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  1. Carin S
    Aug 4, 2017 @ 09:37

    Tack Peter för intressant information om ‘våra’ båtar I Fastnet. Kommer följa A35 så klart men även de andra.
    Laddar nu för Hermanö Runt och vi seglar upp idag.
    Carin

    Reply

  2. Niklas/Tangosailing.nu
    Aug 4, 2017 @ 09:54

    Jag tror starten streamas live på tävlingens hemsida.

    Reply

    • Peter Gustafsson
      Aug 4, 2017 @ 10:22

      Cool.

      Just starten är helt fantastisk. Här hemma är det ju massor av begräbnsningar och arga funktionärer i stora motorbåtar som skall hålla ordning… Här släpper man ut 400 race-båtar, turister, fotobåtar och RoRo-fartyg och litar på att folk reder ut det själva. Och det sjuka är att det funkar :-)

      Reply

  3. Marcus Sylvin
    Aug 4, 2017 @ 12:15

    Ska bli intressant hur Vencom kommer gå då den är mer ORCi betonad en när man köpte den då den var IRC optimerad, så som jag har förstått de.
    Spännande att följa som sagt, Kommer heja på teamet på Foxy Lady duktiga seglare som har seglat otroligt mycket tillsammans, och har koll.

    Reply

  4. Anders Björk
    Aug 4, 2017 @ 14:57

    Kul med så många Svenska båtar i år! Kommer att heja speciellt på kompisarna på IMX40 FoXy Lady som har ett extremt rutinerat gäng som nog kan bli farliga givet rätt bogar och vindar. Håller också tummarna för Hallstavikgänget Delta Control i hyrd First 40 med Peter & Juha som jag körde Fastnet med 2013 och där finns ju oerhört mycket Fastnet Race rutin och till sist hejar jag på Johan Tuvstedt från Team Pro4u som seglar på A35 Krut. Lycka till alla tre båtar och jag kommer följa racet så mycket det går…! Vem som placerar sig bäst av dessa tre? Tror det blir FoXy Lady.

    Reply

  5. Håkan Grönvall
    Aug 4, 2017 @ 19:58

    Hej Peter! Kul att du är så engagerad och skriver om oss svenskar som deltar. Övriga besättningen förutom Håkan ovh Ulf på team Krut är: Leif Grönvall, Daniel Borg, Axel Bobert samt Johan Tuvstedt om du är intresserad! Hoppas din kropp läker som den ska.
    Med vänlig hälsning, Håkan Grönvall

    Reply

    • Peter Gustafsson
      Aug 4, 2017 @ 20:40

      Tack för feedback Håkan. Lycka till och se till att njuta av de där speciella ögonblicken, trots att det är race.

      Reply

  6. Thomas Larsson
    Aug 5, 2017 @ 11:43

    Ska bli intressant att se hur nya Lift 40 med sitt lite extrema förskepp står sig bland övriga Class 40.

    Reply

    • Peter Gustafsson
      Aug 5, 2017 @ 11:47

      Med tanke på väderprognosen (kryss i moderata vindar och ev besvärlig sjö) så är det kanske inbte den båt jag skulle satsa pengar på :-)

      Däremot kan det vara intressant att titta på tiderna från Fastnet Rock till Plymouth då dessa förhållanden brukar vara mer lika det man normalt har på sina stora race.

      Reply

      • Thomas Larsson
        Aug 5, 2017 @ 12:02

        Lombard säger om båten “Definitely the boat should be super-fast on reaching and upwind points of sailing, but keeping the same performance than our best previous design downwind”. Får väl se om det stämmer :)

        Reply

  7. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 5, 2017 @ 20:39

    Nu har jag kikat lite på vädret inför i morgon.

    Det påminner en del om scenariot 2015, med ett lågryckj norväst om Irland som inte rör sig särskilt mycket (2015 låg det mer västerut). Detta leder till fronter eller transitioner som ligger ganska stationärt vid Scillys. Hur man hanterar dessa ochg kommer in i den kraftigare nordvästliga vinden kommer att vara avgörande.

