Solo around the Channel

Petit Bateau 2006 kicks off in August

No less than four OSTAR veterans are signed up for the solo race week that kicks off in Weymouth on 20 August. Dutch skipper Nico Budel won the 2005 OSTAR in his canting keel Open 40, Mary Falk with three Transats to her name holds the 35 foot record in her very special water ballasted QII. Stuart Macdonald heads up a trio of the only water ballasted JOD 35s in captivity that should provide good competition for the J boats and Figaros in breezy conditions.

The course is a series of testing passage races calling at Bray, St Peter Port, Treguier, Fowey and Mylor. The longest leg is 100 miles overnight to Fowey and the regatta rounds off with a day race and BBQ at Mylor on Saturday 26th August. The stopovers have been chosen for their hospitality to ensure the customary standard of socialising that is a hallmark of short-handed racing.

Race Director Paul Peggs has been very busy with a record entry of 26 boats and he will renew acquaintance with several skippers fresh from the Round Britain race and welcome skippers trying solo offshore racing for the first time.

The members of Racing at Petit Bateau Ltd have carved a niche as organisers of Open class solo racing in the UK waters, this is their third solo race week and follows on the very successful first edition of RIOW SOLO around the Isle of Wight race in May. Longer races are planned for the future with a 700 mile 14 day event in 2007 and the ‘Big One’ in 2008 that will include a 500-mile solo leg for OSTAR qualification within a 1,200 mile Biscay route.

Details and entry on line at www.petitbateau.org.uk

Skipper	Boat	LOA m	Sail No	Type
Barry Hurley	TBC	TBC	TBC	TBC
Budel Nico	Hayai2	12.19	Ned 7499	Open 40
Anthony Llewelyn-Davies	Big Doris 2	11.99	tba	Dehler 39SQ
Ken Burrough	Orvieto	11.9	GBR44R	Lightwave 395
Stuart Campbell	Gunbeat	11.25	GBR 3925	First 375
Chris Rustom	Draig o	11.01	GBR 9956	Dehler 36
Marco Nannini	British Beagle	11	GBR3936	Sigma 36
Ed Holton	Shades of Blue	11	9781	J110
Peter Tanner	Oojah	10.95	GBR1610R	J110
Mary Falk	QII	10.67	90	Pocock35 One off
Stuart MacDonald	Going Grey	10.6	4343C	JOD 35
Paul Brant	NINJOD	10.6	GBR8956T	JOD35
Paul Peggs	Audacious	10.5	5167T	JOD 35
Shaun Murphy	Slingshot	10.5	GBR 9596R	J105
Mike West	Juneau	10.5	GBR1605R	J105
Rod Knowles	Juliette	10.5	GRR9405R	J105
Gilles van Delft	Lightning	10.4	Ned 3674	Waarschip 1010
Sven Niklaus	ZERO TWO	10.1	SUI 54	Figaro II
John Brunner	XtriKate	10	IRL 3321	X332
Peter.W. Carpenter	Bidwell	10	GBR 2192T	Westerly Storm
Martin Berkeley	Alices Mirror	9.8	41	One off
Peter Müller	Cassiopeia	9.75	none	VISION32
Neil Matson	Red Rider	9.7	FR337	Westerly Fulmar
Richard Hatton	Chimp	9.38	5261	Beret 31 one off
Jerry Freeman	Fluffy	9.14	GBR8392T	Figaro One
Peter Olden	Solan Goose	9.14	GBR 8538R	J92s
Nicki Crutchfield	Guillaine	8.69	5	Apache 29
Kate Dickens	Oliver	8.63	3031Y	Twister 28