ARC Rallies- Caribbean 1500 & Atlantic Update

(Grand Canary, Spain)- “World Cruising”, the organization that created a number of “cruising rallies” called “ARC” (originally, Atlantic Rally Cruising), has seen its first major event finish in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, while the second event, ARC Atlantic, is still taking place having started on November 19th.

CARIBBEAN 1500
The longest-running ocean crossing rally in North America, the “1500” is a must-do for many cruisers. The ARC Caribbean 1500 fleet sails from Portsmouth, VA at the mouth the Chesapeake Bay to Nanny Cay on Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The start port and dates make the most of the available weather to maximize your Caribbean sailing, and the week-long pre-departure program will get you relaxed and ready for cruising.

Without a doubt, the most difficult part of getting to the Caribbean is timing the weather window before departure. Fall on the East Coast is squeezed between late summer hurricane season and early winter gale season. By joining the 1500, cruisers can rest assured that the “experts” are there to take the pressure off that decision. The support team consists of professional ocean sailors working closely with weather forecasters at WRI to ensure the fleet makes it across the Gulf Stream and into warmer waters in the best possible conditions.

Shortly after the start of the 2017 edition of the “1500”, one boat sent out an update over satellite email explaining, “it is an absolutely gorgeous day here in the North Atlantic. We are currently 640 nm off the coast of Georgia.  Last night was equally stunning. We were treated to a blaze orange moonrise followed by a moonlit night that danced on the water. The winds were favorable and we were cruising along comfortably at 11 knots or so.”

It did not take the fleet very long this year to make the 1,500nm crossing to Nanny Cay in Tortola, BVI.  In fact, Pete Watkins from Boise, Idaho, sailed his J/42 MERLIN so fast that he ended up 2nd Overall and 2nd in Cruising A Class!  Now, that’s a nice way to celebrate the start of the 2017/ 2018 winter Caribbean sailing season!  For more Caribbean 1500 sailing information

ARC ATLANTIC
The 2017 edition of the ARC Atlantic attracted nearly 200 boats and 1,200 people to sail 2,700nm across the Atlantic from Gran Canary Island (Spain) to Saint Lucia situated in the Windward Islands of the Caribbean.

This year’s “cruising rally” attracted a broad cross-section of sailors; families with children, tough offshore racers, cruising couples, big boats and modest boats. Crossing the Atlantic together, but having their own adventures. Many are already looking forward to their arrival in Saint Lucia to be met on the dock with a rum punch and a chilled beer after two weeks at sea!

After starting November 19th, Sunday, the fleet is making good progress towards St Lucia, and the crews are celebrating and enjoying the Atlantic crossing on board their yachts in many different ways. For some it’s flying a spinnaker, others it’s catching a fish or practicing celestial navigation.

The lone J/crew participating in this year’s event is the J/133 JACKY X owned and skippered by Gerard Feenema from The Netherlands.  Currently, as of 1500 hrs, November 30th, they are lying 4th in Cruising D, but on a significantly better, faster track to St Lucia than her erstwhile classmates.  They are approximately 1,500nm from landfall in the Caribbean.  For more ARC Atlantic sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Meet Vestas 11th Hour Racing- Charlie Enright

(Newport, RI)- Team VESTAS includes as its leader a J/24 World Champion Charlie Enright. Furthermore, he is joined by friend Mark Towill, both avid sailors and racers since they were little kids growing up on Narragansett Bay, sailing out of the Bristol YC on Sunfishes, J/24s, J/35s, J/105s and even the new J/121 recently.

Young guns Charlie Enright and Mark Towill are back in the Volvo Ocean Race, and they've teamed up with Danish wind energy company Vestas and marine conservation program 11th Hour Racing hoping to make a lasting impact on and off the water in 2017-18.

American duo Enright and Towill return to lead the blue boat, and want to make an impact on and off the water. Enright and Towill got their first taste of Volvo Ocean Race action in the 2014-15 edition as with Team Alvimedica, and in doing so realized a long-awaited dream to test their mettles offshore in the ultimate round-the-world race.

Two In-Port Race wins and victory in the final ocean leg from Lorient to Gothenburg left the talented Americans wanting more, and now they're back with a star-studded crew, an even bigger hunger for success and an important message about the health of our oceans to promote.

The team's partnership with 11th Hour Racing will see them engage with communities around the world to increase understanding of marine environments and how best to respect them.

Joining Towill and Enright in the team's high command is Simon 'SiFi' Fisher, who helped orchestrate Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's win in 2014-15 from the navigation station, and returns for a fourth consecutive Volvo Ocean Race.

Around them are some of the most talented ocean racers on the planet. The likes of Damian Foxall, Tony Mutter, SCA's Stacey Jackson and Phil Harmer, all with Volvo Ocean Race victories on their CVs, will guarantee Vestas 11th Hour Racing are top contenders. Indeed, Harmer is hunting a hat-trick of consecutive wins after lifting the trophy with Groupama and Abu Dhabi in 2011-12 and 2014-15, respectively.

Nick Dana (Newport, RI) returns for a second race as a full crew member, then there are the team's under-30 crew members, bursting with enthusiasm and talent. Brit Hannah Diamond and Denmark's Jena Mai Hansen join the team from Olympic dinghy racing backgrounds, Diamond from the Nacra 17 multihull and Jensen from winning bronze in the 49er FX at Rio 2016. Young Aussie Tom Johnson joins the crew after racing with Vestas in the 2014-15 edition, then with Oracle Team USA for the most recent America's Cup.

Vestas 11th Hour Racing finished fifth in Leg Zero, the four-stage qualifying series before, then headed straight for Lisbon where they've been working hard to get up to speed, two-boat testing alongside team AkzoNobel as the countdown to the start of the Volvo Ocean Race continues.

Follow these guys as the go around the world on the Volvo Ocean Race website (great tracker, too!).

RORC Transatlantic Race Update III

(Port Louis, Grenada)- Grenada is one of the most spectacular islands in the Caribbean and is called the “Spice Island” for good reason; cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg, chili and cloves are very much part of the economy. Grenada is just 21 miles long and 12 miles wide and has 40 beaches with sugar-like sand. Virtually half of the island is verdant tropical forest, rising up to nearly 3,000ft with spectacular vistas and enchanting waterfalls. The scenery both on land and at sea is absolutely stunning.

It’s not surprising that sailors have taken the “discovery route” from Europe, down through the Canary Islands, and powered by the steady trade winds on the south/ southwest course down to “the Windwards” in the Caribbean island chain.  Grenada has so many sun-kissed white sand beaches with blue water so crystal clear that boat hulls cast shadows upon the ocean floor - perfect for resting for your aching bones after an exhilarating hike around a tropical volcanic crater lake, or a long trans-Atlantic sail!

Still working their way to the finish line is the J/120 NUNATAK sailed by Elin Haf Davies and Chris Frost from the United Kingdom.  They’ve had their fair share of thrills and quieter moments.  Here are their latest reports, always entertaining and insightful:

“December 11th
Well it’s been a funny old time here. Wind is just ever so slightly too high for us to be able to fly our kites safely (especially in pitch black nights). We’re therefore going dead down wind just on black sails, and seem to be ticking off the miles okay. Less than a 1,000 miles to go ...

We’re down to sharing one cup of coffee between us at morning and night.

In other random news, last night while on watch, I was admiring the stars when an UFO certainly appeared, and started circling around us. It stayed with us for ages, with bright colours of red, green and white. Petrified I was about to call on Chris (thinking he might have to rescue me from being abducted by aliens), the UFO promptly disappeared again, and the only thing left in the night’s sky was the boat’s windex and tricolour ...

Yes. I think that cabin fever might be setting in!

December 13th
Sorry for no blog update yesterday, we were kidnapped by aliens and had to enter difficult negotiations for our release.

At the same time our comms stopped working, and took some time to re-set – thanks to Roger.

Day 13 at sea was a challenging one for us with nothing quite going right. As night came we got the twist in our A2, and dropped her for an A4. I think I’ve said before, but helming in this pitch black where you can really see nothing is a nightmare. Soon after a squall came and we had to go for a quick drop. Sadly our drop line had dropped under the pole so it wouldn’t work. We had to revert to using the lazy sheet to get her down, which was a mammoth effort. After that we decided to revert to just a conservative sail plan of just black sails over night. Not ideal, but allowed us both to get some good sleep in.

There’s so much seaweed in the ocean now that we must be getting close to land. Seen quiet a few other yachts, and had a chat with a couple.

Been pondering a lot on whether flying fish breath in and/or our of the water? Anyone know?

