Thanks to Peta for this update on the upcoming 2013 Round the Island Race. In her own words. Ed
Keep your eyes peeled for the remarkable Rogers Olympiad 30, Collective Spirit (GBR7512L). The Boat Project, as it is perhaps better known, is a living archive of people’s stories and lives, a 30ft vessel made from donated wooden items.
From February to July 2011 the public donated their wood to the project, but not just any old wood.
Every piece had a story behind it
Pencil or piano-exotic as Zebrawood or as familiar as pine – every piece had a story behind it. Donations arrived in their thousands, from the highly personal to pieces of national importance. All of these donations were used to build a state-of-the-art seafaring yacht named, appropriately, Collective Spirit.
The boat’s builder Mark Covell, who will also skipper the boat in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race on Saturday 1st June, trained as a traditional boat builder and has worked in the marine industry and campaigned boats all his adult life. Together with Ian Walker, his Olympic team mate in Sydney 2000, he won a silver medal in the Star class.
Bowl me over
A former Offshore powerboat racer who has raced round the Island in under 40 minutes at an average of 80 knots in a force 6, has purchased the slowest boat on handicap entered in this year’s race, Sundowner.
The 2011 Gold Roman Bowl winner and last year’s Silver Roman Bowl winner has been sold to Chris Charlesworth who has had her beautifully restored over the winter by her original maker Jeremy Rogers at Lymington and has renamed her Meow (CO26). Chris chose this particular Contessa 26 for her impressive racing pedigree even though 40 years of hard sailing had taken its toll on her.
Meow
Significantly, her two best results were in the last two Round the Island Races when conditions have been the toughest in the Race’s history. The boat was very tired and the last two RTIs had practically finished her off and she didn’t have another race left in her. She badly needed a complete refit and was taken back to the bare hull and built again in what amounted to an eight month project. Chris proudly comments: “She now looks stunning and is a true modern classic and should hopefully be good for another 40 years.”
Seven-up
Mark Chambers is the skipper of Fayme (GBR4108T), a Roberts 10.45, built as a racing yacht by Graham Roberts in Shoreham. Mark lives in Newhaven undertaking various work as tree house builder, software engineer, furniture salesman, gardener, fencer, web designer, handyman. He has his chainsaw certificate and Day Skipper certificate. The crew members are all related being Mark’s brother, nephew and four of his sons.
Not so Clewless
The three co-owners of Clewless(GBR4044), who also share skipper duties, met at a cricket match in the Ship Science department at Southampton University. They decided they needed a destraction from their studies so bought a 31 year-old J/24. She has had substantial refit work done over a number of years to reverse some years of neglect and is taking part in her 5th Round the Island Race. She’s also for sale as one of the co-owners, Richard Fruehmann, is working on a self-build yacht for a round-the-world voyage.
Image: © Michael Austen