    Tittar man på starten (IRC1 startar 12:20 lokal tid), +12 och +24 timmar så hönder det mycket lite.

    Söndag 12:20 lokal tid i GFS-modellen.

    I det kortare perspektivet så står valet oftast mellan att segla mellan uddarna, för att dra nytta av tidvattnet, eller att ta sig ut till havs. I år, precis som 2015, så ser det inte ut som någon hinner till Portland Bill innan tidvattnet vänder där. Mitt tips är att alla kommer att gå ut i havet för att vid midnatt vara vid den stora banbegränsningen. Därifrån ser det ut att bli en lång babordsbog.

    Nästa stora utmaning kommer på måndagen. Man kommer troligtvis att komma till Start Point tidig morgon och passera bukten utanför Plymouth i dagsljus. Är det sjöbris-fårhållanden så måste man ta hänsyn till det; antingen långt in för att fånga den tidigt, eller långt ut för att undvika bleke. Mellanläget är inget vidare…

    Efter Lizard behöver man förhålla sig till Scilly och de olika alternativen där:

    Normalt vill man j ta kortaste vägen, men man vill också positionera sig för det väder man drabbas av på vägen över till Fastnet Rock. Det är lite för tidigt för att ha några tydliga idéer, men nuy tyder det på att man vill börja med ett långt babordsslag för att fånga upp den nordvöäåstliga vinden.

    Samma scenario på hemvägen. 2015 visade sig faktikst den nordligaste vägen vara snabbas på grund av tidsvatten och vindvinklar.

    Här finns också en väderanalys från Libby Greenhalgh.

    Reply

    • Stefan P
      Aug 7, 2017 @ 09:55

      Tack för den genomgången spännande när man försöker följa på distans.

      Reply

  8. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 6, 2017 @ 11:16

    “Fastnet Radio”

    Reply

  9. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 6, 2017 @ 11:25

    Starten live på Facebook:

    Reply

  10. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 6, 2017 @ 11:40

    Det verkar vara strul med den officiella hemsidan?

    Jag kan rekommendera appen “YB Races” för att följa trackingen.
    http://www.ybtracking.com/race-app.php

    Reply

  11. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 6, 2017 @ 16:24

    Maffig start!

    Så långt går det bäst för Foxy Lady (5:a IRC2) och Vencom (6:a IRC1).

    Reply

  12. Nadine
    Aug 6, 2017 @ 19:59

    Delta Controls (IRC2) har seglat upp sig från sämst plats 25 till plats 15 just nu.
    Spännande att följa, det trodde jag inte men nu är man inne i alla appar och leaderboards.
    http://cf.yb.tl/fastnet2017

    Reply

  13. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 6, 2017 @ 21:32

    Bra insats av flera Svenska båtar. Framförallt hänger Ryking med extremt bra i CXlass 40 trots ett dragrace.

    Ser ut att bli en klurig natt i lite lättare vindar. Det verkar inte finnas något konsensus i fältet där vi ser en ganska bra spridning, men där en majoritet siktar lite söderut och där mångfa nu har slagit till baboird. Även routingen är osäker så man får nog segla på det man ser.

    På leaderboarden ligger de nordligaste båtarna bäst till (närmast nästa udde), men kommer det ett vrid på syd så hade jag hellre legat längre söderut. Vencom har går all-in på den sydliga strategin. Skall bli spännande att se om det betalar sig fullt ut.

    I morgon bitti lär vi få svar på vad som funkat bäst.

    Reply

  14. Classe
    Aug 7, 2017 @ 07:13

    Flera svenska båtar är med bra, talenta topp tio likaså foxy lady. Nu funkar ju hemsidan också

    Reply

  15. Lasse Bergkvist Grand Soleil 42 Race Northside
    Aug 7, 2017 @ 08:44

    Motstridiga listor. På Fastnets hemsida ligger Foxy Lady 33:a och Delta Control 34:a. På YB så ligger Delta 9:a. Samma uppdateringstid, samma dtf. Någon som har klurat ut hur det hänger ihop?