Other than that, all is going well. We’re both really struggling to cope with the heat– me in particular. Celtic blood was not designed for such climates, that’s for sure.

Off to do some needlework repair, which I’m sure will make my mother proud.

December 14th
We hear that all the other boats are now in! A huge congrats to all, I hope that you enjoy much deserved land celebrations– but please do save some rum for us!

Even accounting for boat size/ design/ crew size it’s fair to say that both of us are a little bit disappointed that we are last boat to finish by sooo many miles. Having said that our objective for this race was always about just getting across, and getting the experience for future campaigns – which has been just perfect. We now expect to be in by the 17th and our prize will be getting there in time to party at prize-giving night as Louay has promised that he’ll buy all the drinks!

Our other objective was to raise much needed awareness about our nominated charity, Findacure (http://www.findacure.org.uk). As mentioned before Findacure work to support patients with rare diseases, and to facilitate drug re-purposing as a way of discovering cures in an affordable way. There are nearly 7,000 rare diseases, but currently there are only 103 drugs authorized to treat them in Europe, and only 37% of which are being reimbursed by all health care agencies. The approach used by Findacure is instrumental to finding affordable treatments. Please support them!

December 15th
Well, our adventure continues as we search for favourable winds that will take us to Grenada. We’re struggling to make the progress that we would like, which is frustrating. But I remind myself that compared to the 77 days 7 hours 37 minutes it took me to row across the Atlantic our current pace is super speedy. I came in last in that race too, and as I keep telling Chris, someone always has to come last.

To pass away the time yesterday we played ‘hangman’. After much initial confusion about the exact rules of the game and whether we were playing in English or Welsh we had quiet a giggle for about 5 minutes before deciding that it probably wasn’t the game for us after all.

To celebrate reaching the 500-mile mark we opened a chilled bottle of Spanish sparkling water. Lush it was too. And, of course, no major celebration would be complete without a bag of Haribo sweets! Yesterday we had the Frenzy Edition! Living on the edge that we are.

P.S FOR SALE- six tins of Spanish meatballs– still in original packaging - open to offers! Haha!

December 16th
Shame wind has died to slow our final approach but what a great sail Elin and I have had so far.  We have seen wind from 0 to 38 knots, lost count of the number of spinnaker peels and gybes we have done. Thank goodness for the easy-to-gybe asymmetric spinnaker!

Almost everything has gone to plan and Elin and I are still talking (just). I have lost count of the number of times I have woken thinking we have sailed into a fog bank with a symphony of fog horns only to realize it is Elin singing along to her iTunes.

Oh bollocks!  As I type, a big bang as the second spinnaker halyard block explodes.  Damn.  Kite down.  Rapid repack.  Hoist this time on the jib halyard.  Will have to go up later to run a second halyard.

I have to congratulate Elin on bringing the dog food meatballs which have made the freeze dried food seem simply divine!

Dwi yn hoffi hoylio efo Elin…”

As you read this, it’s likely that NUNATAK will have finished.  Congratulations to Elin and Chris on the TransAtlantic Race adventure and their entertaining blogs!  For more RORC Transatlantic Race sailing information

Spain’s Tabares Repeats J/80 Worlds!

(Kiel, Germany)- The proud Spaniards are again wearing the crown as J/80 World Champions. At the end of the World Championship off Kiel, two Iberian teams staged a dramatic finale, in which the crew of HOTEL PRINCESS YAIZA with skipper Rayco Tabares sailed past their countrymen to take the title.  Marc de Antonio, skipper of BRIBON MOVISTAR, couldn’t have been more thoroughly disappointed – he had led the regatta from the very first day onward. Third place was secured by the French on CO-PILOTES skippered by top woman sailor Maxime Mesnil.  She managed to top the strongly emerging team from Bremen, Germany- PROCEDES DIVA skippered by Björn Beilken.

The weather scenario all week long caused the fifty teams from eight nations all kinds of difficulties, with conditions ranging from light to strong winds.  The third day of racing was canceled because it blew 50 knots on Kiel Bay. On the final day, the storm of the previous day had died down on Friday morning, but strong gusts of up to 30 knots blew across the racing course.

The race officer, Fabian Bach, signaled an earlier start for sailing and left no doubts that he wanted to get three fast races underway. “Everything went down well; the competitors were also quite satisfied. Many of them offered their thanks at the finishing line”, the race officer explained. The wind conditions were challenging but the basic wind force was stable, Bach explained, who hoisted the black flag after a premature start on the 1st day’s race, bringing the crews under tightened terms across the starting line. At the end of the week, he voiced satisfaction with his team’s work. The praise was echoed by Thore Hansen, the managing director of the marketing agency POS: “The entire team worked perfectly in the preparation and execution of the World Championship. We are proud to have such volunteers from the Kieler Yacht-Club and the German J/80 Class Association gathered together”. The conditions provided a great World Championship. “We started with light winds for the practice race, and then had spectacular sailing during the following races. Kiel put on its smiling face and offered good conditions for all sailors,” Hansen explained.

On the last day, the visitors to the Olympic Center at Schilksee were offered great viewing of the racing directly off the jetty, as the crews in gusty winds turned around the luff buoy and hoisted their gennaker. The perfectly working team of the Rayco Tabares Alvarez didn’t miss the big chance of displaying quality seamanship in this type of “stadium sailing”: “We are a family crew, sailing together for many years, integrating the tasks,” explained the overjoyed skipper of HOTEL PRINCESS YAIZA on reaching the harbour. “We prefer a little less wind, but in the first two races of the day everything simply worked better than for our competitors for the title”.

With a victory at the start of the day and a 4th place in the following race, the team from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands had already secured the crown. The 6th place became the throw-out result for Tabares, who also had his wife on board. “This title means unbelievably much to us. It’s our second victory since 2009. We came to win, but knew it would be difficult fighting our compatriots. In the first few days, we had to come to terms with the charter boat. During the Championship we gradually found our best trim”.  Sailing with Tabares was his crew of Domingo Falero Lasso, Oliver Herrera Perez, Laiyin Le Torres and Hector Gonzales Jorge.

Contrary feelings prevailed on BRIBON MOVISTAR, who even with a win in the last race could not secure the victory, after dropping back to the 6th place on the previous race. “Today of all days – the most important one – our maneuvers were not good, and we made wrong tactical decisions. The starts were generally ok, but at the first buoys we had already lost the race”, skipper de Antonio explained. “The win at the end improved our spirits but, in general, we are very disappointed”. de Antonio’s crew included Gustavo Martinez, Ricardo Terrades, Sofia Bertrand and Gonzalo Morales.

Taking third overall, and the highest finish of a woman sailor ever in the J/80 class was Maxime Mesnil’s French team on CO-PILOTES, comprised of Yann Chateau, Sophie Faguet and Yann Rigal.

Even though PROCEDES DIVA didn’t secure a place on the podium, the crew of Björn Beilken showed satisfaction about the World Championship: “A place on the podium would have been perfect, as this was our final competition in this class,” explained tactician Jork Homeyer. “But we’re satisfied. We aimed at a placing in the top ten and toward the end came very close to secure a medal, which we didn’t even dare to hope for. And then to win a day’s race in the World Championship was great”.

Behind them in fifth place was Sven Vagt’s German team on BOOTSWERFT WINKLER with crew of Tobias Teichmann, Jork Homeyer and Alex Beilken.

The top British team was Jon Powell’s BETTY in 9th, top Danish team was Johnny Jensens’ BHJ-DONDEN in 14th, top Italian team was Massimo Rama’s JENIALE AKEWUELE, top Swedish team was Lars Gellerhed’s MK-PRODUKTER in 23rd and top Netherlands team was Pip de Vries’ LED2LEASE in 32nd.

Andreas Rose, chairman of the German J/80 Class Association, summarized the World Championship in these few words: “It was a great week with difficult conditions, but also with light-wind competitions. In any case we had a lot of fun”. Kiel’s Lord Mayor, Dr. Ulf Kämpfer, was impressed at the Prize Giving Ceremony: “You presented great sport and superb sportsmanship. It was an honour to have had you here. Once more you have put Kiel in the focus of German sailing”.

The chairman of Kieler Yacht-Club, Karsten Krage, thanked the competitors of eight nations: “Thank you very much for coming to Kiel and offering us such thrilling races. We are looking forward to seeing you next year at Kieler Woche”.

