J/111 BLUR.SE Silver Rudder Challenge Report

(Copenhagen, Denmark)- As was reported in last week’s J/Newsletter, the J/111 BLUR.SE sailed by Peter Gustafsson from Stockholm, Sweden participated in the world’s largest solo offshore race, the Silver Rudder Challenge- a 134nm  “round island” race (Isle of Fyn) with 200 other boats. And, you get to choose which way to go around- clockwise or counter-clockwise.  Here is Peter’s story:

“134nm distance solo around Fyn together with nearly 200 other boats, for me it was 29 hours of active sailing in very mixed conditions!  And an extraordinary experience.

I tend to always be careful on preparation. And this time it felt more important that I wanted to be well rested and feeling good before the start. Therefore, I sailed the boat down in good time, and I was on location a day beforehand. The only thing that was left was to set the rig for a steady breeze.

I also wanted to soak up the atmosphere, which of course, is very special at a shorthanded race. Everyone is of course, a bit tense, but also very social. They have coffee in each other's boats, lend tools and compare weather forecasts.  It was nice to be able to relax and just be.

“We’re the boat to follow,” I wrote on Facebook. There was good opportunity to follow the race via tracking and now I got my own little cheerleader who excited me the whole race. Amazing.

The forecast for the morning looked good, at least I thought so. Light airs of 2-4 m/s and parallel flow both in Svendborg Sound and Little Belt. I was out one hour before our start to look at the previous races and ping the line. It sounds a bit stupid to do it in a solo race, but for me it is good to follow the same routine hours before starting to get into the race the right way.

I ended up too close to the line and had a tough job to sail away from it with great speed ... I wanted to start on the left side in order to get a stylish tack to starboard. Now I stood still in the wrong direction when the shot rang out. The rest of the field took off ahead of me before I got up the gennaker and could start the hunt.

Here I was actually surprised that I was not more pissed off ... but I had long since set up the rules and it might work out:

- Sail the boat actively. J/111 is demanding to sail fast, but you will be rewarded for their toil.
- Identify the critical transition rate and make active (and good) decisions on the 3-4 places where it counted.
- Rely on boat speed. Sail conservatively and not take any flyers.
- Forget the mistakes directly. All will do at least as many.
- Be in the present. This was a unique experience, so I wanted to take as much as possible of this adventure home with me.

Just before the narrow passage under the bridge. Looks pretty fast getting out? Big gennaker on 157 m2, Code Zero is ready to be hoisted and the jib is attached, but not blanketed. I wanted to wait to be sure of what was to come during the evening and night.

All other boats drifted largely with the flow, so I could quite easily pace myself through. In fact, it was quite crowded to be gybing in the narrow channel. In retrospect, it's looking good, but at the time it was pretty sweaty with power boats, competitors and spin trim etc ...

I had managed to get around almost the entire field under the bridge, but a few boats went fast in the light wind. Straight before C12-One off Garfield it was a bit odd, for me it slid by way too easy.

In Denmark, it seems to be the boats are all very long and narrow with big fat, wide spinnakers (they look like “beachballs”). Even some of the more modern designs were designed in the same way. They went fast at times, but then became larger distances behind me all the time— perhaps they don’t accelerate so well.

It was a relief to get away from the chaos of the start. Drinking a lot of water, eat something, clean the boat and be able to sail a bit more strategically!! It could be a great day at sea!

The focus was to sail in more wind pressure, and it seemed to always be on the right closer to Funen. This had been discussed before the race, it very well could be better near the windward side of the course, so it felt good to find a track to the right of all others.

I continued to press right and the distance grew back over my competitors. Now, I was able to make out the boats that I knew were fast. Especially, the IMX-40 MANDALAY with William Friis-Møller from Elvstrøm Sails— he is fast, smart and holds the record around Fyn in my class. He drove a Code Zero at the start and had some problems in the beginning.  But, he too held the right side of the course, but was well away.

Additionally, the Wasa 38 LEGOLAS looks very good, and I was a little stressed. But I soon got help from my fans on Facebook!  Per Holgerson said, “She’s our old boat. One of the lighter Wasa 38 built. Higher mast too.  What has happened in DK over the years I do not know.”  Another person commented.  Göran Frick said, “After building it, I, Leffe and Ake sold Wasa.  That Wasa 38 LEGOLAS went under the working title Lustre Iris but was named Spring when she was sold again.  The motor was then relocated right in the salon with straight shaft. Other modifications were keel depth (no keel sump, was bolted directly to the hull), plus thinner and taller rig that we crafted together, wondering if it's still alive? Longer boom if I remember correctly. Plus, we cut up the cockpit and built it with parts from a Wasa 55 cockpit, with indented winches etc. .. We sailed several Skaw Races, Kiel Week, Fearder and GR course. Many great memories come back. Fast now and seems to keep sailing well.”

