Spanish Swan wins two-hander to Santander

After experiencing 60 knot winds in the Biscay

After a tough passage from the Solent, the clear winners of the Royal Southampton YC's inaugural Double-handed Santander race was Flying Neleb, a Swan 39R from the destination club Real Club Maritimo Santander, sailed by Alvaro Lopez-Doriga and Antonio Cuervas-Mon, who were presented with the Real Club's prestigious King's Cup - the first Spanish yacht to take the trophy for many years.

Severe gale to storm force winds (50 to 60 knots) on Tuesday night in south Biscay tested the fleet to the utmost, but happily all arrived safely, with damage mainly limited to torn sails on the boats and some pretty remarkable bruises on the competitors.

Covering 510 miles altogether, the first leg was 200 miles west down the English Channel and outside Ushant, with another 310 miles southwards across the bay of Biscay to Santander on the north Spanish coast. With only two crew aboard each boat, this can be a testing passage taking about 5 days altogether. It continues the Royal Southampton's extensive tradition in double-handed racing and came about with the concurrence of the Brixham YC when the latter discontinued its own Santander race.

The fleet had a quick passage down Channel, some boats crossing towards the Casquets and the French coast, others taking the rhumb line straight for Ushant. Most rounded Ushant on Sunday night, but some boats just missed a tidal gate and had the frustrating experience of being swept back to the north. All were round by 0800 Monday morning.

The breeze mostly held through Monday and Tuesday for a quick passage out into the Bay of Biscay, with light/variable patches and a few thundery squalls of up to about 23 knots. The French Navtex began warning of westerly gales in south Biscay, although the UK forecast was predicting force 5-7. Visiting dolphins uplifted spirits. At this stage
Flying Neleb continued as race leader, with the all-girl crew of Kirsteen Donaldson and Mary Sturgess on Pyxis second on corrected time and much of the fleet closely bunched on handicap times.

With its sudden arrival, and its ferocity, Tuesday night's storm surprised even the most seasoned competitors. The wind built from 10 knots to over 50 knots in the space of only one minute. Thoughts of reefing down gradually as the wind increased were abandoned, and crews had to let the sheets fly to avoid being knocked flat, then struggled to take off sail in atrocious conditions. Several boats suffered sail damage, including Pyxis whose mainsail was shredded beyond use before they had a chance to hand it down. In the worst of the storm most boats reached under bare poles, then set storm jib and later trysail as the weather abated a little. Just Enough lay ahull for five hours and was knocked down three times. The rain was so heavy it was not possible to read the instruments on deck. Thoughts of racing turned to merely riding out the storm.

Flying Neleb pressed on despite the appalling conditions with 50 - 60 knots of wind and was first to finish at 0633 on Wednesday morning, worthy winners after just under 4 days at sea. Audacious was next at 0746 followed by Paragon at 0826. Most boats finished during the day and everyone was relieved on Thursday morning to welcome to Santander the last arrivals, Panic and the Hamble-based Electron.

Every race has its winners and but in this case more significant is the outstanding skill and seamanship displayed by every competitor and their achievement in finishing the race after going through conditions most sailors would rather not even contemplate.

Race results (first 5 places) are:
1st Flying Neleb, Swan 39R, Alvaro Lopez-Doriga and Antonio Cuervas-Mon
2nd Audacious, JOD 35, Paul Peggs and Morse Blaker
3rd Bastet, Swan 40, Paul Rowlinson and Derek Birch
4th Just Enough, Andy Hill and Eomon O'Kelly
5th Pyxis, X332, Kirsteen Donaldson and Mary Sturgess

The prizegiving took place on Friday evening accompanied by an excellent dinner in the Real Club Maritimo de Santander. There will be a further presentation at the Royal Southampton's annual prizegiving in December.