The J/80 Worlds were sponsored by Helly Hansen, Faber+ Münker, RWE, the Friesischen Brewery of Jever, Pantaenius Yacht insurance, the “Segler Zeitung“, ”WetterWelt“, the “Offenen Kanal Kiel“ and the State Capital Kiel.   Sailing photo credits- Sven Jurgensen.  For more J/80 World Championship sailing information

RORC TransAtlantic Update #1

(Grand Canaria, Canary Islands)- And they’re off, plying down the classic tradewind route from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean, a mixed bag of modern day carbon racing machines along with traditional old cruising boats of various ilk.  In the mix is the J/133 APOLLO 7 from the United Kingdom, skippered by her owner Nigel Passmore.

After two delays to the start due to horrendous weather conditions, the RORC Transatlantic Race started from Puerto Calero Marina at 1000 UTC, Sunday 30th November.  It was third time lucky as the RORC fleet departed Puerto Calero Marina, Lanzarote bound for Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada West Indies, 2,995 nm away across the Atlantic Ocean. Rain squalls had been disturbing the air in the early hours of the morning, but virtually nothing would have prevented the eager fleet to set off on the inaugural RORC Transatlantic Race. Sunshine and a gentle northerly breeze prevailed for the start- the only abnormal weather feature was a perfect double rainbow, pointing the way to the turning mark off Marina Lanzarote, Arrecife - the only mark of the course before the fleet would make landfall in Grenada.

The rainbow was not the only surreal experience at the start; a fleet of young Spanish Optimist sailors had decided to use the yellow inflatable turning mark for a training session. However, three loud blasts from the coach's whistle recalled the young sailors to a safe position, as humming deck gear and huge sail area, announced the imminent arrival of the Maxi fleet. No doubt, the young sailors will tell the tale for years to come!

After a competitive start, the fleets have been battling through the first night to negotiate the fastest passage through the Canary Islands and into the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The entire fleet chose the northerly route through the channel between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and once again north of Tenerife. The northerly route puts the fleet nearer the fresh breeze coming from the north rather than south where an area of little wind has developed. The rhumb line goes straight through Tenerife but the highest point, Mount Teide, has an elevation of 3,718 m (12,198ft), which would give a significant wind shadow to any yachts that ventured south.

A tremendous battle kicked off right from the start in IRC Two, the French X40 Optim'X sailed smartly to take the lead from Nigel Passmore's British J/133, APOLLO 7, at the start, which the French team held right along the coast of Lanzarote. APOLLO 7, mainly crewed by friends from Plymouth, took a slender lead after passing the southern tip of Lanzarote and unfurled their Code Zero to open up a three mile lead on their rivals by dawn. It may be the last time Optim’X ever sees APOLLO 7 until they enter the harbor of Port Louis Marina in Grenada!

Nigel Passmore reports from the course on APOLLO 7: “We are round the top of Tenerife and enroute to La Palma with a welcome to offshore Atlantic sailing more like the English Channel! Rain, waves and wind shifts. Still heading in the right direction with a good breeze. Crew are happy and settling in. Very much waterline length sailing at the moment.”

Sail choice and boat handling have been the major factors to performance at this early stage in the race. Getting into the open waters of the Atlantic first pays high dividend as more wind is expected for the leaders. Just a few hours difference can turn into enough miles for leading yachts to disappear over the horizon. All of the fleet should pass La Palma into the Atlantic today, raising spinnakers that should be flying for the near future. After days of confused weather systems, the Trade Winds are forecast to re-establish over the coming days. Downwind racing, surfing down Atlantic rollers with the sun on your back – it doesn't get a lot better than that.  For more RORC Trans-Atlantic Race sailing information

RORC Trans-Atlantic Race Preview

(Lanzarote, Canary Islands)- A varied and international fleet ranging from 40 to 100ft (12.19 to 30.48m) will set off for Grenada on Saturday 29th November from Lanzarote, the most eastern in the Canary Islands chain, in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's new offshore race- the RORC Trans-Atlantic Race.

After a week of preparation and social events hosted at Puerto Calero Marina, the inaugural RORC Trans-Atlantic Race will see competitors from several countries weave their way through the historic archipelago before making landfall 2,800 nautical miles away where they will be welcomed at Camper & Nicholsons' Port Louis Marina.

Ever since Columbus started the trend over 500 years ago, the Canary Islands have remained the jumping-off point for yachts crossing the Atlantic to the Caribbean. The RORC Trans-Atlantic Race will provide RORC members and other highly competitive race boats with the chance to compete in a top-level event during the east-west transatlantic crossing.

The J/133 APOLLO 7 (GBR), was bought and refitted by RORC member Nigel Passmore in order to compete in his first Trans-Atlantic race. "I'm taking part in the RORC Trans-Atlantic Race in order to achieve a lifetime ambition of sailing across the Atlantic," explains Passmore.

The Plymouth, Devon-based team has notched up a string of local victories as well as notable wins in the Rolex Fastnet Race and as overall winner of the RORC's De Guingand Bowl and Morgan Cup races earlier this season. A crew of six for the crossing includes Isle of Wight sailor Brett Aarons.

"Once the RORC announced its intention to organize the race, I wanted to make sure I took part in the first event. We intend to do the best we can and enjoy the experience.  Maintaining boat equipment and keeping on a race pace for two weeks, 24 hours a day is going to be tough.  I'm looking forward to the whole race and ticking off another 'To Do' box when the finish gun goes off in Grenada. It's sure to be a memorable moment," says Apollo 7's owner, Passmore.   Sailing photo credits- Tim Wright/ photoaction.com   For more RORC Trans-Atlantic Race sailing information

Copa del Rey Preview

(Palma Mallorca, Spain)- The penultimate event on the busy summer calendar in Palma Mallorca is the famous Copa del Rey MAPFRE, hosted by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, an event geared towards a combination of popular one-design and level rating offshore classes in the Mediterranean.  As has been the case since they were first invited, the J/80s are by far the largest one-design class and other popular level classes include the Mini-Maxi 72 footers, the TP52s and the Soto 40s.  In addition, the event attracts a cross-section of ORC offshore handicap racers.

The racing takes place from August 4th to 9th on the spectacular bay in front of the city’s waterfront, the famous cathedral providing a spectacular backdrop for the sailors during the weekend.

For the fourth consecutive year, the J/80 class will have their own division in the Copa del Rey MAPFRE: the Herbalife J/80 class. Sixteen teams are registered, including the last three winners in the Bay of Palma: Hugo Rocha’s New Territories (current J/80 World Champion and winner of the 32 Copa del Rey MAPFRE as Turismo do Algarve), Martínez, Barrionuevo, Pedreño and Fructuoso’s Deltastone (winner in 2012 as MAPFRE, second in 2013 and current leader of the Spanish National rankings) and José María Van der Ploeg’s Factor Energía (Copa del Rey winner in 2011, second in 2012, third in 2013 and J/80 World Champion in 2012 as Nilfisk).

The J/80 class is in excellent shape at the moment and has a superb level of competition in Spain. Therefore, it is no wonder that several world champions in the class have carried the Spanish flag. "The Spanish J/80 fleet is experiencing a golden age with great results, and we are a reference within the international fleet," says Alex Díaz, President of the J/80 class in Spain. "The number of boats in Spain keeps increasing, and we have managed to organize regattas geographically diversified which allows both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean fleets to take part in several races that belong to the national circuit."

“The J/80 is a very fast boat, easy to maneuver, it doesn’t require many crew members and the cost is not high," says the Spanish Class President. "That’s why this one-design is still a strong boat and highly accepted. The fact that the fleets are strongly established along the Spanish coast is another one of its advantages. Although the J/80s are spread throughout the Spanish coast, the largest number of boats is concentrated in Cantabria, Catalonia and Andalusia.”

"It is a great satisfaction for the J/80 owners to compete as a class in this regatta,” continues Alex Díaz. "The Copa del Rey MAPFRE is defined by bringing together several categories and boats, professional or amateur projects but always highly regarded. This year we have again the pleasure of competing with other one-design fleets like the Swan 60s or X-35. Without a doubt, it is a great recognition for this class, which has brought so many victories to Spanish sailing in the last five years. We're flattered and we will not disappoint. Thanks to the Copa del Rey MAPFRE for renewing its support in the J/80 class."

In addition to the top Spanish teams, a trio of J/80 teams from Italy are participating, including Giacomo Loro Piana sailing with his CN Porto Cervo team on MAKE A WISH (from the renowned sportswear/ lifestyle fashion house- Loro Piana); long-time Italian class stalwart Massimo Rama skippering his well-traveled JENIALE from YC Chiavari; and Massimo Borghi’s team on PIUMA from YC Chiavari.  For the first time, a French team is sailing for Le Havre, Team PH Finance- Petithuguenin sailing SPIRIT OF MAOUEN 3 from Société des Régates du Havre.