How sick is this!? I'm curious about the boat and those who have built and owned it follow me during the race!!  Amazing this connected world of social media!!  Here it dawned on me that people actually sat at home and followed me on tracking and Facebook. Now it was not just for my own sake I sailed, but also for those who followed me. More press. But fun!

The atmosphere was great after first stages. Good distance backwards after DYO, where I was fortunate that all others in the fleet followed the same path. For a while it looked good to go south of the DYO, and one Mini had tried greatly to do it ... but, most of all I just wanted that my class would hold together on the rhumb line and now I had simple track to extend my position.  But it would be more difficult and harder work.

Just round the southwest corner of Funen, I had identified this as a crucial site where I was to be careful and not make mistakes.

There were many boats just off the Cape, and I wanted to go west of them. I got a good shift and was able to cut out on a light breeze line. So far, so good, but it looked very light out in front of my nose. When I was far enough left, I jibed back onto starboard and passed through the crowd that was at the cape.

Now I was a bit perplexed. The wind seemed to fill-in along the shore, just as on the south side, but it was really right to change the strategy in this way. Suddenly the wind died. Damn ... now I lie the far right. I should have sailed safe in the middle ... But all boats had the same idea.  A painful position to be in!!

Then I saw that the wind was a few boat lengths away ... and the boats around me swung to starboard and sailed with the Code Zero or flat spinnakers ... It turned out to be a southwest wind and it filled in very close to shore. Phew ... this was making me nervous!!

In retrospect, it looked brilliant out- and it had not been possible to do it better- but I must admit that it could have ended in a very different way.

Gaining steam in the north with pressure in the Code Zero felt liberating. The boats in the rear view mirror became smaller and a new one popped up in front of the bow. This was my chance to eke out a little distance.

So it looked like large parts of the sea opened up in front of me and I had a large choice of sails to use in this part of the race. The large A2 gennaker, or "whomper" as I call it, went up and down in the usual way. The Code Zero on a furler ready to roll out and the shorthanded jib that usually lives on the furler, too. Now, I began to approach the decision for the evening and night, reports indicated for continued light winds ... so it was probably the right choice to have these three sails “ready to roll-out”.

I passed a number of Seascape 27s, it was nice to see that many choose to do this race.

I continued follow John to the north. Here were the fastest boats at the front of the class: X-99, Cheetah 30 and a few others. But, I still know I was missing some Seascape 27s and a Mini-transat boat? When I got by the Cheetah 30, I heard 5-6 boats slipped away and were "over the horizon”!?  OK.  Must keep working harder.

Having caught up with the front peloton, it was once again time for a difficult transition. The problem was that we had a big sandbank that I did not dare go diagonally across. Several of the Danes seemed to know something that I did not know and drove on. Then, we pulled off one by one with the promised northeast wind.  At this point, going to windward in the J/111 was fast, stable wind, relatively easy to find a good trim.

On my windward side (off to starboard), I had the Open 32 BLACK MAGGY who started a half-hour before me, but they were having difficulty going upwind.  Only the Cheetah 30 seemed to do OK. Otherwise it started becoming sparse with boats now.

Without other boats around it will be totally different sailing. Now, it was about to sail the boat fast and push the boat without directly seeing the results. I think I'm pretty good at it and I felt confident and strangely relaxed after a hard day's work.

Now I also got the chance to get something hot to eat. Here I have thought a lot about how to replenish energy during a race like this. The most important thing is that you do not relax about it, but drink and eat food regularly all the time. My eating looked like this:

- Continuous intake of water and Vitargo Carboloader (sports drink high in carbohydrates).
- Sandwich, yogurt and different types of bars as "snack". Provides energy, keeps stomach even and elevates mood.
- pasta with rice & chicken. Dinner, which is heated in the oven.
- Freeze-dried pasta dish (dinner) and fruit compote with bran (breakfast) that can be done even when there is chaos.
- Red Bull and coffee drinks in cans to brighten up when it feels sluggish.
- Minimal chocolate / candy (most to celebrate when things go well).

Now, I approach Little Belt and the north side of Funen. It was this passage that I worried about most before the race. Quite unnecessarily, as it turns out.  For it was a fantastic sailing. Sunset, 6-7 m/s and parallel flow made it easy. I had company (or saw) BLACK BETTY just in front and two X-99s that were fighting with each other just behind me.  I tried to keep myself powered-up without too much sail for this long leg.  Everything was going well so far.

On the way out of the Little Belt, I tried to keep myself in the stream and then come out in the right corner when the tide would turn. Went quite ok, although I was a bit inattentive, because I came too far north on the first beat (lured by the high fine course).