    Reply

  16. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 7, 2017 @ 10:52

    #TRACKERUPDATE
    – Team Concise 10 leading multihull and will round the rock early afternoon.
    – Ramber 88 leading monohull, rounded lands end this morning, and is into the Celtic sea.
    – Approaching lands end is SMAVoile, leading the IMOCA Ocean Masters 60’s, 10 miles ahead of the next IMOCA.
    – Nikata, at 115ft, the largest boat in the fleet, just ahead of CQS Racing Australia, the radical 100 footer. She is currently 3rd overall on IRC handicap.
    – Two French boats lead the fleet on IRC Rating Handicap overall. Pintia and Codiam!

    Reply

  17. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 7, 2017 @ 18:24

    Nu konvergerar båtarna vid Lizard och Lands End, så man börjar få en bra bild över hur man ligger till i fältet. Stabilt topp-20 av nästan alla svenska båtar – framförallt Matador har klättrat rejält under dagen.

    Talanta är fortfarande bra med, men har tappat kontakten med tätbåtyarna.- Impomnerande segling så här långt.

    Placering i respektive klass
    IRC1 Arcona 465 Salt 2.0 = 39
    IRC1 Elliott 44 Matador = 13
    IRC1 Ker 39 Vencom = 21
    IRC2 IMX-40 FoXy Lady = 12
    IRC2 First 40 Delta Control = 15
    IRC3 Archambault 35 Krut = 42
    Class 40 Talanta = 13

    Reply

  18. Erik Barkefors
    Aug 7, 2017 @ 19:54

    Delta C har vänt???

    Reply

    • Peter Gustafsson
      Aug 7, 2017 @ 20:20

      Det verkar vara stiltje, så de glider nog tillbaka med strömmen.

      Såg att Salt hade ankrat.

      Reply

    • Peter Gustafsson
      Aug 7, 2017 @ 20:27

      Tittar man på trackern så ser man att grinden har stängts vid Lizard.

      Matadsor & Vencom har kommit runt (och Talanta så klart), men de andra ligger kvar utan fart. Jobbigt.

      Reply

  19. Erik Barkefors
    Aug 7, 2017 @ 20:24

    Vi får trösta oss med att Foxy Lady går bra inne vid land.

    Reply

    • Peter Gustafsson
      Aug 7, 2017 @ 20:38

      Lite varningssignal är att man ligger i en klunga utan båtar framför. Tyder på att man är på väg in i bleke och motsröm. Det står 1-1.5 knop emot i nån timme till. Fast alla verkar ha fart…

      Grymt ryck av Vencom jämfört med den andra Ker 39:Erivale, som var före i förmiddags.

      Nu verkar vinden ha vridit så att det inte lönar sig att gå norr om TSSen, utan “normala” vägen ut vid Scilly.

      Reply

  20. Lars M
    Aug 7, 2017 @ 20:37

    Tracker funkar för Win också, på den här länken:
    http://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/2017-fleet-tracking-race-player

    Rambler verkar ha greppet på dom andra i maxi-klassen!

    Reply

  21. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 8, 2017 @ 09:02

    Dags för en ganska tuff dag över Keltiska sjön (Irländska sjön ligger längre norrut). 8-10 m/s under dagen och säkert upp till 12 m/s när man närmar sig “the rock” i kväll/natt nån gång. Men sedan blir det undanvind hela vägen hem :-)

    Grymt seglat av alla – framförallt Foxy Lady ligger mycket bra till (just nu 7:a i IRC2).

    Reply

    • Classe
      Aug 8, 2017 @ 10:14

      IMX 40 går ju liksom bara fortare och högre ju mer det blåser på kryss. Hoppas de hänger med skapligt på undanvinden tillbaka.