While the J/80s will be sailing a course right up against the shore and the “church”, the ORC teams will be starting further offshore.  In ORC 1, the J/122 NOISY OYSTER will be skippered by Igor Raspopov from the M.A.R.C. sailing club on the Med!  Hopefully, the weather will provide fun & games for all on one of the world’s most spectacular playgrounds for sailing!   Sailing photo credits- Jesus Renedo/ Sailingstock.com   For more MAPFRE Copa del Rey sailing information

Padron Brothers Spanish J/80 Champions

(Santander, Spain)- Gathering together in the famous site of a past J/80 World Championship that saw Spanish sailors make a clean sweep of the podium, forty boats from four provinces of Spain (Cantabria , Catalonia, Andalusia and Murcia) sailed yet another incredibly competitive regatta on Santander Bay.  How good was the competition? Well, there were four J/80 World Champions sailing accounting for six J/80 World titles!

Of the nine races scheduled for the VIII Campeonato de Espana J/80, only three were sailed on Friday, two on Saturday and on Sunday a complete blank due to lack of wind.  Although 5 of the 9 scheduled races were sailed, the fleet was still able to make use of a “discard race”, which had dramatic effects on juggling the overall standings for the regatta.

By Saturday afternoon, Javier Padron and his brothers on MAQUECHE won three of five races showing excellent form and good speed on Santander bay.  Nevertheless, despite having three bullets as counters, the top five in the overall standings were only separated by only five points!

The high level of competition in the fleet saw the standings vary dramatically from race to race. In fact, on the first day, the leaders were Jose Maria “Pichu” Torcida skippering OXITAL, followed in second by PEUGEOT-PROMOPARK sailed by Javier Aguado and in third was PAR helmed by Ignacio Camino.

The second day saw a drastic change in the standings with Padron’s MAQUECHE climbing on to the podium after recovering from a DSQ the day before.  Meanwhile, PEUGEOT-PROMOPARK hung on to second place with 18 pts and GREAT SAILING’s renowned skipper, Jose María Van der Ploeg, also climbed on to the third step of the podium with 20 pts at the end of Saturday.

It was a fateful day for lack of wind of Sunday, much to the disappointment of all the sailors.  In the end, the Real Club Marítimo de Santander skipper Javier Padron sailing MAQUECHE was crowned Spanish Champion!  In second and third place were the Catalonian teams of PEUGEOT-PROMOPARK and GREAT SAILING.

The balance of the top five included “Pichu” Torcida’s OXITAL in fourth with 20 pts and Ignacio Camino’s PAR in fifth with 21 pts.

Amongst the fleets, the Cantabria and Catalonia teams were the best positioned in this year’s championship, followed by Andalusia and Murcia .

Cantabria: The Cantabrian fleet continues to maintain a high level of training and competition as shown in the 1st place reached by Javier Padrón, along with Torcida’s 4th and Camino’s 5th.

Catalonia: The Catalan fleet has shown in Santander that they’ve been doing their homework for the J/80 European Championships to be held in El Balis in a few months.  No question, the Catalonians will be a force to contend with- getting 2nd and 3rd place in the Championship (PEUGEOT-PROMOPARK and GREAT SAILING) and a 7th and 8th place by Hugo Rocha’s NEW TERRITORIES and Bertrand and Marc Antony BRIBON-MOVISTAR.

Andalusia: The best Andalusian was Juan Luis Paez’s HERBALIFE in 6th.

Murcia: Despite their current #1 National ranking in Spain, Carlos Martinez and his DELTASTONE team could only manage a 10th overall.  Surely Martinez and crew will improve dramatically by the time the Europeans are held in El Balis.   Sailing photo credits- Marian Pinan   For more Spanish J/80 Championship sailing information

J/42 KEEP IT SIMPLE Wins Caribbean 1500 Rally!

J/120 EL OCASO Telling Fish Stories in ARC Europe Rally!
(Nanny Cay, BVI)- The longest-running ocean crossing rally in North America, the “1500” is a must-do for many cruisers. The ARC Caribbean 1500 fleet sails from Portsmouth, VA at the mouth the Chesapeake Bay to Nanny Cay on Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The start port and dates make the most of the available weather to maximize your Caribbean sailing, and the week-long pre-departure program will gets relaxed and ready for cruising.

Without a doubt the most difficult part of getting to the Caribbean is timing the weather window before departure. Fall on the East Coast is squeezed between late summer hurricane season and early winter gale season. By joining the 1500, you can rest assured that the “experts” are there to take the pressure off of that decision. Our support team consists of professional ocean sailors working closely with weather forecasters at WRI (Weather Resources Inc) to ensure the fleet makes it across the Gulf Stream and into warmer waters in the best possible conditions.

This year, a J/42 had a field day with those forecasts and sailed a fantastic crossing despite a self-imposed handicap!  KEEP IT SIMPLE, J-42 hull# 12 skippered by Joe Reed of Annapolis, Maryland placed 1st for a second straight year in the ARC Caribbean 1500 in Class B. The rally started a day early and KEEP IT SIMPLE was delayed in starting while waiting for their crew to arrive!  KEEP IT SIMPLE crossed the starting line Sunday November 4th at 09:10 AST, 19 hour after the official early start in Hampton Roads, VA. This resulted in a less favorable weather window for crossing the Gulf Stream than what the main body of the fleet experienced.

Nevertheless, KEEP IT SIMPLE was able to catch the main body of the fleet within just two days.  For most of the 1500nm the wind was from the Northeast, a nice angle of sail for KEEP IT SIMPLE since it was a “power-beat”, a fast-sailing, waterline mode for her. The last two days the apparent wind angle was around 35 degrees with a boat speed of 7+ knots.

Leaping like a gazelle across the deep Atlantic swells, KEEP IT SIMPLE lived up to her name, sailing fast, easy and straight as an arrow, crossing the finish line Monday evening November 11th and then proceeded to Nanny Cay Marina, BVI. The boat performed very well and, in fact, the crew reported they actually slowed down for a couple days for crew comfort in heavy weather!!  Amazing story.  Making victory all the sweeter for winning for the second time in a row with a 19 hour handicap!  The KEEP IT SIMPLE crew narrowly missed Overall Fleet honors by less than five hours (conversely, apply their self-imposed handicap time and reversing it out, they might’ve won by over 14 hours)!  For more ARC Caribbean 1500 Rally sailing information

The “big daddy” of all the ARC Rallies happens to be one that sails the 2,700nm across the Atlantic on the old tradewinds “trading route” from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean.  The ARC is a “must do” for many cruising sailors and regularly attracts over 200 boats and 1,200 people every year.

The ARC is for everyone; families with children, tough racers, cruising couples, big boats and modest boats. Crossing the Atlantic together, but having their own adventures. More than just a boat race, the ARC is about friendships made ashore in the two weeks of pre-departure activities continued over the “radio net” at sea. It’s about arriving in Saint Lucia to be met on the dock with a rum punch and a chilled beer, knowing you have achieved something fantastic - crossing an ocean on a small sailboat.

At this stage, the J/120 EL OCASO, now proudly sailed by her new owners, Lucy & Christian Reynolds, are making that trek across the Atlantic and have, truly, a few “fish stories” to tell.  Reporting from their Daily Blog on November 29th was one of their crew members- Benjamin, 32 yrs old from Berlin, Germany:

“I started sailing at the age of 13 on the rivers and lakes in Berlin, then went on to do the RYA Day Skipper and began chartering in the Med for vacation. After having spent the last 4 years in the deserts of the Arabian peninsula, with little to no possibility to pursue his hobby of sailing, he decided that crossing the Atlantic Ocean would be just the right antidote.

Days 5-6 Report for us?  Well, after a calm, clear night, which displayed a magnificent view of stars and the night sky, the day started with a no less impressive red sun slowly climbing above the horizon. El Ocaso and children were greeted by dolphins which accompanied the boat for nearly an hour. Then the wind started dying and came to a complete halt just before dinner. After bobbling around for a while, the “dog watch” was blessed with a constant 10 knot wind that got us going again. In the morning hours, as we watched a bird nearby, and just commented on maybe there will be fish around this area, did we suddenly look to the end of our line and saw a fish!! Woken by the noise, Dom, the designated harpooner and dedicated fisherman, jumped up from his bed and, together with Xav, brought in what was originally thought to be a Mackerel.  But, after further discussion we thought the fish "looked like it had a disco ball head" when it came out of the water, so the decision became that it was a ‘Mahi Mahi’!!  So, it will become a lovely lunch for us!  We are now trucking along at 277 degrees in 15 knots from the SE which is lifting everyone's spirits after yesterday's no movement, it feels like we have nearly made as much ground today as we did all day yesterday!

