Report from Chris Brown, Fidessa - Fastwave (DK 46, IRC 0)

A fresher than generally expected north-easterly breeze greeted the Morgan Cup race starters on a pleasant Friday evening allowing all yachts to reach out of the eastern Solent at speed on the early flood.  The Queen Elizabeth made a surprise appearance, adding some excitement and a short delay to the starting sequence.  Upon reaching the forts, the wind eased further allowing us to set jib top and staysail for the charge down to ocean racing.  This was a fast leg, helped by the strong East going tide (peaking at 3 knots) and we rounded this mark at around 10:30 PM Friday evening in the company of smaller yachts from the earlier un-delayed starts.  In fact it was quite a busy mark rounding! 

We now faced the 49 mile run along the Channel to RORC Racing mark and the dilemma was whether to go south for possibly more pressure, hover near the run line out of caution or go North.  The ships armoury of computers were all voting unanimously for the Northern option and a late data download from our grib supplier clinched the argument and thus we went North.  Around 1:30 in the morning the lights of St Cats not far away we made the "big decision" to gybe on the new west-going tide and were rewarded shortly afterwards with an anticipated 40 degree wind shift that allowed us to sail directly to RORC Racing.

We felt this had been a good leg and hopes were high as the sun rose and we approached the leeward mark on a conveyor belt running 3 knots to the west once again.  In a calm sea, with 6 knots true wind we executed a tight mark rounding, just behind the Volvo 60 Venom and alongside Corel 45 Volvo.  The bigger boats such as Tonnerre and Bear of Britain were nowhere to be seen! 

The long beat back to Ocean Safety now started and speed over the ground was a miserable 2.5 knots for the first couple of hours.  During this time the wind was patchy, inconsistent and testing for all the boats.  Tonnerre and Bear appeared as did our sister ship Erivale and our little pack steadily made it east northeast. 

This was a difficult leg, with the wind predictions not wholly accurate, however a predicted shift to the ESE allowed us to get back in touch with the leaders at the end of this leg.  More excitement was to come! 

By Ocean Racing in early afternoon, the wind was approx 10 knots from 120 degrees.  Our met team thought a rotation to the south would be likely as we approached the island and mainland so a decision was taken to sail high above the course until this became evident.  Approaching Nab Tower we were now only a minute or 2 behind our sister ship and safely ahead of the rest of our "pack" on corrected time.  We just had one thing to do! 

Nab Tower to the finish line - a tight asymmetric reach - was a nail-biting leg with everyone hiking for their life and the boat being pressed for every percentage of performance possible.  We gradually crept level with Erivale but of course still needed 64 seconds of time ahead of her to gain the handicap win.  Was this possible?  Approaching the finish line with just 1/2 mile to go, our decision to sail much deeper than Erivale began to pay dividends.  The wind lightened to 6 knots the tidal vector changed and we were comfortably able to lay the pin end of the finish line, but poor Erivale struggled with this last 100 yards and in doing so handed victory to us by 14 seconds!

A very memorable race, a great course and home in time for a good night's sleep.

Report from Jonathan Goring, Jeronimo (J 133, IRC 0)

IRC Zero and Super Zero starts were 'full-on' with the mainland end of the line paying, due to clear port bias shifting breeze making the island shore a risky option. Tonnerre de Breskins, Bear of Britain, Erivale, Fidessa and Jeronimo made the early running.

The wind headed on the way to the forts giving mainland boats greater advantage and those on the Island shore having to tack to reach them. The light 9-12 knot breeze seemed to suit Bear of Britain in SZ and Jeronimo in Z.

The breeze freed after the forts and the fetch to Ocean safety Offshore Buoy encouraged skippers to go for their Jib-Tops, with waterline length paying for many. The rounding, in twighlight, was uneventful and the forty+ mile run to RORC Buoy began in 12 knots of breeze and peaked at 15 with favourable tide for most of the leg.

Dawn brought the usual blossom of colourful kites and the binoculars came out. First impressions were that the smaller boats had benefited from an early start.... maybe they had laid the forts in one tack, or maybe they just understand how to relax better offshore!!

The beat back to Ocean Safety was mostly with the tide and those who tacked into the Island Shore benefited from the stronger tide, before tacking for the mark. Paranoid about the tide changing and the breeze dying, most boats made it easily and again re-acquainted themselves with their friends from Ocean Safety.

