Round the island

Mike Rothery reports from The SsangYong Fast Cat Race 2005

This year, Fast Cat 'stepped up a gear'. Based at Calshot, two days of competitive sailing over the Bank Holiday weekend was planned followed by two long distance races. 90 catamarans from over 14 different classes turned out to this year's SsangYong Fast Cat Race weekend. Strong winds prevented any racing on the first day but the organisers were able to complete the series on the following day. This just left the main event for the Bank Holiday - the Fast Cat Long Distance Races. This year, the organisers included a shorter course for boats with an SCHRS rating of greater that 1.06 and, for the first time, young sailors were allowed to compete in a long distance race.

A New Concept? The SsangYong Solent Challenge.

There are very few events on the UK racing calendar where sailors of all classes can compete against each other. Grand Prix meetings, like the annual event held at Grafham, are few and far between. Fast Cat this year was one such event enabling all cat sailors to compete against each other. The race attracted Tornados, Hurricanes, Inter 20s and Spitfires which sailed against each other in the fast handicap fleet while the largest and ever growing F18 fleet earned their own start. This just left the slow handicap fleet consisting of Dart 18, Hobie 16 and Dragoons.

The Solent Challenge racing was planned over two days. Our sport is at the mercy of the elements, and on the Saturday wind speeds of up to 32 knots were recorded on the new transponder located on Bramble Bank and over 48 knots at Portland. This left Sunday but by picking the time carefully, the organisers were able to complete the series even after a couple of general recalls.

Youth Sailing

It is the organiser’s intention to involve youngsters as much as possible. This year, Fast Cat opened its doors to all classes of catamaran. This included young sailors sailing Dragoons and Hobie 16s. Special registration procedures were introduced to overcome some of the ever increasing 'red tape' that often excludes these very talented sailors competing in some of the best races on the UK circuit.

The procedure includes obtaining a 'sailing reference' from an experienced adult who knows the standard of the young sailor concerned. This process enables the organisers to assess the individual young sailor and to decide whether or not to let them sail. The final decision of the process is made on the actual day after consulting weather forecasts and reviewing the actual sailing conditions. The whole process was very popular and well respected among the contestants. Fast Cat hopes that this technique will start a new trend by allowing organisers of events throughout the country, not just in sailing, to be comfortable about taking the responsibility of under age competitors within their events.

Long Distance Races

Fast Cat is known throughout the catamaran circuit as the event that runs the Round the Isle of Wight Race. This year, Fast Cat ran two long distance races simultaneously. The primary one is still the Round The Island but this year a shorter course 'to the Needles and back' was also set. Due to light winds and unfavourable tides, the organisers decided to shorten the Needles Race at the final gate thus avoiding a lengthy struggle for the slower boats through Hurst Narrows.

Both races, the RTI and the Needles Race started together on the same start and the faster boats soon found the conditions freshening to a westerly force 3 at the Needles. This led to an excellent spinnaker run round the whole of the south side of the island. Winds were strong enough to see a couple of capsizes in the inhospitable waters close to St Catherine’s Point and a few equipment breakages. However, the real challenge was ahead. With the wind dropping off and in the lee of the island, boats crossing over to the mainland side of the Eastern Solent found things more favourable and places changed. One competitor described it as similar to “snakes and ladders,” sometimes you would get a good puff of wind and make good ground only to loose it all a couple of minutes later.

The final result was that John Ready in his Tornado took 'line honours' and Matt Eeles with Marcus Lynch as crew won on handicap. Matt won the event in 2003 sailing a Tornado, this year he was in his Formula 18.