Anyhow, today’s lunch menu? You guessed it— our freshly caught Mahi Mahi!!  Well, best get cooking this fish for lunch.... it’s “fish friday” in St Lucia today after all!  Until next time.  The “Children of El Ocaso” will continue on.”  For more ARC Atlantic Rally sailing information and more on J/120 EL OCASO’s blog.

Russian Federation Cup Sailing J/80s In Canary Islands!

(Lanzarote, Canary Islands)- The leadership of the Russian Sailing Federation are again hosting their famous Federation Cup in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, sailing J/80 one-designs from November 3rd to 10th, 2013.  Anywayanyday.com company is the general sponsor. The organizers of the competition are RUS7 sports club and the racing will take place out of the first-class marina - Puerto Calero, which is a technical partner in the Cup.

Since 2010, the "Fed Cup" has been sailed in the J/80 offered by the local Lanzarote J/80 Fleet, the event has established itself as the best regatta for Russian Sailing Federation members and has become the principal event on the sailing calendar for dozens of sailors. The success of the regatta is guaranteed by several factors- fun boats to sail; perfect time of year to sail in Lanzarote with big breezes, big waves and plentiful sunshine; the high quality of the sailing teams; a combination of fleet racing and team racing offers something for everyone; the presence of the leading officials of the Russian sailing community; and the spectacular location of the five-star hotel Hesperia Lanzarote overlooking the waterfront and the sailing area!

The spirited competition on the water with past Russian Olympic Sailing Team members, veteran Russian professional sailors as well as novice sailors first learning the ropes of how to get a J/80 around the race track make for lively discussions during the evening social festivities and, especially, at the famous "fish barbecue" (one of the most popular dinner party events of the week!).

For more information on the Fed Cup please visit http://www.rus7.org.  For more Fed Cup sailing information, please contact Alla Frolova- Tel. +79185565984, email-frolova@valars.ru or email- alla.frolova@anywayanyday.com

J/122 OOJAH Sails ARC Rally

(St Lucia)- Tim Wright at PHOTOACTION.com was recently on assignment in one of his favorite places in the world-- the Caribbean- and sent along some shots of the J/122 OOJAH, sailed by Peter Tanner from England, arriving at the ARC finish in St. Lucia.

The recent ARC Rally had some fabulous boats sailing amongst a fleet of nearly 300 boats racing 2,700nm from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to St Lucia.  Amongst them were the J/109 we reported on last week, Sophie Olivaud's ALBACOR IV- the first women skipper to finish and first double-handed boat to finish (which BTW Tim got a picture of finishing, too).  The next J to finish was the J/122 pictured here in full-on race-cruise mode-- LOVE that bimini over the wheel in the back!  That's styling' baby!  I wonder what the IRC penalty is for that-- adds lots of horizontal sail area off-the-wind?!
Sailing Photos courtesy of Tim Wright/ Photoaction.com

French J/109 First Double-Handed Sailing In ARC!

(St Lucia)- Congratulations to ALBACOR IV!  The French J/109 ALBACOR IV, skippered by Sophie Olivaud, successfully completed the ARC and were the first double-handed boat to finish and first women skipper to finish! Sophie was one of just five female skippers in the race and the J/109 has beaten some much much bigger boats, as well as the majority of the cruising yachts, over the water to arrive in St Lucia.  ALBACOR IV was sixth overall in the Racing Division against the other fully-crewed boats, a fantastic result and extra impressive given that this year has seen much more wind and squally conditions than this race usually expects to see.  Her "J-colleagues" on the J/145 ACE also performed well in their Cruising Division sailing "white sails" only-- mainly a jib and a main.  The ARC is a 2,700nm passage from Gran Canaria to St Lucia and 2012 was the 27th edition of the race.  Sailing photo credit- Tim Wright/ photoaction.com.   For more ARC Rally sailing information

J/145 ACE Flew the ARC Rally!

(Las Palmas, Canary Islands)-  Just over 14 days to sail the ARC Rally across 2,800 nm of open Atlantic Ocean from Las Palmas, Canary Islands to St Lucia's gorgeous harbor in the Caribbean!  For a J/145 that's loaded down with lots of cruising goodies, sailing with just white sails (a jib and main), no monster asymmetric spinnaker used at all, that's an awfully fast passage!  That's about 336 hours of sailing, or an average of over 8.3 knots!

Here are some updates on their progress, how they did it and the joy of arriving "home" in St Lucia!  If you recall, while the crew on the J/145 ACE may appear to be sailing in the lap of luxury, by all accounts even a yacht this large can become quite small in the vast expanse of ocean.  Here are some of their latest, entertaining, insightful and thought-provoking reports below.

12/6- Good Afternoon, Sorry for the late transmission today.

Yesterday and today are the days we knew we would be sailing through a trough of light air and it presented lots of challenges. In addition to losing our air any going 4 knots or less at times, we had to sail a course that was slightly away from St Lucia in order to get to a more favorable wind. As a consequence you may have noticed that we sailed far less distance yesterday than in previous days. Last night we actually sailed away from our destination by about 35 miles. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience and faith in the navigation team! Late this afternoon we finally set a course directly to St.Lucia and put up our first spinnaker. As the sun set a few minutes ago we dropped the kite and put up a working jib for the night sail.

We all love the night sailing because it is a time of sailing in the dark looking at stars, weather, enduring squalls and time to talk with one other crew member. Because it is dark and the rest of the crew is asleep, there is nothing to do but sail. We had other challenges as well. We said goodbye to our roller furling jib as it finally gave up last evening to be replaced by the shiny , relatively new racing #3. We did clear up a problem of a plugged aft head so not the whole day was given to problems, there were some successes and that was one.

We all continue to be healthy and happy enjoying the pleasures of life at sea such as whale sightings as well as dealing with the inevitable challenges. As I write, the crew is enjoying risotto prepared by William and Richard. So I will join them and leave you with this crude verse:

Wind roars, westerly Ace soars, shuddering to plane Breaking free. on course.

Finally thanks for all of the emails, we love getting them and they are the highlight of our midday.

Lots of love from us all, Fred, William, Adrian, Chris, Spider, Rob and Rocky (aka Sticky Ricky). You will have to ask him about that yourself

12/7- Ahoy Landlubbers!
Greetings from the good ship ACE. All is well onboard, with 800miles to go. Better sleeping, cleaner clothes (it's all relative), and less swamp like conditions generally, making for some pretty pleasurable sailing.  Spinnaker has been up the past two days and you'll hopefully have noted that speed is looking a little better again. We are even heading in roughly the right direction now!

A few engine issues (...it doesn't work) have kept me pretty busy with my head in the hole that passes for an engine room for the past couple of days, with the occasional ' helpful' comment from passers by. it is not a great problem, as we elected not to motor through the light stuff anyway, and can still run the freezer without it. Hopeful that i can get it sorted today. Funny - the only call I have made this trip has been to my mechanic, not my wife! (Sorry honey).

'Culturally' I have been learning more American by the day, and may even be able to understand some of what these guys are talking about soon. Adrian seems to cope better than I, but i think he is a faster learner!  I find it quite difficult though as they insist on spelling things wrongly, and can't even say words like aluminum properly! I am really not sure how they could have forgotten so much English in such a short time!!

Sartorial elegance is slipping too, William has taken to wearing a Rambo headband in the galley, Peter has given up completely, and the rest sport a variety of clothes which have the interesting feature of no longer needing to be hung up when removed as they hold their shape perfectly wherever they are placed. Some have been more successful than others in growing beards, all containing some 'shades of grey'.

Everyone is still enjoying the ride, and trying to make the most of the last few days, we are all aware that all too soon we will be back to desks, computers and everyday life, with just the memories of 'the journey' remaining. Love to my family, and best wishes to all- Rob

12/9- Water World
Our world is composed of pretty basic elements: the shallow bowl of the sea, it's radius determined by the height of the waves and the inverted globe of the sky, it's blue void animated by clouds.  Endless combinations, permutations, and variations, modulated by the sun and the moon and wind create unique scenes of fascination and beauty.