A brief parking lot developed on the finish line, but otherwise most boats in Z and SZ made it home without incident. Fidessa won IRC Zero, just ahead of Erivale, and Bear of Britain won Super Zero.

Most crews returned well rested and well fed, in stark contrast to the last two 30+ knots expeditions

Report from David Aisher, Yeoman of Hamble (Judel/Vrolijk 44, IRC 0)

The start was delayed for a while as a ship crossed the line and the fleet got away fairly cleanly with only one boat over. The best place to be was at the far end and those that were there had the advantage down to Gillkicker. Most of the fleet passed to the south of No Mans Land Fort and then cracked off for the first mark. We hoisted a jib top and arrived at the mark with a large number of other boats and had to give way to three of them who arrived on the inside of us. From here it was a run down to the RORC buoy. We started with the lightweight runner and then changed to the light asymmetric as the wind died to below 10 knots. Three miles short of the mark we did a gybe that resulted in a wrap around the forestay, which took a while to clear.

On the wind for the beat back to the first mark and we tried to stay to the south as the wind was due to veer. We gained quite a bit by this move and overtook a number of boats that went towards the island.

Bore away at the top mark and set the asymmetric gybing on to port soon after to take us to the Nab Tower. A good run down and then hardened up and soon had to drop the spinnaker changing first to the jibtop and then to the No.1 genoa.

We approached the line off Gillkicker with the wind dying and the tide turned against us. Just short of the line the wind died to about two knots and we had trouble making it over needing to tack to finish. One boat ahead a Sigma33 needed to kedge and was another ten minutes finishing.

Report from Mike Ridley, Dragon (First 44.7, IRC 1)

The delayed start due to QE2 meant less tide against the boats that went north for the wind favoured end of the line, however those that did stick close to the island got away quicker in less tide. Although light winds were threatened from the off there was good breeze building from the north east and the fleet was still close at Ocean Safety - calling 'room' at the mark on an offshore race is not so common! The leeward leg to RORC buoy was fast for many boats, on rounding, the wind as predicted became variable and died down. The IRC3 boats managed to stay in the wind and get home for supper.

The fleet of IRC 0,1 and 2 - if they had sailed a fast good course - had the VMG to at least be heading for home with the tide. The rest of the fleet was left to sit it out over night and gradually inch home before the breeze came back in the small hours of Sunday. Not in time for the bar but ready for the bacon buttie shop! Still a lot less wind than other races this year provided a alternative challenge and different winners, very good of RORC to change the original courses and set a good long competitive race.



Report from Kevin & Susie Harris, Temptress of Down (Sun Odyssey 47, IRC 2)

IRC Class 2 were escorted out of the Solent by the QE II in a fresh breeze. Leaving No Mans Fort to port along with most of the fleet, Temptress tacked out to get around Bembridge Ledge. It was then a fetch to Ocean Safety. Half way there Bear of Britain came sweeping past to leeward on her way to the mark. We also caught a glimspe of Tonnerre to leeward and possibly Venom way to windward just as it was getting dark. At the mark the fleet around us split some including Temptress gybed and took the northerly route under kite heading towards the Island whilst others continued on port out to sea. The view in the dark off our port side was like a small village with all the lights of the fleet strung out along the Channel. As cloud covered the Milky Way the wind gradually backed allowing the northerly fleet to head for RORC without a further gybe.

From the RORC bouy it was then a dead beat back to Ocean Safety. Shamus O'Hooligan (aka Jim) took a sweep stake for what time we would get to the bar that night - even a curry in Portsmouth seemed possible. The navigator was eventually proved to be the "closest" having been given the short straw of 1 am even though at one point it did look like we might finish around 17:30, earlier than anyones estimate. However after several hour long tacks the wind died leaving Temptress south of the rhumb line with just enough breeze to stem the tide, 8 nm from Ocean safety and little knowing that it would take us a further 10 hours to get there! For several hours the computer track showed us slowly describing ragged circles as we made 0.1 - 0.2 VMG towards the mark - who needs an etch-a-sketch?

With no breeze and the tide sweeping us past Ocean Safety, we attempted to kedge in 60m, the anchor and over 140m line slowing our progress to around half a knot but failed to bite. This was better than others nearby who continued eastward on the tide. Several more boats appeared from the west and continued past Ocean Safety eastward bound. Eventually our own progress took us close to wrecks on the chart so up came the kedge (well we had to give the crew something to do) and Temptress drifted eastwards too for 30 minutes or so until the wind finally began to fill in. By 03:30am on Sunday Temptress was under asymmetric heading for the Nab at about seven knots. The wind continued to build and the tide changed and Temptress made cracking progress to cross the finish at 5:21am nearly 36 hours after starting!

