Fuel Cell Systems UK Solent 6.50 mini transat race - Overall
by Keith Willis 22 May 2013 15:05 BST
5-9 May 2013
Pip Hare wins the Fuel Cell Systems UK Solent 6.50 mini transat race © Steven Anderson
This year's UK Solent 6.50 mini transat race, sponsored by Fuel Cell Systems, proved to be as challenging and dramatic as ever with difficult weather hampering sailing conditions, beach landings and even a helicopter airlift for one yacht!
Tom Sperrey, CEO of Fuel Cell Systems said: "Tidal gates and ever changing weather conditions made this year's course particularly difficult, putting the sailors through their paces. The lightweight, compact design of our fuel cells provided several of the ocean-going race yachts, including the winner, with a constant source of silent-running primary power throughout the gruelling four-day race."
He continued: "Once again the reliability of our fuel cells have proved themselves under extreme racing conditions. This is why we're seeing a growing trend by many offshore racing sailors switching to fuel cells as their primary source of power."
The race
This year's race was, for the first time, sailed by both single and double-handed competitors and attracted 11 entries from four nationalities.
On Sunday 5th May, after a short delay, the FCS-sponsored UK Solent 650 mini transat got under way with a short beat to a laid mark. With 12 knots of breeze and brilliant sunshine. FRA692 Yannick Le Clech had a near perfect start and lead to the first mark, with the rest following in quick succession.
By Newtown the extra power of the Proto was beginning to show as GBR794 Jake Jefferis powered through to take the lead. Once the eastern end of the Isle of Wight was reached, the speeds slowed as the boats started a beat against the tide around the back of the island. By dusk the boats were off St Catherine's Point and a little bit of separation was starting to develop, with the solo series boats, lead by GBR743 Pip Hare, the double handed series by GBR438 Nikki Curwen/Lizzy Foreman and Jake still leading the Protos.
In the small hours of the morning, as the first boats rounded the mark off Poole, the wind died and the fog came in. With some of the boats kedging and some opting to drift around in the hope of finding wind, GBR583 Thomas Webb was the first to find wind and break away from the pack only to go too far out into the tide and throw it all away. Followed by Nikki, Tom elected to tack back into the pack but Nikki kept going.
By mid morning a little bit of breeze was developing and reasonable progress was made towards Portland in the fog with the tide under the fleet, Pip and Jake just making Portland on a favourable tide as the fog cleared allowing them to stretch a lead of a few miles.
By now Nikki had re-joined at the back of the fleet. Start point again saw the leaders making the best of wind and tide to further stretch out from the tail enders. At Start point AUS785 Katrina Ham decided to retire; she had been suffering from a chest infection at the start and felt she was going badly downhill and sensibly decided to pull into Plymouth. Meanwhile, at the front the wind was building and once round Wolf Rock the leaders found themselves beating into 20+ knots of wind.
Jake was first on the water in the Proto, with Yannick and Pip battling for first in series solo close behind, followed by Thomas in the double handed, these four having a sizable lead over the rest.
Shortly after Wolf Rock, mid fleet FRA566 Francois Lamy radioed to say he was retiring and headed for Newlyn.
Once around the lizard it was a straight-line dash for Plymouth with the two series boats slowly over catching the Proto. However, Jake was too low on the layline anyway and had to tack to make it round Rame Head. Meanwhile in the race office we had no idea whether Pip would prevail or Yannick as Yannick's tracker was only occasionally updating.
First to radio in was Pip who eventually finished at 03:23 on Wednesday morning to take line honours and first series solo. Just a few minutes Yannick radioed to say he was approaching the entrance, but a minute or so later we heard one word come out of the radio - MAYDAY!
Repeated calls back to Yannick met with no response so we immediately phoned the coastguard and dispatched one of the RIBs we had on standby to see if they could find him. As soon as Marine Traffic AIS service updated it was obvious what had happened. He had missed the entrance and gone up the beach! But by this time it was out of our hands and the RNLI had launched the main lifeboat and the inshore lifeboat.
Next to finish was Jake to win the solo Proto, followed an hour later by Thomas to win the two-handed. Next came Nikki closely followed by CAN655 Diane Reid and finally GBR241 Giles Grant.
Later that day, Francois also made it to Plymouth and a finish time was recorded for him. However, the jury later decided that his original intention to retire and use of outside assistance did not entitle him to re-join and his result was left as retired.
The rescue
The following day a first attempt was made to refloat Yannick's boat. This was later boycotted when a RIB was rolled upside down and destroyed in the large surf that was still running.
A week later FRA692 was eventually airlifted off the beach by helicopter and returned to Yannick with remarkably little damage; a couple of chips to the gel and a few scratches were all that there was to show for her time on the beach!