The last 48 hours has seen prototypical trade wind sailing, puffy white clouds, or no clouds at all. chute up all day into the evening as this new sailing experience with the big sail requires a bit more focus on the compass and apparent wind indicator if a bit less of a physical workout. like i said, a beautiful day, too bad Rob spent most of it in the engine room patiently and expertly fixing the diesel, with barely an audible expletive all day. chris extracted the broken key out of the starter, obviating the need for his hot wire kit to start the now fixed motor. this lad would make an excellent car thief. and the trifecta; William didn't have to go over the side with a stick to clear the poop hole since it inexplicably cleared. both heads now operable.  All these accomplishments led Fred to make yet another important executive decision and break out the rum to toast everything that needed toasting, including all of you. cocktails followed by a brilliant dinner by Adrian.

Whoops, i think i conflated two days here. No matter, some things consistent, some constantly changing. We added 2 hours to the clock today to be on Antigua time and it was the perfect day to do it. Sunny breezy and tropically warm. Hard to think it's winter in the northern hemisphere.

A gannet (i think) made a few dives near the boat and came up with a fish each time. We've seen petrels, tern like gulls, and one or two other unidentifiables. Need the bird book!

Chris got active after dinner, spreading around balloons, noisemakers (all prepared by Andrea), and a lot of felicidades for Peter's b'day, accompanied by a truly wretched rendition of 'happy birthday' and a great apple crumble prepared by William. The candles barely made it to the companionway hatch before Peter and the 25 knot breeze blew them out. Our wishes have been granted.

This morning brought crepes to the galley, an excellent vehicle for jam and peanut butter. And, Rob just fixed the gas supply to the stove. A day without a minor glitch wouldn't be the same. This group of men has built a dynamic environment out of patience, humor, cooperation and trust. A great adventure.

12/10- Approaching our last Day
Our Chart plotter is telling us that we are going to finish sometime tomorrow.  If the winds hold and it's correct, that would mean that I wouldn't get a chance to send the final email that's been bouncing around my head for the past few days, thus I am secretly penning this while our morning routine is underway.  An email to make a brief, but important, 7 acknowledgments.

The first is to Adrian and his incredible bravery and determination. For someone who has never spent a night at sea to sign on for an Atlantic crossing in an "Athletic" boat, and then to overcome his trepidation by proving himself a skillful helmsmen during tough conditions, and then when off watch, to whip up an absolutely incredible Nicoise….need I say more?

William had similar hurdles, proved himself equally as well, but most Importantly he took control of the galley, and thus the boat's "real" fuel supply.  Irregardless of the weather conditions, he cooked amazingly delicious hot meals…not an easy feat when the boat is crashing through waves at 20 knots.  In addition his enthusiasm to help in all made him the perfect shipmate.

Rocky Gluckman in many books would be the MVP.  He was an animal!  Tireless at the wheel, omnipresent in the galley as William's right hand…he was like a weeble….impossible to keep down. And this makes no mention of his sense of humor….and his vast vault of stories….

Captain Rob not only prepared the canvas for our masterpiece, but repaired it competently along the way as all the usual hiccups emerged.  His calm demeanor and unflappable character and smile were bedrocks throughout.  Whether we were crash jibing the boat, tearing sails, or blocking the heads, he never flinched!  Perhaps he didn't smile at these times…..but he never flinched.

We all know Chris is funny, but his smile and laugh contributed more than I can possibly put into words throughout our journey.  Never were we faced with a situation where Chris didn't have an appropriate joke, and his ability to organize a birthday party is unparalleled.  I must personally thank him for that.  In addition to his getting us to St Lucia, his command of the Nav Station kept us all in touch with weather, the other boats, and all of you.  I would never hesitate to accepting an offer to sail offshore with him again.  Its a complete joy.

And perhaps the biggest nod to Fred.  Rob may have been the Captain.  Chris may have been in charge of the Nav, but Fred was our leader.  Fred has an amazing ability to bring out the best in everyone, and I truly believe that it was because of him that we all enjoyed our journey as much as we did. He organized and hand picked the crew, and in doing so put together our Atlantic experience, for while the trip was certainly about the physical act of sailing, it was perhaps more about the camaraderie and the experience we shared as a team.  I always say that the attitude on a boat stems from the top down, and on Ace, Fred was directly responsible for the positive environment that pervaded.

And the final nod must go to the Good Ship herself, the Mighty ACE.  Any boat that can put up with the 7 of us, while delivering thirteen 200+ mile days, with top speeds of over 23 knots, is a damn fine ship. Long Live ACE!!

I feel honored to be included in the above group, wish to publicly voice my thanks to all of them, and look forward to continuing our relationships and furthering our sailing adventures together.

12/10- Midnight- Greetings to our extended Ace family from the crew:

Today begins as yesterday ended, with ACE running on a starboard tack towards Saint Lucia, now about 260 miles distant.  The morning rose with the sun on a blue sky, steady winds, relatively modest rolling seas and a decent heading towards the Caribbean.  It was the air, however, which dominated the setting.  Warm, sweet, velvety, seductively gentle -- it offered an enticing welcome to those of us awakening for another watch shift.

The Ace of the last couple of days differs from the Ace of last week.  Gone for now is the relentless muscular, ever demanding  locomotive of last week,  substituted by a steadier, albeit slower course towards home on an ocean that herself has tamed considerably.  The ever changing scenery on this stage they call the North Atlantic is nothing if not temporary.  And today's slightly hypnotic rhythms belie that darker capabilities that lurk just off-set, and which help fuel the quiet edginess that is a constant, rain or shine, flat or gusty.

Two weeks have enabled us all to shape our roles and activities into functioning routines that work.  Preparing and consuming food -- three squares a day -- lie at the heart of our social world, while sailing Ace 24/7 is the hub of our work world.  Tending to Ace and her systems is also a constant, a frequent function arising unannounced on a daily basis with one little thing after another  --  surprising insofar as Ace's pristine quality and readiness might suggest otherwise.

From a people perspective, the surprise of the adventure is the subtle but very evident effort of all of us participants to shape ourselves into a functioning whole.  Largely stripped of all the many layers of stuff with which we layer our personalities and identities in our "normal" worlds, we orient our selves -- each of us -- to the demands and responsibilities of our present   --- simple and inescapable -- and simply get on with it.  It is a curious blend of the serious and the light-hearted.  We try to ready ourselves and Ace for whatever risks may be at hand whilst simultaneously marvel at the great good fortune that has ended each of us here, aboard Ace in late 2012, doing a crossing of the North Atlantic which has, thus far, proven both rich and forgiving.   Tomorrow Saint Lucia awaits, and with it, our return.

Fondly, and with great appreciation from us all for your attentiveness and affections.  William (a.k.a. Uncle Boo Boo).

12/11- Last Sea Report
After 14 days and over 2,700 nautical sea miles we are finally in sight of St. Lucia!  The last 24 hours were pretty fun with a few nice squalls passing with tons of rain and a bit of wind!  Richard has now made it into the "Over 20 Club" with a top speed of 23 knots!!!  It is a small club but we are happy to have him as our newest member!  Well earned!

This will probably be the last email you will receive from the boat and this address.  Soon our cell phones and iPads will have service and we will be in contact with you all individually.  Back to reality…  We still have a few more miles to go to the northern tip of St. Lucia and then a nice beat into the finish line.  We have 22-25 knots of wind so we will have good ride right up to the end.

I could go on and on about our experiences during the trip but instead I thought I would cull through the many responses we have received during our passage and let you read a few tidbits that we have received along the way.  We had quite a few so I cannot include all of them but I thought I would include some of the daily poems sent to us as well as light hearted comments on our general condition!  And just so you know, we have gotten the smell under control!  Mostly!

12/11- ACE has Finished!!!!
Greetings all!  We have FINISHED!  Let the clean-up and festivities begin!
Time:  12:26:30
Position:   Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia, West Indies
Wind:  Apparently Zero
Weather:  Rum Squalls
Speed:  Declining, Not Meaningful
Heading:  To the party!

So, while the J/145 ACE were living it up on St Lucia, their J sailing "comrade-in-arms", Sophie Olivaud from France also finished racing her J/109 ALBACOR IV in Racing Division II!  Congratulations to all on a fast, safe offshore passage to the gorgeous Caribbean-- a "dark'n'stormy" is certainly well-deserved!
For more ARC Rally sailing information- You can follow all the sailing teams on the ARC Tracker

J/145 ACE Flying Across the Atlantic

(Las Palmas, Canary Islands)-  The 200+ boats that are sailing this year's ARC Rally across 2,800 nm of open Atlantic Ocean are experiencing a handful of weather conditions. Normally, crews can expect a gentle start from Gran Canaria once they've passed the wind acceleration zones at the south of the island. Then it is a case of “sailing south until the butter melts” and then gybing to the west and pointing the bows at Saint Lucia with the trade winds of 25+ knots pushing boats along at a fine pace.