Beers and cereal bars were consumed for breakfast enroute to our berth where we retired to bed. Everyone had had a frustrating but enjoyable race and are looking forward to the next outing.

Report from Peter Hopps, Arbitrator (Sigma 38, IRC 3)

Our newly appointed navigator had produced a laminated card for each of the five courses promised in the programme. Much to the credit of the Race Committee and to the amusement our crew, an entirely different course was chosen which promised a good, fair offshore racing course.

The Class 3 start at 18.30 saw a group of Sigma 38s including us at the Island end of the line and the Swan 47 Sleeper more to the middle sailing serenely away from everybody. By the forts Sleeper had taken a noticeable lead as we sailed off towards Ocean Safety buoy. The three leading Sigmas; us, Supernatural and Fustian Lenten seemed to approach Ocean Safety line abreast. Both Supernatural and Festina Lente then demonstrated the advantage of regular racing and practise with quick and efficient spinnaker hoists and gybes while we on Arbitrator were grateful it was dark so the others couldn't see quite what we were doing.

The dead run down to the RORC buoy presented a choice of left or right. With a mixed selection of forecasts we decided to follow the old fashioned system of staying on the making gybe which sent us right. We gybed on our watch change which coincided with a very helpful wind shift allowing us to lay the mark. As the sun came up we started the normal game of trying to identify boats to see how we were doing and at this stage it all looked quite promising.

We rounded RORC at 1105 in company with several Class 1 boats. Having approached with a favourable tide, on rounding our progress slowed dramatically. We didn't see any other Sigmas until Persephone rounded about 20 minted after us but we saw no sign of Sleeper who we supposed were now miles ahead. After what seemed an age, the tide eventually turned and we were able to make more speed back towards the Nab. Having gone too far on starboard we had to tack to pass St. Catherine's where we found Persephone ahead and to windward of us. At Dunnose we were able to hoist spinnakers again and we slowly got past Persephone and identified Supernatural further up to windward.

Coming up to the Nab, we were a bit upset to see ahead of us a small boat showing a Class 3 flag sailing along nicely with a yellow spinnaker. It turned out to be Arobase 3, a First 31.7 and we would obviously owe them time. Having gybed round the Nab just behind Arobase we slowly overtook them and then saw the majestic sight of Venom coming up astern. We were past by them and Bear of Britain before the finish and we crossed the line at 1625, with Persephone about four and a half minutes later.

Sleeper had finished some time earlier and had clearly been very well sailed; it would have been nice to have seen them. We enjoyed the novel experience for a small boat of being amongst the first few finishers and would like to thank the RORC for setting a course that suited the conditions so well.


Report from Ian Coglin, Moonshadow II (Contessa 32, IRC 3)

The start area, contrary to the forecasts, was bathed in a steady breeze. It appeared that by starting at the outer end of the line we maybe able to lay the forts with minimal tacks. However as we proceeded down the Eastern Solent a fine reach became a beat with us crossing tacks with a Sigma 33 trading places several times, we seemed to have better boat speed but their strategy and pointing ability giving first one then the other the advantage. We were able to free off once through the forts and settled down to a reach to Ocean Safety. Approaching the mark it was quite impressive to see the lights strung out westwards of our fellow competitors. Round the mark with the 9 knts of apparent wind we hoisted the 0.75oz kite. Starboard gybe was taking us up towards St Catherine’s point and the NE wind was dropping. Fearing falling into a wind hole we gybed to head further out. The wind seemed to be steady so as we sailed a bit deeper in order to stay closer to the Rhum line. Approaching RORC offshore, we could see the larger boats beating back to the East, the pulses on board quickened as we realised we were not as far behind as we thought. Gybing and dropping the kite around RORC enabled us to tack and head out on port. It was not long before the wind veered slightly holding out the hope that we could lay the Nab tower on starboard tack. After a while on Starboard with the wind continuing to veer and free us, we realised that if it seems too good to be true...it probably is, and the wind dropped away to 3 knts as forecast. After about 8 hours of staring at St Catherine’s the wind started to fill in again gradually strengthening so that the kite could fill reliably and we were off again.

Our thanks to the finish team who waited until the wee small hours in order to acknowledge our finishing the race.