Petit Bateau sets sail

30 boats on Weymouth start line for week of singlehanded offshore racing

30 solo skippers are gathering in Weymouth for the start this coming Sunday of the third Petit Bateau 2006, solo race week. This annual event, divided into six legs over 300 miles, one of the key events in the single-handed sailing calendar, is open to monohulls from 28-40ft LOA.

This years race entries include 27 men and 3 women from six countries and has attracted six veterans of Ostar trans-Atlantic races including last years class winner Nico Budel in his Open 40 and Hannah White also in an Open 40. A trio of water ballasted JOD35s will compete with a fleet of sven J/Boats for line honours in the Open format event.

Race director Paul Peggs will greet the skippers at a welcome supper in Weymouth Sailing Club on Saturday evening after registration and briefing.

The starting gun at Weymouth will be fired at 0800 on Sunday morning to send the fleet away on the 54 mile cross channel leg to Bray harbour in Alderney, the wind is forecast to be west 10 to 15knots and should provide fast reaching conditions for the canting keel and water ballasted front runners.

The week concludes with a day race and prize giving ceremony at Mylor Yacht Club on Sunday 26th August

Entries

Skipper	Boat	LOA m	Sail No	Type
Jerry Freeman	Fluffy	9.14	GBR8392T	Figaro One
Martin Berkeley	Alices Mirror	9.8	41	One off
John Brunner	XtriKate	10	IRL 3321	X332
Paul Peggs	Audacious	10.5	5167T	JOD 35
Stuart MacDonald	Going Grey	10.6	4343C	JOD 35
Ken Burrough	Orvieto	12.02	GBR44R	Lightwave 395
Shaun Murphy	Slingshot	10.5	GBR 9596R	J105
Stuart Campbell	Gunbeat	11.25	GBR 3925	First 375
Gilles van Delft	Lightning	10.4	Ned 3674	Waarschip 1010
Peter.W. Carpenter	Bidwell	10	GBR 2192T	Westerly Storm
Paul Brant	NINJOD	10.6	GBR8956T	JOD35
Mary Falk	QII	10.67	90	Pocock35 One off
Ed Holton	Shades of Blue	11m	9781	J110
Chris Rustom	Draig o	11.01	GBR 9956	Dehler 36
Neil Matson	Red Rider	9.7m	FR337	Westerly Fulmar
Kate Dickens	Oliver	8.63	3031Y	Twister 28
Nicki Crutchfield	Guillaine	8.69	5	Apache 29
Anthony Llewelyn-Davies	Big Doris 2	11.99	tba	Dehler 39SQ
Mike West	Juneau	10.5	GBR1605R	J105
Barry Hurley	Blondie	10.9	IRL 1090	J109
Sven Niklaus	ZERO TWO	10.1	SUI 54	Figaro II
Rod Knowles	Juliette	10.5	GRR9405R	J105
Peter Tanner	Oojah	10.95	GBR1610R	J110
Nigel Philpott	Odette of Hamble	11	GBR2881	Swan 37
Peter Olden	Solan Goose	9.14	GBR 8538R	J92s
Richard Hatton	Chimp	9.38	5261	Beret 31 one off
Nico Budel	Hayai2	12.19	Ned 7499	Open 40
Rob Craigie	Torbellino	11.4	GBR 8668 R	Sigma 38
Hannah White	White Spirit	12.19	CAN 84	Open 40
Nick Martin	diablo-j	10.5	GBR 9205R	J105

Agenda for Petit Bateau 2006 Solo race week

20th August Weymouth to Alderney 54 miles
21st August Alderney to Guernsey 40 miles
22nd August Guernsey to Treguier 40 miles
23rd August Treguier to Fowey 101 miles overnight
25th August Fowey to Mylor 30 miles
26th August Mylor day race 25 miles.