However, at the start of this year's edition, the weather forecast was a bit more exciting than it had been in previous races. The low pressure centered about 50NM south east of Gran Canaria developed a strong northeast flow of 15-25 kts for several days.  Plus, the frontal system was tossing in some clouds and squally showers containing some strong gusts of wind.  Now after seven plus days at sea, there's not an isobar to be seen!

As a result, the winds are abating and calmer seas are now the norm, especially for those boats leading the fleet. On one boat, the Navigator "Mirand" wrote, “Not an isobar printed on screen for hundreds of miles on the synoptic chart. Light and fluky breeze on the menu for the next day or so. There are a few large clouds around, but we have been left in peace so far today. It's quiet in the midday heat, the crew keeping movement to a minimum, and occupying patches of shade.“  While the racing boats are becoming frustrated, for the cruising boat the lighter conditions mean an easier and more relaxing life at sea.

To that end, the crew on the J/145 ACE may appear to be sailing in the lap of luxury, but by all accounts even a yacht this large can become quite small in the vast expanse of ocean.  Here are some of their latest, entertaining, insightful and thought-provoking reports below.

"Dec 1st- Good Morning, my turn! Forgive me if I am redundant but we all agreed that we would not read each others updates until the crossing was over. Another glorious day in the North Atlantic with strong winds and a mix of squalls and sunny clear skies. Ace continues to slide along comfortably and very day it seems we exceed the previous day's fastest speed. This morning Rob was driving during a squall associated blast of air and exceeded 23 knots. That is about 26mph. Have someone drive along in your car at that speed and stick you head out the window, you will get tyne idea. Everyone continues to be healthy and covering each otter in terms of safety. I could not asked for a better group with whom to do this crossing. Everyone pitches in, gets along and we have an abundance of sailing skills knowledge and experience at many levels. There are many things that we did right on this trip and I cannot think of much we have down wrong. We debated bringing a steward along to cook, clean up and provision the boat leaving the sailing to the crew. Fortunately we did not do that and instead my brother William came with us and he has been outstanding and an inspiration to us all leading the cooking team of Adrian, Richard, Spider and himself. Adrian remarked to me last night that he did not think the food would have been better if we had brought a cook. We all agree. We have had many delicious meals of salads, home made soups, stews, fish, pasta and rice. Some days the cooking team, today it is Richard and William, is making a vegetable soup of the vegetables that need to be used. No doubt it ail be delicious.

We continue to make good progress reaching along (gentlemen do not go to weather) in excess of 10 knots. We have moved into second place in our class. Since more than 50 boat left two days ahead of us, including 2 in our class we may actually be leading there fleet. Time will tell. But that is not our objective. Our objective is to have fun which we have been doing. Last night on my watches spent time looking at the stars and identifying constellations and got drawn into reveries of the mythology of Orion, Pegasus, Sagittarius, Canis Minor and Major, et al. It is addicting to start to understand the stars identified by ancient mariners who sailed these seas navigation by these stars, including Columbus who left from the Canaries as we did more than 500 years ago.

For me this adventure is about the camaraderie and the voyage, but one learns as much about oneself as the sailing, the boat, the seas and the wind. Minor problems such as we had two nights ago, when we had some minor gear problems, take me into myself, my relationships, my motivations and my place in this world. When morning broke, we fixed the gear problems, we are back to full speed with full sails and I felt a profound sense of great privilege to be doing this with these men. Special thanks to my wonderful family to whom I am grateful for allowing and encouraging to do this. I love you all. Pax

Dec 2nd- 3rd Cruising A, 43rd overall in DTF!  Sailing around 60+ footers!  Happy Sunday dear family and friends, my time to chime in.  As the novice in offshore sailing plus being from a landlocked country it took me as expected a few days to find my sailors  legs, hence no way I cold have sat at a computer and typed anything remotely sensible (maybe I still ) Best only to go below deck for sleeping only for all I know. When thinking yesterday evening of "dark and stormies" it wasn't exactly of a never ending series of swells during the  night I had in mind but  there we were; reefed main sail only up  and still we averaged nine knots and peaked and at twice that. Anyway as Strauss' song says "and tomorrow the sun will shine again" which concludes my deep nautical insights.

What's best: seven guys sharing an incredible experience and having all the consideration for each other that the sparse quarters seem still small but a little bit larger than when we stepped aboard. To boot: Sharing the exhilaration of surfing down one more perfectly caught long atlantic wave at 20+ knots.  The low points - forget about it.  But it has to do with equipment failure (fixed since). And last: to be able to share this unbelievable experience with this group of friends aboard the ever trustworthy SY ACE.

For all of us greetings and cheers to you. You are all on our mind and present conversations and to my family: I love you very much- Adrian

Dec 3rd- Greetings from one of the Ace crew on day six of our sail.  We are now just passing the midpoint of the journey distance-wise while we continue to make very solid progress, racking over 200 miles per day on average.  As the least experienced member of the team, I'll offer a few observations to help color the rich details of the experience thus far from one unaccustomed to such stuff.

My day began- like each of us- with a nudge in the middle of the night, the probe of the red light of a headlamp shining unobtrusively inches from my face, and a whisper that it's my time. It is my time, at 01:30 hours, to rise and rotate the two person watch on deck -- 4 hours on, eight off, 24/7, driving ACE westward.

Rising stiffly from the narrow bunk, dropping to the floor whilst grabbing hold of the center console to stem the lurching, I make my way to the head to don my now heavy rain gear -- bib overalls, jacket, and life vest -- all soggy from the salt sprays of the surf and the freshwater dousing of the short powerful squalls of the preceding evening.

Making my way onto deck, a mumble of greeting to the two figures, I sit to windward, hook in my life line, look around, and take the measure of the morning. The speed and power of Ace barreling through the swells at 10 knots quickly strips away the fog of sleep as the night sky emerges, the instruments come into focus, and the unchanged rolling of the seascape and boat wake take shape.

In a few minutes, I take the wheel with my fresh assignment to steer our course of 260 degrees -- more or less -- as Ace continues to surge forward. Winds are ranging from the low to high 20's, a passing squall douses Fred and I, and a surging wave sends me sprawling briefly.

I am at the wheel, flying in the night, with Ace surfing and ploughing her way forward at unbelievable speed. I have a huge, unseen grin on my face. This, I think to myself, is sailing.

A couple of observations to help complete the picture. First, unquestionably, is the scale, power and rapid variability of the ocean around us. We are but a little pig pong ball blowing along her surface. Second is the depth and professionalism of the crew, most evident during sail changes and adjustments on a rolling deck of a lurching locomotive, and in calmly deliberating approaches to emerging issues as they arise. Thirdly, Ace herself is an incredible performer thus far, with muscular power, speed and performance that it itself deeply impressive and relentless.

There is also the human dimension that lies at the rich core of the adventure, both in personal terms as we each explore our own spaces and as we contribute to a working human chemistry amongst the seven of us, all crammed into this surging locomotive.  In short, things are good- William

Dec 4th- What do you get when you put a lawyer, two architects, an artist, yacht broker, businessman and yacht captain in a 48 foot boat for seven days?  Surprisingly enough, a very cohesive crew.  Hailing from Switzerland, Scotland and the United States, our 7 member crew has an average age of 54 years with 23 years spanning the largest gap. Three of our crew have crossed the Atlantic multiple times while two of our crew have never been to sea before.  When not at sea each crew member is a captain of their own sort when at their respective jobs.  We constrain these 7 unique individuals in a 48' x 13' vessel and set them loose on a 2700+ mile journey across the ocean.  While there is one "Captain" of the vessel, all crew share duties and do their part to make the trip safe, fast and enjoyable without ego.  We cook.  We clean.  We sail.  We talk.  We debate.  We learn.  We have lost family (one a mother another a father).  We read about Columbus, Caravans, History, 50 Shades of Grey and House of Holes (don't ask).  We have seen ships, competitors, dolphin, flying fish, squid and a whale.  We deal with leaks above bunks, stuffed toilets, sail changes, food management and house keeping with out complaint.  We do not argue.  We are a team.  We are a good team.  We are a happy team.  We are half way there.