      Reply

    • Peter Gustafsson
      Aug 8, 2017 @ 10:28

      De har en hög J/122 och Figaro II på platserna bakom som kan bli farliga.
      First 40, X-40 och sådant borde man kunna hålla.

      Det som vi tyckte var svårt här var sjön, som blev ganska svår även vid 10 m/s. Vi hade svårt att hitta farten, framförallt när det blev kolsvart på natten. Då var det lätt att bli defensiv. Vi var tre rorsmän som aldrig hade tränat här… de som vann totalt hade 5 rorsmän (av 7 ombord) som alla hade saeglat Figaro i de här vattnen.

      Reply

  22. Classe
    Aug 8, 2017 @ 12:42

    Vi får se om Rickards, claes Falks och Joakim Langners styrkompetens räcker i natt. Alla dessa är ju skickliga i lilla östersjöns vatten…..

    Reply

  23. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 8, 2017 @ 14:09

    Positiva trender på:
    Foxy Lady 5:a
    Matador 8:a

    Reply

  24. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 8, 2017 @ 19:47

    Det är lite intressant att jämföra VO65 och IMOCA. På en oändligt lång kryss lyckades inte 7 topptrimmade VO65 (med världens bästa seglare) hinna ikapp SMA medf två man ombord.

    Vid Fastnet Rock var SMA 3 distans före.

    Nu är man över 20, och fortsätter att dra ifrån.

    Men VO65 är i alla fall bulletproof :-)

    Reply

    • Lars M
      Aug 8, 2017 @ 23:47

      Ja, SMA verkar gå jäkligt bra. På god väg att passera Nikata nu.

      Reply

    • Jesper Hoffstedt
      Aug 9, 2017 @ 00:10

      Box rules!

      Reply

      • Erik Barkefors
        Aug 9, 2017 @ 06:31

        ;-)

        Reply

    • Peter Gustafsson
      Aug 9, 2017 @ 08:10

      Till slut var VO65 35 minuter snabbare runt banan än en IMOCA 60 med 2 man, men från fyren och hem var SMA 25 mninuter eller 2% snabbare än Dongfeng.

      Dongfeng VOR 65 i mål 9 Aug – 04:18:10 = 2 – 15:38:10
      SMA IMOCA 60 i mål 9 Aug – 03:24:02 = 2 – 16:14:02

      Reply

      • andreas
        Aug 9, 2017 @ 09:08

        A riktigt snabba “dedära” imoca60…Imponerande att de händge med på kryssen så bra.

        Reply

  25. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 8, 2017 @ 22:57

    Mindre än en timme tills Matador rundar “the rock”.

    Reply

  26. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 9, 2017 @ 07:45

    Morgonens noteringar. Extremt bra seglat av Matador som nu ligger 3:a i IRC1.

    IRC1 Arcona 465 Salt 2.0 = 35 (vid Lands End 39)
    IRC1 Elliott 44 Matador = 3 (13) !!!
    IRC1 Ker 39 Vencom = 17 (21)
    IRC2 IMX-40 FoXy Lady = 14 (12)
    IRC2 First 40 Delta Control = 26 (15)
    IRC3 Archambault 35 Krut = 40 (42)
    Class 40 Talanta = 13 (13)

    Så här såg det ut när Salt rundade:

    Reply

  27. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 9, 2017 @ 14:01

    Vencom saktade in rejält på trackern för ett tag sedan.

    Tydligen har man roderproblem och väntar på bogserbåt.
    Alla mår bra ombord.

    Tråkigt – men sånt som händer.

    Under tiden följer vi Matadors offensiva vägval vid Scilly…

    Reply

    • Marcus Sylvin
      Aug 9, 2017 @ 16:16

      Väldigt tråkigt, dom hade ju bra fort i båten. Skönt att alla mår bra.

      Reply

  28. Classe
    Aug 9, 2017 @ 14:14

    JPK 10.10 och 10.80 is the boat to race with:)

    Reply

  29. Marcus Sylvin
    Aug 9, 2017 @ 16:16

    Väldigt tråkigt, dom hade ju bra fort i båten. Skönt att alla mår bra.

