A close second

Ken Read talks to thedailysail about his Rolex Fastnet Race and an update on his Volvo Ocean Race program

Leading US sailor Ken Read skippered George David's maxi Rambler, the 90ft Reichel-Pugh design and former Alfa Romeo. While small, older and with water ballast rather than a canting keel, Rambler gave Mike Slade's ICAP Leopard 3 a run for her money when she led the giant brand new maxi around the Fastnet Rock by three seconds.

"That was a huge shock for us, but a pleasant one," Read admitted to us. "The boys all worked hard enough for it, but they must have had a couple of things go wrong because the boat is significantly faster than our boat. Right around the Rock they powered through us and we never saw them again. Leopard looks like a nice boat, but we like our boat too. As an IRC boat, with the other two big boys [ Leopard and Alfa Romeo] it wasn’t a line honours race for us unless something bizarre happened and sure enough it nearly did."



Read gave some insight on the difficulties in sailing such a large machine, particularly in the big conditions Rolex Fastnet Race competitors experienced. "There was plenty going on, especially that first night when it was really squally, even coming in here [to Plymouth] it was squally. It is hard on boats this big, because you have to prepare so far in advance because everything is so bloody big. We worked really hard at trying to be not just minutes, but hours, ahead of what the next move would be and I think in a couple of different spots it paid off. But it is hard, it is scary sometimes when you are caught out a little, because it is just big stuff and it is hard to get it down."

The hairy moment came whenever a big squall hit but Read says they were fortunate in having a well sorted out reefing system. "What we tended to do was keep our No4 jib up. We were sailing no4 and a triple reef for a significant amount of time during the race and that is not a lot of sail area. So we didn’t really get ourselves in trouble, and I am really happy about that."

He admits that on a smaller boat they would certainly have made more sail changes. "We ended up doing quite a few, but we were reefed all the time which is something you wouldn’t do on a smaller boat, so it is a different mind set."

For Read's crew on Rambler, having just come from the HSH Nordbank blue race, they were perhaps better prepared for the big conditions. "We were in control as could be. It wasn’t that rough a race. We had some times of 40 knots but honestly we were ready for it. With the weather prediction the way it works, we were pretty ready for it because of that I always felt we were doing the right things for the right reasons."

As was reported on ICAP Leopard, it was the Lizard to Land’s End section on the way out to the Fastnet Rock where they experienced the strongest conditions. "That first night it got windy after midnight - and of course it has to happen during the middle of the night - but we were totally prepared for it and because of that I think everyone on the boat felt comfortable in their roles and they were well split up between the guys and we had a really good watch system that we stuck to the whole race. I’m pleased with how the boat performed and I think George is pleased at how the whole thing is going."

As we have written about previously Read is using the opportunity of racing on George David's new maxi as an opportunity for some crew training and crew selection for his Puma Volvo Ocean Race campaign. The crew includes an impressive line-up. Aside from Read and owner George David, there were an all-star cast of familiar Volvo Ocean Race names such as Scott Beavis, Justin Clougher and Ricky Deppe, Peter Doriean, Justin Ferris, Mick Harvey, Chris Nicholson, Mark Mendelblatt, Erle Williams, Magnus Woxen and Wouter Verbaak.

Of these Chris Nicholson, Justin Ferris have been formally signed up, along with veteran bowman Jerry Kirby, who sailed with Pirates of the Caribbean along with Justin 'Jugggy' Clougher in the last VOR. According to Read another six on board were trying out for the crew. "I am stunned by the number of people who want to do a stupid race like the Volvo Ocean Race! I thought I was one of the very few dumb ones! The number of resumes of qualified people is staggering. There are six guys here who could be on a winning program around the world I’m just not sure we have room for them or not and that’s what we have to decide."

Read says he is likely to finalise the crew by Christmas. Andrew Cape is expected to be appointed navigator.

At present design work is well under way at Botin & Carkeek and Read says they are on their third set of tank test models at present. "This is full blown and it is quite fun. I am really enjoying it. We have a bunch of smart people involved ."


Rambler owner George David with Ken Read

The design has yet to be finalised. There are so many options. They already have the original ABN AMRO boat, now repainted and rechristened Puma Avanti, which they spend around one week a month on board examining specific design issues. So should be boat be a development of ABN AMRO One or something completely new or something developed for the new course where there is less emphasis on 'large' Southern Ocean conditions. One imagines a composite of all three. "We have had tons of debate about that and when we come to our final decision we’ll get it right, but we won’t know for sure until the start gun," says Read.

Aside from B&C, Read also has set up an 'Aero team', along a similar lines to a Cup program involving key invidivudals from Southern Spars and North Sails. The crew interface with the Aero Team is Chris Nicholson. "Nobody is working individually, everyone knows everything else. It is very much a sailor-driven program. All the sailors who have signed so far have input whether it is Jerry Kirby or Justin Ferris or Chris or myself. The designers are coming to us with questions which is how I decided to do it."

The sails with of course by 3DL, but will be finished at the 3DL plant at Minnen. "It is probably the most refined finishing plant in the world for big sails."

The build of the new boat will start at Goetz Custom Boats this autumn with an expected launched sometime in the spring next year.

From here Rambler continues on to the Maxi Yacht Rolex Worlds in Porto Cervo and then on to the Rolex Middle Sea Race. "It is great for George [David] because he gets a top notch crew and it has been great for us, it helps us keep a little money in the coffers through the summer and not have to just burn it all out on stuff you’re just not going to us in the end," says Read.