A great day of sport

The Daily Sail's Andy Nicholson racing in IRM at Cowes Week describes an action packed Friday 13th

An old skipper I used to sail with some years ago wouldn’t set sail on Friday 13th, a classic sailing superstition. Luckily we did here at Cowes Week and I had one of the most rewarding races for a long time.

We put up the number four in the steady south westerly of 22 knots plus and were slightly relieved to have a reasonably short course of eight marks and 25 miles of sailing. This took us just 2 hours and 48 minutes to complete.

The start was tricky with favourable tide taking us over the line to the west, an individual recall went up and it was just Chernikeeff 2 that returned. Bear of Britain who fought her way into the lead at an early stage did not get a gun at the finish line as they too were over but had failed to return and were scored OCS.

On Babalass we ended up being a little locked out to the left hand side and we had plenty of close crosses and ducks with the other 45s, it was setting up to be a real scrap. Nokia and Wolf had their number threes up and seemed to have a slight edge getting through the wind-over-tide chop and took up the early running. Bounder was sailing very well with a number four, even though they couldn’t get enough halyard on it as the luff was a bit too long for the headfoil.

Down the first run and Nokia held the lead, with us just tucked in behind Bounder who were in second. Our rounding was pretty clean and we got over the top of Bounder (who had now changed to their three) and we settled down for some windward work as the breeze started to build into the high twenties.

Our helmsman Tim Powell put on a masterclass of sailing on the next jib reach across to the Island shore. Hooking up on some nice waves and blasting high at 14 knots we soon reeled in Nokia and then took the lead by the turning mark for the next windward leg.

It all started to get exciting on the next run as we set our masthead symmetrical spinnaker for the second time. Just as we went for the jib at the end of the leg the spinnaker halyard smoked through the clutch by twenty feet (the halyard was stretched so thin that the clutch wasn’t gripping it) and with no time to get it back to the top we did an early drop before things got worse. A quick look behind showed that Nokia were fairing no better. By this stage Bounder had retired. In an attempt to get their four to set properly they had used a shackle to lower the tack down – this had caused enough stress on the tack fitting on the bow that it gave up completely when the three was sheeted on.

Another medium length beat with the tide took us halfway up the western Solent and teeded us all up for a fantastic long run back to the finish in 30 knots plus of breeze. This time we tied the halyard off on a winch.

It was a case of everyone at the back of the bus for the run to the Squadron line finish. We were fully lit up, with our boatspeed on the 45 topping out at 20 knots and consistently over 15.

Another moment of drama; as again the halyard slipped though the clutch and spun the turns on the winch into a big mess. We managed to straighten out the turns on the winch and three of us at the mast pulled the big spinnaker to the top again. More turns on the winch and this time it wasn’t going anywhere.

The problem was we needed to gybe and we had run out of winches. So the mainsheet was knotted off at the exit on one side of the boom and we set up to use the spare mainsheet winch for the new spinnaker sheet. Picking a nice wave, we carved into the gybe and without a flap were still on the same wave as we accelerated on the new side, bringing the pole back.

Now on port we were flat out through the fleet of 80 XODs coming up wind. All rather exciting but thankfully without incident.

Our final gybe on short steep waves of Egypt Point nearly saw us loose Mike Richards over the side as he helped gybe the mainsheet at the mast. Superb steering and a bit of vang off got us out of that one and through the finish line we went to get our first gun of the week as the third boat on the water.

Team Tonic won the race, with us in second and Wolf in fourth. The Ker 11.3 I-Site sailed a very comfortable race and slotted in in fourth spot behind Chernikeef 2 in third.

So the class win looks to be between Team Tonic and Chernikeef. We’re in fourth spot and lead 45, however just a point behind is Wolf and another two points is Nokia. So down to the final race.

It was a great days sailing and hugely rewarding. Racing around the cans is sometimes painful and dull, however I have enjoyed the challenge this week. We have done every conceivable type of spinnaker set and drop, used asymmetrics and symmetrics and even peeled. The course length has been such that I have had the opportunity to get involved and sail the boat and enjoy the ride. Normally in 30 knots on a two mile windward leeward course I have just about enough time to get the jib across and set up for the drop.

Having only first sailed together as a crew since Saturday, then switching the three at the back on Monday, Friday the 13th came good and for us and we passed the test.