken Rock lighthouse. I had planned to go round the outside but we could see a yacht battling through the overfalls(it turned out to be Lopud) so it was now or never. We came about and took the plunge. Almost literally! We were almost through when the wind fluked and sent us hove to, heading straight for the rock. We tried to bear away but she seemed to be pinned down. We freed the sheets but still she fore reach at a gentle 2 knots toward the rocks. A controlled gybe seemed the only answer and for once it went like clockwork. Five minutes later we were through and looking back at the turmoil. "That's the worst over, plain sailing from now on" I said . Ha Ha, The next three hours were spent rolling about, looking for wind, until at 21 00 hrs I called a conference. We still had 30 miles to go, the tide was due to turn in the next hour or so and we had to set off home at 9 the next day. So that was it, retired.Castle town was only 5 miles away so we headed in. On reflection ,it was the right decision and it did not detract from the immense enjoyment we had experienced- and there's always next year! My thanks to Triagos's crew Audrey, Scott and Ian and David Sharples who all worked so hard.
Regards Brian.

Lopud · Unread post by **Lopud** » Thu May 08, 2008 9:26 pm

There is a photo of the Southerly and a couple of other boats going around the Point here:
http://www.iomtoday.co.im/EditorialGall ... onIDs=5793

Lopud · Unread post by **Lopud** » Fri May 09, 2008 4:34 pm

The results are now up on the MS&CC website
http://www.msandcc.org/Latest%20News.htm

http://www.msandcc.org/RTIR_Winners_2008.htm

http://www.msandcc.org/RTIR_Class_Results_2008.htm

http://www.msandcc.org/RTIR_Results_2008.htm

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Fri May 09, 2008 7:29 pm

Well done Lopud

Lopud · Unread post by **Lopud** » Fri May 16, 2008 3:53 pm

Jetwind almost visited Chicken rock on race, see his GPS track here:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2049/249 ... 9095_o.jpg
And you can see his race track and cruise up to Scotland here:
http://everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=21858

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Isle of man race report

Isle of man race report

Round the Island Race.