Fastnet update

ICAP Leopard and Rambler expected around the Fastnet rock in the next few hours

The latest update at 1600GMT has Mike Slade's ICAP Leopard and George David's Puma-powered Rambler almost neck and neck as they close on the Fastnet Rock at around 13-15 knots in around 20-25 knots of southwesterly breeze.

On board Rambler, skipper Ken Read recapped the race so far: "The predicted first front came with a southerly shift and very squally, rainy and windy conditions for us between Start Point and Land’s End...full on and of course it has to be at night! We can report virtually no breakage even after some 40 knot squalls all tight reaching. Sometimes a bad combo as boats this fast tend to be hard to slow down and have a tendency to launch off a wave with bone chilling crashes when you land."

Read continued, "eight headsail changes and about ten reefs/unreefs, late morning came past Land’s End and a completely unpredicted lull. Went from a blast reacher with a single reef, to drifting and slatting in a matter of minutes, and as the sun rose we realized we were in a park up with Leopard, and several of the 60’s all around us."

Clearly, enjoying the current conditions, Read described the passage across the Celtic Sea, so far, "about 0700 the southerly re-filled and we have had a very pleasant few hours blasting across the Celtic Sea with our code 0 up and averaging speeds in the high teens. But this won’t last long…. we will have the #4 or storm jib up again with a reef or three in order to get to the Fastnet Rock in once piece and try to keep close tabs on Leopard. All in all, an awesome race so far."

At the Fastnet Rock, RORC race officers are reporting poor visibility in thick fog. They are expecting the front-runners around 6pm BST. The foreast at the Rock is for the southwesterly to remain until late this evening, and then after midnight the breeze is expected to drop and then by the early hours of Wednesday morning to have shifted to the northwest and settled at in around Force 6/7 (22-38 knots).

From on board Hugo Boss, now back in 7th place on the water, skipper Alex Thomson reports: "We had a great start. Yesterday evening we pulled away from the pack and were doing really well until we fell into a wind hole at Lands End. We were north of the Scilly Isles when it got light and we could see four to five Open 60s and two maxi yachts. We had 1-2 knots of wind at times. We were further north than the other boats and unfortunately they had a little bit more wind and managed to get away. Since then we have had three sail changes and put a lot of effort in but for very little reward.

"We currently have 20 knots of wind from the southwest and a horrible lumpy sea state. I believe we are lying fourth in the Open 60 fleet behind PRB, Tenemos and Cheminée Poujoulat. We expect to reach the Fastnet Rock at around 20.30 this evening. We are all okay and in good spirits, but we are pretty tired and hungry.

“I am extremely pleased with the new Hugo Boss. It was obvious yesterday that she is on the pace. After two years designing and building her, it is very nice to see that we have a fast boat."

From Plymouth Pete Goss, reported on he, Paul Larsen and Andy Hindley's abbreviated race on board the SeaCart 30 tri Cornwall Playing for Success which had been up with many of the substantially larger monohull when she pulled out of the race and into Plymouth last night. Goss, it should be remembered, in his youth sailed a Firebird 24ft day sailer catamaran across the north Atlantic singlehanded in the OSTAR before such behaviour was banned by the Royal Western YC.

Goss writes: "Here's a quick update before heading down to the good ship 'Cornwall Playing for Success' who did us proud last night. She is an amazing craft and as we look at the RORC tracker it is easy to see how well she can perform against much bigger boats.

"We were the last boat to start at 1300hrs and by 2300hrs we were 12th out of 270 on the water - not bad for ten hours work on a 30ft boat which included the highlight of blasting through a Volvo 60 in a ball of spray at dusk. It could have been so sweet.

"The decision to retire was based on the conditions that we had off Start Point and a forecast showing gale force winds and very rough beam seas in the Irish Sea - not a place to be in a 30ft trimaran that weights less than a ton. Particularly as rough beam seas are the worst scenario in a trimaran. It was a hard decision but pretty clear when everything was weighted up.

"I can't speak highly enough of the Seacart 30 which showed her heals in tough conditions and felt very safe on a rough and dark night. Her moment will come.”

As of the latest OC Tracker position update at 1500 BST, leading on corrected time are Rambler (USA) in IRC Super Zero; Courrier Du Coeur (FRA) in IRC Zero; TFS Philosophie IV (GBR) in IRC 1; Bongani (GBR) in IRC 2; Sunsail 56 (GBR) in IRC 3, and PRB (FRA) in the doublehanded Open 60 class.

All but two of the remaining boats on the race course have now rounded the Lizard. At lunchtime 118 boats had retired. But at present we can only count 60 boats still on the race course.

And what of the doublehanders (aside from the Open 60s) I hear you ask? Petit Bateauer Jerry Freeman reports: "Paul Peggs and Simon Curwen are showing all their ocean racing experience as they lead the two handers out to Fastnet after a very rough night Voador, their J/105, is currently making 9 knots over the ground past Seven Stones, and north of the Scillies under number 4 jib and two reefs in the main.

Speaking on the telephone this afternoon Paul said they had some minor problems during the night with the wind peaking at 38 knots in the gusts, the boat was taking a lot of water at one time when the cockpit filled until they located a leak in a cockpit stereo speaker that was promptly sealed. In the worst gusts they rolled up the jib and sailed under deep reefed main only, the autopilot has been doing most of the work since Portland Bill. The squalor inside the boat has been augmented by a diesel spill from a spare can that now has been banished to the aft rail, charging on starboard tack has been a problem due to air in the fuel lines but sailing on port for most of the time has solved this for the time being.

"Simon and Paul gained valuable experience when racing Minis in the Mini Transat and have since raced in the Round Britain Two handed and the Transquadra from France to Madeira, they are a formidable partnership and regular winners in south coast two handed races, Paul recently won the Petit Bateau solo race which also visited Fastnet just last month but in more pleasant conditions.

"In hot pursuit but without a functioning tracker is Mike West in J/105 Juneau just a few miles astern of Voador while fellow Hamble sailor Nick Martin is about to restart from Plymouth in Diablo-J. Plymouth has welcomed many of the two-handers who found the going too hot to handle and any still racing are bound to score significant points for the RORC two-handed series."