    Reply

  30. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 9, 2017 @ 21:55

    Matador & Talanta verkar ha en duell :-)

    20 distans eller två timmar till målgång.
    Då hinner man innan baren stänger.

    Reply

  31. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 9, 2017 @ 23:56

    Och där har vi Matador i mål. Grattis. Stabilt seglat!

    Och Talanta strax efter. Också en gedigen insats.

    Reply

  32. Sillstryparn
    Aug 10, 2017 @ 10:13

    Tungt för Vencom att bli liggande i England utan roder: låter som en lång reparationstid och ett logistiskt problem.
    Såg att systerbåten Erivale som fn ligger på 18’e plats i mål ligger ute till salu för 1.16 MSEK
    http://se.yachtworld.com/baatar/2004/Ker-39-2871256/United-Kingdom#.WYwVDmcgokk

    Reply

    • Peter Gustafsson
      Aug 10, 2017 @ 10:39

      Det är väl havskappsegling i ett nötskal; logistik, prylar, varv, lyft, transporter… all logik talar emot upplägget. Fast några få ögonblick på havet gör det värt allt besvär.

      Verkar vara frukost nu och sedan ev bogsering till fastlandet.

      Reply

  33. David J
    Aug 10, 2017 @ 13:24

    Tungt tråkigt för Vencom gänget :-)

    //David

    Reply

  34. Classe
    Aug 10, 2017 @ 13:39

    Foxy Lady är på ingång i mål under eftermiddagen, De ligger 11:a nu. De seglar stabilt verkar ha gjort få misstag. Just nu kör de med reacher app 74 ° 15 knop vind. De har precis nött om en J122 R&W som de haft bredvid sig stora delar av banan.

    Reply

  35. Classe
    Aug 10, 2017 @ 20:19

    Verkar som Foxy Lady blir 12:a i klass 2 och Matador 12:a i klass 1. Kul med svenska båtar som fajtas i toppen.

    Reply

  36. Johan R
    Aug 11, 2017 @ 14:31

    Svensk/engelska besättningen på First 44.7 “Lisa” blev total 2:a i IRC 2 och 8:a i IRC totalt!!!
    Svenskar ombord är bl.a. makarna Lars Olof och Birgitta Elversson

    Se Lisa Racing FB sida för mer info.

    Reply

  37. Pelle Pedersen
    Aug 12, 2017 @ 17:04

    Full rapport kommer inom några dagar om Vencoms öden och äventyr!…

    Reply

  38. Peter Gustafsson
    Aug 30, 2017 @ 08:24

    Bra rapport från Salt 2.0. Kolla in deras Facebooksida.

    2017 Rolex Fastnet Race – Salt 2.0 report

    Almost three weeks have passed since Salt finished the 2017 Fastnet Race at the Plymouth breakwater, and impressions are starting to sink in. Before we summarise our race, we should say a big ”thank you” to our followers and supporters for all the cheers and encouragement along the way (and even on the pier when finishing from our most hardcore fans, you know who you are) – it really means a lot to us!

    === Sunday – The start ===
    Waking up on Sunday morning was a special feeling. All of the preparations, practice and previous races over two years had been leading up to this and the four coming days, and now the sun was out, the tide rising and we were about to go out on the Solent to start in a race many sailors dream about doing but relatively few get the opportunity to do. It was graduation day.

    Whatever thoughts may have been going through the crew members’ heads during the night and morning soon got pushed away by the frenzy that is the Rolex Fastnet Race start. Our class IRC 1 was the penultimate group to start so half the fleet was already racing down towards the Needles by the time we had shown our storm sails at the safety gate and entered the starting area. But the remaining boats were something else – VO65s in new and old colours, the massive 115 footer Nikata and the sleek, elegant Rambler 88 kept crew heads spinning as we motored around trying to keep out of the way.