One thousand thirteen hundred miles separate us from our families, friends and responsibilities.  We still have many challenges ahead.  We will have light winds to deal with before the trade winds return.  We have boats to catch and boats to hold off.  We have jokes and stories to tell.  There is still so much time for each of us to learn more from one another and together.  There is always something to learn when at sea.  It is a university all of it's own.  But today is a special day.  Today is our half way point.  Today we remember absent friends.  Rest in peace Charlyn Fisher. Rest in peace John Dowling.  Best to all-  Chris

Dec 5th- Start of Day 9.  Somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic.  I'm sure you're all bored of hearing about how happy we all are, how well we are getting along, how we are finding both peace and inspiration in the smallest of details…..well I thought it might be an apropos time to tell you some of the real details.  Some of the true facts about our day to day life at sea, 9 days out on a small 48 foot boat.

To begin, the boat stinks.  Not in sailing ability but I mean it has a foul odor that seems to have saturated everything and everyone.  The forward cabin, or the place that Chris and I call home, has earned several  nicknames, the most popular being "Fetid Swamp", "Crepuscular cave", or just plain, "ghetto."  A deck pad-eye above Chris' port side bunk has been leaking since we left and thus his bed is virtually floating in a sea of rust colored salt water weeping from the headliner.  My starboard bunk is in much better shape with only the spinnaker pole constantly dripping sea water into my berth.  And oh yeah, the overhead hatch has a leak and leaks on to my bunk as well.  We tried to air the boat out yesterday by opening the hatches during a period of relative calm.  Bad decision. While Chris was dancing on the foredeck with his headphones on, he failed to notice the wave that was washing across the foredeck and rolling onto our bunks. I believe Bruno Mars, "Runaway" was playing on his iPod.  What I also failed to mention was the forward sail locker open to our cabin has been housing the slowly rotting fruit and vegetables which William was steadfastly been trying to get us to consume, despite our fierce reluctance to eat rotten and spoiled food.  Perhaps a depression baby?  And the last straw thrown on the forward cabin Camels back was that the aft head was "broken" a few days back by a dynamic duo to remain unnamed, and thus all 7 un-showered bodies have been doing their dailies between the leaks and the decaying vegetables beside our bunks in the Ghetto.  Please don't think that the other bunks and areas of the boat are immune to this sort of tragedy. Little Ricky's bunk had a flood from an overhead port light left open, as did Prince William's, and the port light above Adrian's bunk has had a steady drip, though he hardly looks up from reading "50 Shades of Grey" to notice.  Chris lack of sleep seems to have developed into an allergy to the galley.  Fred is constantly looking for Uranus and thus driving us in circles at night.  And Rob-- actually Rob's mild manner seems to avoid any attempt at sarcasm. Can that be true? I'll get back to you on that.

Now on the serious, we are still sailing pretty damn fast though we are supposed to run out of wind tomorrow afternoon.  And even more impressive than our consistent 20+knot surf rides, is the fact that we are en route to making our 9th consecutive 200+ mile day-- an incredible achievement for anyone familiar with sailing.  Its been too fast to fish but we have managed to catch a few flying fish on the decks each night, and even a little squid!  Poor bugger was dried up and clinging to a turning block when we found him.  A pilot whale surfed by us this AM after a beautiful sunrise, and I was fortunate to see the Southern Cross low in the sky just as night was departing.

As you can tell from this email, we are all having an amazing time.  Think "Big Chill" without college.  Without land.  And with a really bad smell.  Keep the emails coming.  We all look forward to them.  Its my time to drive, bye- Spider (AKA Bingo, Peter)"

So, while the J/145 ACE guys are living with all manners of the human condition aboard a large yacht sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, a veteran offshore sailor and racer in the form of Sophie Olivaud from France is racing her J/109 ALBACOR IV in Racing Division II and doing very well- she's currently 5th boat-for-boat and 5th on IRC handicap.  More power to her and her crew!! You Go Girl!  The uncharacteristic doldrums and light airs will determine the outcome of this race as out in front of this group are a giant lollipop to taste and savor for days-- in the form of trade winds pumping out 10-20 knot ENE winds all the way into the finish at St Lucia.

For more ARC Rally sailing information you can follow all the sailing teams on the ARC Tracker

J/145 ACE Flying The ARC

(Las Palmas, Canary Islands)- The ARC is a ‘must do’ for many sailors and attracts over 200 boats and 1,200 people every year to sail 2,800 nm across the Atlantic from Las Palmas on Grand Canary Island to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean.

Las Palmas has been the 'home' of the ARC since the very first edition of the rally in 1986.  It is a natural departure point for boats crossing the Atlantic from Europe to the Caribbean, and all summer and autumn boats will converge on the port of Las Palmas from northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

The Canary Islands are located at the edge of the tradewind belt, so boats leaving the islands will sail south (until the butter melts, as the saying goes) until they pick up the north east trade-winds which then blow them west across the Atlantic.  The ARC starts in late November when the trade-winds become established, and the boats arrive at the end of the Caribbean hurricane season.

The ARC is for everyone; families with children, tough racers, cruising couples, big budgets, and modest boats. Crossing the Atlantic together, but having their own adventures. More than just a boat race, the ARC is about friendships made ashore in the two weeks of pre-departure activities continued over the "radio net" at sea. It’s about arriving in Saint Lucia to be met on the dock with a rum punch and a chilled beer, knowing you have achieved something fantastic - crossing an ocean on a small sailboat.

At the start of this year's edition, the weather forecast was a bit more exciting than it had been in previous races. The low pressure that had been affecting the area was centered about 50NM south east of Gran Canaria at 1009mb and would continue to track southeast and develop moderate to strong northeast flow of 15-25 kts for several days.  Plus, some clouds and squally showers were also expected to cross the area with the squalls containing some strong gusts of wind.

For the first time in ARC history, the start took place within the busy port of Las Palmas, with the boats maneuvering just outside the marina entrance, before starting on a line between the two harbour breakwaters.  Commercial traffic in the port came to a standstill for an hour, and even joined in the fun by hooting their horns.

The second start at 1100 was the cruising division with 155 boats - quite a spectacle!  One of the boats leading the charge was the J/145 ACE sailed by Rob Grimm and their small offshore team (their reports are below).  The clear skies just before the start were quickly replaced by total cloud cover bringing squalls of 25 knots and rain showers.  The boats were warned about the wind acceleration zones off the island shore and many prepared by reefing early.

In addition to ACE, the J/109 ALBACOR IV is being sailed by Sophie Olivaud from France in Racing Division II.  Joining them in the same division is the J/122 JOLLY JELLYFISH sailed by a British team.

As for the J/145 ACE, we received the first report from Captain Rob Grimm.  "The first 24 hrs at sea- fair winds, fast sailing, all is well. 230 nm in first 24 hrs!  We set off at 1100 yesterday from Las Palmas in 25 kts of breeze with moderate following sea, quickly settled into a routine of surfing and showers, followed by a fairly tiring night but all caught up on sleep now.

ACE is, as ever, looking after us well, a dry boat, fast and forgiving.  Wind has dropped off considerably now, overcast and a bit rolley. Peter has his fishing rod out in hope of sashimi later!

On the subject of food- breakfast, lunch and dinner have been expertly prepared by William so far, and I am happy to report that all meals have subsequently stayed exactly where they should be-- within the diners.

I have to say that I am mightily impressed how all us rusty sailors have settled into life at sea, are enjoying each others company, and look forward to some great sailing ahead.  Of course although we are very much enjoying the experience, thoughts do often turn to home and knowing you are all sharing this with us in some way, certainly helps.  That's all from me, keep following us!"  Rob

For the third day out, the nautical scribe was Peter Sabbeth. "From the smiles, It's clear that everyone is full of possibility at this point.  Our third unbelievable day sailing has everyone fighting for their time behind the wheel.  We are regularly sailing at 10+ knots, with surfing rides that easily push the boat to 15, 16, 17, and even 18 knots!  I hit 19 once, and Chris hit 21!! All with white sails! Hopefully we will get to the spinnakers soon, though no one is eager to give up these amazing reaching stints.

A pod of dolphins arrived a few minutes ago just as we were tucking into our citrus/vegetable soup, expertly cooked by galley king, William.  The dolphins stayed for 15 minutes or so, acrobatically jumping from wave to wave bidding us a good journey.  Last night's moon made the night watches a dream, while the full moons departure seemed to help everyone get their Atlantic sleeping rhythm.  Perhaps that might be adding to the intensity of today's smiles as well.

A few of us had our first showers, even those who didn't shower appreciated the showers of those that did.  Chris and I were thinking of opening our night club in the forward cabin this evening-- the question is whether we should charge admission?  Sorry Jackson, we have been moving too fast to fish so far!"  Cheers, Peter.     You can follow all the sailing teams on the ARC Tracker