Mudeford Sailing Club

Round the Island with “Jobs for the Buoys” June 2008

by william lack

Eight eyes looked at me, incredulously. “What? All I said was the wind is not as strong as we think and we should put the spinnaker up”. Five minutes later we were surfing along leaving much larger yachts in our wake. Thirty minutes later, after three broaches, we were wrapped around a lobster pot. “Don’t even think about ‘ I told you so !’

But, I jump ahead of myself.

For several years I have been lucky enough to crew on a J24 yacht racing in, primarily, evening series races from either Parkstone, or The Royal Motor, Yacht Clubs in Poole. The J24 is a frisky beast  but is actually very safe. She is crewed by a team of five, three of whom hike out through the guard rails and get thoroughly wet when the going gets windy; a helmsman, who must close his eyes when closing on a mark in a very tidal Poole harbour surrounded by at least ten other similar boats all intent on playing bumper boats, and a cockpit trimmer/tactician, who is protected from the waves by the other three, and who, in turn, offers all sorts of misguided advice to the helmsman. Yes, you have guessed correctly, I am that “man in the middle.”

“Jobs for the Buoys” is owned by four, and helmed by two, and they all have me for company. In March the two non helmsman owners decided they wanted to compete in the Round the Island Race, whilst the two helmsmen said they were unable to make the date. And so the question was posed……. William……? But I have never helmed a J24 in a race before!! And there are over 1500 boats in a very small Solent!! The wind over tide at St. Catherines can get quite extreme….. And a J24 is only a little boat….And have you seen the size of those Forts at Spithead??…….And who is going to help helm her round? ……………Don’t worry, said one of the helmsmen who wasn’t going “ A J24 is just like a big Laser!” “Oh, really? Well that’s all right then, but only on the condition you have no further ambition than to get round in one piece.”

The Friday in June soon arrived and Wade, Bob, Doug and I set off from Poole in blustery conditions with a plan to meet up with fifth man Mark in Cowes. We were all resplendent in our new Musto pale blue polo shirts proclaiming “Jobs for the Buoys Round the Island Race 2008” Let’s hope and pray we are able to achieve that!!

The spinnaker was hoisted in the steadily increasing wind, (after all we are a hardened racing crew who know just what they are doing)…Two broaches later “Don’t worry I’ll soon get the hang of it “  sang the novice helmsman. Well practice is practice and we had plenty of it on our inaugural trip and by the time we arrived on the Isle of Wight we felt as if we, almost, could face tomorrow with a little confidence.

Tomorrow dawned, and a little confidence was evident. The trouble is we wanted, and probably needed, a lot!! It’s only another start line, and we love start lines, all that adrenaline, we’ve done the homework, we know where to be………………..but everyone else wants to be there too! Clear air, that’s the thing. (And often it is). So, off we went, in clear air, tacking down the Solent. Always keep in the clear in big fleets.

I have sailed the Round the Island Race as tactician, and/or crew, several times, so I like to think I know most of the places to be, to gain the most from the tidal flows. Amazingly we shot out through Hurst apparently doing quite well in the White Flag fleet (there was going to be no white flag on this boat to-day!).

An old ketch approached on port tack as we took a short starboard tack away from the Shingles  (keep close to the Shingles to get the best of a west going tide). Has he seen us ? “Starboard“, he held on. “Starboard!” Still he maintained his course. “He has a look out watching us“. “Starboard!!” on he came.  Both boats bore away at the same time. There was no way he would have been able to pas astern of us . Our three hikers got wet feet and were very lucky not to have been used as fenders, but a collision was avoided (first rule of the sea!!)

We were swept up to the Needles amid countless other boats , passed the Varvassi wreck (to be avoided at all costs) and bore away towards St. Catherine’s on the southernmost tip of the Island. Then it happened. I looked around and only a handful of spinnakers were being raised. “The wind is not as strong as we think. Let’s put up the kite” The agreement was almost unilateral. So we did it anyway!

A few exhilarating hours later we found ourselves at Bembridge Ledge buoy having experienced about nine broaches, an entanglement with a fishing pot, and some fantastic sleigh ride downwind sailing. So many boats opted for a “goose wing” arrangement of mainsail out one side and genoa poled out on the other. The trouble with this format is that the boat rolls horribly and encourages ones breakfast to be fed to the fish. Go for the sleigh ride (and broaches) every time!! And just hold on tight. Mind you  the decision to gybe in amongst the wind over tide overfalls at St. Catherine’s was made with the largest lump anyone has ever encountered in a throat.

We were even treated to the view of half a dozen sailors clinging to the keel of an upturned yacht. But, don’t worry, a helicopter was well positioned to take them back to terra firma.

Broad reaching from Bembridge Ledge to No Man’s Land Fort. Often an east going tide is encountered here so the temptation is to hug the Bembridge shoreline but that’s a long way round. Straight line is taken by all whilst trying to keep away from others.

The Fort looms black and large (very large!!) as is the wind shadow. The tide was streaming East; we were trying to go West  and, of course, that is from where the wind was coming. Starboard tackers, and there were more than just a few, try to get in towards the island shore, whilst port tackers struggle to clear the big black ugly stone which was built to defend the British fleet from a Napoleonic invasion. We “slam dunked” a yachting bus and headed South, nervously looking at the Fort as the tide swept us down upon it. (I can promise you, that view is not for the faint hearted!)

Now is the time tiredness sets in and the prospect of 40 or so tacks alongside Ryde Sands, and up towards Cowes, is not terribly inviting, so just don’t tell the crew!!  However, as we, finally, tacked amongst the “parked” yachts in Osbourne Bay, teased “Jobs” around the fickle gusts off the final headland, and closed the finish line, a feeling of a job well done came over us all. The first beer always tastes the best!!

Jobs for the Buoys 2008 Round the Island Race

J24 Class winners (well no-one else finished!)

Division 5C  4^th from 42 finishers

ISC overall  69^th from 703 finishers

Happy sleigh riding!!

William Lack Laser 186010

(or just “18” to his friends)

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