    After hoisting our J2 mid-range jib and full main, we had an uneventful pre-start and found a slot on starboard tack, reasonably far south but well north of the most crowded part, all according to plan. We had a British boat to leeward whose rail was very vocal about their desire for us to tack over to port, but tactician Pelle kept his head cool and waited for an opening to move out back out towards the middle of the channel. Pushed by the strong tide we tacked and ducked west on the Solent, trying to stay in deep water where the current was stronger.

    We thought we sailed reasonably well but it was evident that some teams, predominantly British and French ones, made better use of the current and land effects. The yellow Vismara 40 “Grain De Soleil 6” from France was easy to recognise and was in close pursuit despite having a lower rating. (They would eventually finish just behind us in Plymouth, securing fourth place in IRC 1, so not a bad boat to be fighting with.) But after passing the Needles we got into the groove and started trusting our boat speed and trim, certainly helped by getting out of the Solent chop to longer waves on the English Channel.
    By this time, it was clear that no boats in our class would make it to the Bill of Portland before the tide had turned to a strong easterly current just like our routing before the race had predicted. With Portland Bill closed, it was a matter of choosing whether to go out out in the Channel, and if so how far, or to go really close to the point (in a twenty-knot breeze in the middle of the night) to catch the local reverse currents. Only ten boats in our class chose the latter option with the rest of the fleet, including us, trying to find the optimal route offshore. Our route in the middle of the pack and then on the southern wing felt pretty okay, but others did better. Two of the boats who did really well this first night were our Swedish competitors Ker 39 ”Vencom” and Elliot 44 ”Matador”, both with navigators who were doing their second Fastnet. That would pay off the next day.

    === Monday – ”I think we need to prepare to anchor” ===
    By Monday morning the crew started to get into the watch rhythm. We had two four-crew watches and one three-crew on a three-hour rolling watch system of ”active” (helming, trimming and generally trying to go as fast as possible), ”off” (in a berth to windward, getting sleep, unless there’s an all hands on deck situation) and ”passive” (helping the active crew on deck, working the galley or hiking). Our two navigators Johan and Jakob were on their own watch schedule, with one of them helping out on deck when not by the nav table or sleeping.

    Each boat has its own system and each system has its advantages, but we were happy with ours as tested and proven on several ÅF Offshore Races. After a couple of days, most of the crew would stop thinking about the time in terms of the time of the day, more going into a mode of ”X hours till off/on”. The watch system worked so well that the crew was more concerned with finding the way to a hot shower than finding somewhere to sleep once we had finished.

    We were beating west towards Lizard Point on the southernmost tip of England and despite some rain showers it was a great morning. The first pod of dolphins greeted us as a sign that we were heading out towards the open ocean, and there was always something to be on the lookout for, whether a wind shift, fishing boats without AIS or the occasional starboard/port crossing with a competitor. There had been maybe ten minutes of proper calm in the two years of sailing we had done before the Fastnet Race, and much of the discussion leading up to the race had been about how deep the low pressure system coming in would be. None of us had really anticipated sitting on foredeck anxiously hoping for just the tiniest hint of wind for well over thirty minutes, but that is what happened.

    There were signs of it coming though. Fellow Swedish boat and IRC 2 competitor IMX 40 ”FoXy Lady” had sailed really well and we were neck and neck, despite their lower rating, with them closer to land to the north. Them slowing down at about 2pm local, as well as most other AIS targets stopping ahead, told us what was coming. With the current pointing back towards Plymouth, skipper Staffan realised we would probably need to drop the anchor – a first in his long sail racing career. The wind played some tricks before it died, however, and we had both our S2 spinnaker (the IRC certificate did not allow for an S1) and A5 asymmetric spinnaker up for a short while, technically ending a 25-hour beat from the starting line.

    Ironically, no wind meant more work for the crew. We dropped and retrieved the anchor three times at about 60 meters’ depth, and since we only carried stock full-weight anchors (as required for safety) and no spare light-weight anchor (which, yes, would have been a good idea), there was plenty of opportunity for crew members to get a good afternoon workout. The jib also went up and down a few times and we temporarily considered sending a wind lookout up the mast.

