SAIC & Spirit of Sark fight for 1st Round Britain & Ireland

The yachts in the Round Britain and Ireland Challenge have been playing cat and mouse with each other with positions swapping by the hour. Currently SAIC commands just a one-mile lead but for how long is anyone’s guess.

Spirit of Sark is in second with Me to You two miles behind. In third is Samsung a further 3 miles back and Pindar another three miles back again. Their cohesion into racing crews is evident with so little in it between the yachts, and reports are coming back that all the yachts have been in sight of one another today as they desperately try and shake each other off as they play the tactics game.

The fleet picked up the pace overnight with boats recording 30-35 knot winds giving the crews the heavy weather most of them have been thoroughly looking forward to!

John Quigley, skipper of Me to You is indecisive about where to go next, however: “The decision now if the wind dies is that we do not want to be sitting for long. It is not how quickly you stop that matters if it happens to everybody, it is how quickly you get moving again.

“West is best in very light conditions as the apparent wind will be better, but easterly yachts might be in a position to fly kites. West might also be favorable as that is where the new wind will come from. Decisions decisions! We are so close to Samsung that we need to give them a very loose cover.”

Cal Tomlinson, Challenge Business’ Sailing Manager explained what is in store for the fleet as it crosses into Scottish waters and on towards the Northern most tip of the British Isles, Muckle Flugga.

“In the last 24 hours they’ve seen some pretty fast reaching conditions towards the North East across some substantial south East breezes.

“This won’t hold and will be diminishing for the fleet. With the breeze going light and more variable it will possibly fill in from the south again by this evening.

“The reason for this is a shallow, very large low pressure system currently South West of the fleet which is moving Eastwards. This low will intensify as it moves Eastwards and, as it passes over the fleet, will cause variable winds but mainly from the South and then South West. But, here’s the catch!

“By Friday afternoon this low pressure system will have moved East of Scotland causing strong winds from the North East directly from where the yachts want to go!

“So the race is on to get to Muckle Flugga before this happens! The fleet has 426 miles to get there which represents the end of the Northwards passage where they turn and head South again. Hopefully they should be there by Friday, midday in time for when the wind turns to the north.”

With the yachts closing in the pressure is on – day and night – the skippers renowned for their competitive streaks and the yachts a one design fleet.

The intensity of the racing is described by Will Otton, skipper of Samsung: “All last night we tussled with Me To You, keeping them at bay with both yachts trimming like mad. This morning we are again within a quarter of a mile of each other. We did a smooth headsail change from our number 2 to the larger number 1, which they have since matched. There is nothing like a little one-on-one boat competition and rivalry to lift the spirits on a cold and damp Atlantic morning.”

Martin Wild aboard SAIC continues: “I still find it amazing after so many miles we are this close. Its is good motivation for the team to be this close, although for me, it felt much easier when were ahead by a bit more.”

However, despite their competitive racing on the water Martin concludes: “There is a good sense of camaraderie amongst the other boats, with handy hints being swapped on how to fix things and offer able knowledge where possible, which is a good sign.”