That last little battle north was to check up on BLACK BETTY. Suddenly they turned and sailed back. I called them and everything looked to be in order on board. Strange how you look after competitors when sailing solo ... pretty good feeling that we take care of each other.

Now it was pitch black and the waves were a bit annoying. But, I found a good location for the autopilot where it kept us in 92-94% of the target speed, which is extremely good under these circumstances. I tried to get some sleep, but it was just a couple of minutes.  I downloaded the weather to make new analysis, and then I lay down on the windward side and looked at the sky and enjoyed the spectacular view, I wanted to enjoy the moment.

The approach to Aebleø was uneventful, the next cape to pass by.  I kept to the right and hit the 3 meter curve to avoid the current stream, which had now turned. It was difficult to see the other boats, and many seemed to be careless with their navigation lights.

When rounding off Funen Head to turn and sail south, I made my biggest mistake. Here the water drops to 1.8m of water.  Several of the smaller boats could continue to head south in shallower waters, which I did not dare to do then. Now, in retrospect, I see that it worked and I could’ve sailed a little closer to shore.

Now, I had at least halved the distance to the little boats in the lead (not that important but good to keep motivated).  I had a good eye also on the IMX-40, just as I thought before, he was the toughest competitor and holder of the record. He was now nearly 10 km behind me, or 45 minutes behind on time. And this beat should have been his strongest stretch?

It's always good to round a big corner like Funen Head. A new chapter. New opportunities.

Now the wind had dropped to 3 m/s and current turned against me. I knew that I was probably the last boat that came around Funen Head without having to tack, so now was a good time to create some distance. Out with the Code Zero, which was a bit difficult in pitch darkness. But it went well. Full throttle south with 1 to 1.5 knots counter-current.

Initially, I had planned to go into a more easterly track, behind Romsø, and then around to the east side before I headed for the bridge. This would probably give less counter-current. The good news here was that all behind would probably choose the same path, and that I now had an eye backward to the fleet.

After Romso, it became a close reach to the high bridge. Because of mast height, I had to take the longer route, but the boats that were heading towards the small side of the bridge parked anyway. Maybe I could get lucky with a more easterly route choice?

The moon was up there a little while, but then turned on the fog. Damp and chilly and very little wind.

It's a bit funny how you look at this bridge. One thinks that it is a bit like a “portal”- I'll just get there and then everything will be much better on the other side. Once you make it, it turns out that it's just as bad there!!

Now it was getting tough. First, just north of the bridge where I lay completely still for a while. And then again south of the bridge. I was not at all hungry for a fresh restart, but MANDALY went from 10 km behind the second boat to now just a few km behind me. In retrospect, one can take comfort in that the small boats inside the Lagbron island (smaller bridge) had it even worse.

As someone wrote on Facebook: "Now all that’s left is just a Tjorn Around Race!” Ha! Funny guys.

At dawn we went south in the light (or nonexistent) winds. Wind streaks lasted just 20 minutes and ranged from 50 to 140 TWA.  It was hard work capturing all the puffs in the fog and I think I changed the Code Zero to A2 6 to 7 times! Pretty tough work when you are by yourself ...

The approach to Svendborg is pretty messy. Only one strait and then a pretty narrow fairway. Super light wind but counter-current. Now I was 100 meters ahead of Andraž Mihelin in his Seascape 27 with the IMX-40 MANDALY some distance behind.

Andraž Mihelin is a Slovenian and one of the founders of Seascape. He has sailed the Mini-Transat twice and had a 24-hour record for minis with 294 nautical miles! So, Mihelin is not just anyone, probably the most experienced and famous solo offshore sailor in the race!!  And, now I am ahead of him.

I found puffs on the right near shore and the distance increased on the first set ahead of him. Then, I parked and he caught up again. So it went on a few times. Before I finally did myself in with a massive wrap in my A5 spinnaker sock!!  I had decided to run my little flatter A5 gennaker to sail closer to the wind with more power than the Code Zero.  The A5 sits in a sock, which worked fine until I rolled the sock take-down line into the jib!. With both sails halfway out/in/down/up, it became so clear that I was parking until I cleared up the mess!

At this point, Andraž slipped past and we were cheering happily at each other!

Down with all the crap I had thrown up and now up again with the A2 to be able to slide into the finish line!  Damn, nearly won the whole race boat-for-boat against ALL classes.  Cheers to Andraz!

The goal was to sail safe and do the best I could. With the exception of a few small hiccups, I'm incredibly happy. To win the class and be quickest monohull around Fyn with nearly an hour's margin was simply unbelievable!!  I love this crazy J/111.  So fast.  So forgivable. So easy to sail!

Thanks also to GVA who have supported my efforts wholeheartedly. Thanks also to North Sails, Henri-Lloyd, J/Boats, Liros and many others!  Here is the BLUR.SE YouTube sailing video of the Silver Rudder Challenge