    As frustrating as the calm was, we were not alone, nor were we the worst off. As wind puffs came and went we were fortunate enough to stay at par or better with most of the boats around us, and we saw some boats get properly stuck. And eventually the wind came back as quickly as it had died four hours earlier, catapulting us past Lizard Point and on towards Land’s End. With Lizard Point and the memories of the calm fading aft of us, we were greeted by a building breeze and a breathtaking sunset. Life was looking up.

    === Tuesday – Working the beat ===
    It’s easy to look back at lost opportunities from a race as long as the Fastnet, whether those opportunities were real or just perceived, and think ”what if…” Up to this point in the race we had certainly had our share of ”what if” moments. When reviewing the tracking, you of course would like to switch places with an IRC 1 competitor like Azuree 46 ”Eclectic” from the UK, who with a lower rating sailed better than us for the first 24 hours and was rewarded as the last boat of the front pack to avoid the calm. But then you forget that most other boats except the top contenders also had their rough patches. Looking at the tracking, one can only imagine the feeling on Swan 56 ”Latona” from Germany after trying to go east/north of the Traffic Separation Scheme after Land’s End, only to get stuck and have to go back to the south/west route. (They still beat us by the way – congrats!) And you also forget all the things that you did right.

    For us, things started to go better from a strategy point of view. We had perfect timing on the east/north TSS route and a favourable current pushed us north in the ”channel” formed by the fictitious (but prohibited) TSS to the west and the very real Land’s End Peninsula to the east. When tacking over to starboard after the TSS it almost felt as if we would lay the Fastnet Rock somewhere far, far below the horizon, but we knew that the wind was going to pick up and shift to north in the evening, pushing us down. So we worked hard to find every shift and degree of wind angle without unnecessarily sacrificing boat speed.

    We switched to our J3 hard wind jib just prior to sunset. In daylight we would probably have waited longer, most likely too long, but we were all happy to have the J3 set when the gusts were above 25 knots in the dark forty minutes later. We also took the first reef in the main that night. The second reef was prepared but we never used it.

    Salt 2.0 got a deeper keel during the winter and the difference is noticeable when the wind picks up. We were pushing hard in the dark, staring at the red B&G mast displays and trying to stay above eight knots of boat speed and navigating the waves on that narrow track just short of too high into the wind, and Salt was taking the beating (apologies for the pun) like it was nothing. The full moon offered some visibility, but most of the time it was just the red displays, a quick look with the headlamp up the main, and then a little firework as the spray was lit up in green by our navigation light. (Because we were always on starboard, or that’s how it felt.)

    === Wednesday – It’s all downhill from the Rock ===
    We rounded the Fastnet Rock at 3am Wednesday morning, ending what had essentially been 62 hours of non-stop beating, except for that brief anchoring hiatus. The rounding itself was if not unreal so at least hard to describe. There was a local patch of light winds, which meant we could go really close to the lighthouse, or should we say below it, almost in the shadow cast by the full moon. We were looking up at the lighthouse, with its four beams swinging around it like spokes on a wheel. It was beautiful and serene.

    As soon as we got out from the parallel universe around the the Rock it was time to hoist the masthead S2 spinnaker and go downhill. As Wednesday dawned the breeze kept building, and by early morning we were surfing along at speeds well above ten knots in average. By late morning we made our first broach, quickly followed by the second and third. By noon the more forgiving and stronger fractional S3 came up.

    We were surfing and screaming (literally) down towards Scilly Islands, duelling with ”Eclectic” and Polish Farr 45 ”Selma” in the sun. It was 27 hours on the rail upwind across the Irish Sea and only 15 hours downwind, but we had earned our turns and were enjoying it to the fullest, cheered on by equally playful dolphin pods. Salt had long and effortless surfs above fifteen knots and we set a new maximum boat speed record of 24.5 knots, quite impressive for a 10 tonne fully equipped cruiser/racer.

