Suzanne and Alan share this latest sailing news. Ed
At last the final boat has reached Cowes following a long and hard trip across the Atlantic. In a follow-up to our report on the first two yachts to finish the Transatlantic Race 2019 (TR19) the remaining craft in the race arrived in Cowes at various times over the next week or so.
Clarke Murphy and the crew of the 82-footer Aegir were the third boat to finish crossing the line off the Royal Yacht Squadron in an elapsed time of 14 days, six hours, 53 minutes and 58 seconds on 9th July.
Aegir was one of the boats to have a part UK crew with Mike Broughton (Dartmouth), Ian Budgen (Hayling Island), Abby Ehler (Lymington) and Alec Fraser (Lymington) on board.
We watched Carina (pictured) owned by Rives Potts and from the New York Yacht Club finish on 12th July at just after 3pm BST.
Very slow way up the channel
Days passed with the remaining boats making their very slow, due to weather and tides, way up the English Channel to Cowes. Then on the 18th Charisma crossed the RYS line.
The Transatlantic Race 2019 will go down as one of the slowest on record, but for none was it more drawn out than for Constantin Claviez and his crew.
This German skipper and his trusty 1980 vintage Swan 441, which he has campaigned for the past 20 years, arrived in Cowes after a slow day spent crossing Lyme and Christchurch bays in light winds before encountering a powerful ebb tide in the western Solent.
Charisma’s elapsed time of 23 days, one hour and 37 minutes was some 5d:15h:39m after the previous arrival, Mark Stevens’ Hinckley 50 Kiva on Friday. Charisma’s time this year was some 4d:6h:31m slower than it took her in the Transatlantic Race 2015.
Now, for some of these yachts and the many others in the next great yacht race, there is the preparation for the Rolex Fastnet Race which departs from Cowes on the 3rd August.
New boat for former commodore
Several Islanders are taking part in the ‘Fastnet’ including Mark Wynter, ex-ISC commodore, who is back with a new boat, Alexa X.332. He has been sailing yachts since 1977 and mainly races locally with the Junior Offshore Group, RORC and the Island Sailing Club.
His last yacht, the half-tonner Alchemist, was unfortunately lost in 2016 when it foundered during the Round the Island Race, run by the ISC, during his tenure as Commodore, a role that meant he was not onboard at the time. He bought Alexa after this incident.
Pragmatic about challenge ahead
Having owned Alchemist since her launch in 1978, Mark had competed in two Rolex Fastnet Races on her including in 1987 when he lost the mast while rounding the Fastnet Rock. He raced the Fastnet in 2017 on his then newly acquired X-332.
Given his experiences he is pragmatic about the challenge ahead, “It’s big on many levels, last time it was the strong wind and rough sea off the south of Ireland.” Joining him onboard will be a close-knit group of friends.
Gurnard sailor racing in one of largest classes
Another well- known sailor in the race is Gurnard resident Pete Newlands on Anticipation a First 40.7. Pete has competed in the Rolex Fastnet Race many times and is racing in one of the largest classes in the fleet.
He said,
“I have to confess we are racing with a normal boat and with a normal crew of UK workers, all hoping to safely achieve a finish place for their bucket list and happy not to be last (hopefully). We also look forward to witnessing some sea life -dolphins etc.”
TV star
Back in 1994 Pete raced in the Ultra 30 Grand Prix held in Southampton where other competitors included Lawrie Smith. These Ultra 30s had developed from the Ultimate 30 class in the USA.
In the UK, the Grand Prix circuit had a prime-time slot on the BBC for a few years, really putting sailing into the limelight and Pete became a bit of a TV star.
For the 48th Rolex Fastnet Race teams from around the World and as far away as Australia, China, USA and Russia – as well as from almost every county in the British Isles – are drawn by the history and sporting lure of the greatest offshore contest. They will represent 26 different countries.
Image: © Suzanne Whitewood