    Like most others we opted to go south of the Scilly Islands TSS and our amazing A5 reaching asymmetric came to good use when the true wind angle crept closer to 110 degrees. Eventually the J2 came up and it was now a proper drag race to the finish line. That finish line, the one we had coveted for two years. And there would be beers there, too.

    === Thursday – We did it! ===
    Salt 2.0 is an awesome boat on all points of sail, but if we were to pick a favourite it would be the close reach. Pointing straight towards Plymouth we were chugging down distance and opponents in the early hours of Thursday. With J2 and full main we were coasting along at ten knots over almost flat water feeling like we were the fastest thing on the water at that point. (Not counting the Class40s that is, but they don’t count do they?) Our main concern was the massive merchant ship ”parking lot” off Lizard Point, which offered a bunch of sizeable artificial islands with disturbed wind and all around them. We ended up ducking one of them with half a mile, just to be on the safe side.

    The final off watch came up on deck at 3am and from there in it was everyone on the rail, hiking hard. As if we hadn’t been treated with enough sights already, we realised that we would finish in what looked to become a stunning sunrise. And we realised that we would actually finish.

    It’s odd how many of us can work so hard and spend so much time on an endeavour like participating in the Fastnet Race without daring to envisage how it would be to succeed, in our case to finish after having sailed safely and well. And once you’re there it’s almost hard to remember all the challenges and obstacles you overcame, or those that you anticipated but that never materialised. That being said, there can’t be any better place or time to contemplate the fact that you are fulfilling a life goal than at 5am between friends on the windward side of a sailboat while looking at a beautiful sunrise. It was surprisingly quiet on the rail that morning.

    We crossed the finish line at the Plymouth breakwater at 6:25:04am on Thursday morning, 3 days, 18 hours, 5 minutes and 4 seconds after our start. We had sailed safely with a melted spinnaker sheet as the only damage to crew and boat, which was the most important result. We had pushed hard and made a lot of good strategy calls. We did it, and we did it well!

    However, it isn’t a race unless you think a little bit about the competition, and there it was clear that we were outperformed and outwitted by more experienced competitors. Still, well beyond our expectations, we ended on the top half in our class on corrected time, finishing 29th out of 60 boats in IRC 1. In IRC Overall we were 85th out of 312. All respect and congratulations to all of our competitors.

    === Aftermath ===
    We had a day and a half in Plymouth to freshen up, get our finisher polos, ogle VO65s and other cool boats and to clean, dry out and desalinate (!) Salt. It was with mixed feelings we had our post-race dinner on Thursday evening. As for all crews, we guess, there was some relief, some happiness and some pride, but for Salt there was also a touch of emptiness since the 2017 Fastnet Race will likely be the last race that this crew does together, at least in this boat. Salt 2.0 is for sale and will, if there is a lucky buyer, stay in England. (If you are interested, check out Arcona UK’s webpage, reach out to the yard in Hamble or see Salt for yourself at the Southampton Boat Show now in September!)

    The crew will continue to meet and look for opportunities to sail together, and we’ll post on our Facebook page and on Instagram when we do fun things that we want to share. And we are still to release our official video from the race. Rolex already released theirs but we’re almost promising something that can almost match that little reel, except maybe the aerial shots of VO65s rounding Fastnet Rock in sunset with a rainbow behind them. But it will be good!

    Thanks all (anyone?) who read this far and who followed us on our journey to and through the 2017 Fastnet Race – it’s been a lot of fun!

    //Salt Sail Racing (Staffan, Pelle, Simon, Fredrik, Johan, Jakob, Karin, Jacob, Johan, Erik, Mattias, Björn, Joel)

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  39. Wrap Up 2017 - BLUR
    Dec 31, 2017 @ 00:40

    […] svensksatsning var väl fleeten som kom till start på Fastnet Race. Bra insatser av Arcona 465 Salt 2.0, Elliott 44 Matador, Ker 39 Vencom, IMX-40 FoXy Lady, First 40 […]

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