Le Havre Allmer Cup Offshore

Clawed back a top 10!

I have to be honest with you, catching a stomach bug before the start of a race, not sleeping and not eating for a couple days before is not ideal preparation and can’t be recommended. But life goes on and we must deal with the curve balls that get thrown our way. This did however influence my race greatly as I had very little energy and no signs of an appetite for the first 30 hours at sea (very unlike me).

Being in a mode of minimal energy consummation I struggled to attack and push as hard as I know I can in conditions that benefited increased work rate, active trim and tactics.

The rock hopping along the northern Cherbourg coast line and Guernesey whilst going up wind was fantastic, although little visibility at times due to fog, we push hard in the Figaro racing I am sure if we could see some of the rocks we pass between at night time we may think twice!

Thankfully I managed to pull myself together for the second half of the race, just in time for a long VMG downwind run from Plymouth to needles fairway and a reach across the channel in to a high pressure ridge. we passed meters from Portland bill and from St Aldhelm's point where we manged to find our self's right in the middle of a soon to be military firing zone, lucky I picked up on this and managed to discuss and negotiate the 23 fench people through the zone with no one being shot at! ;)

Feeling good I reeled back in some places with some good boat speed and decisions.

A shut down for the last 30 miles of the race presented some fun for the end of the race, spending the whole night at the helm trimming sails, kite up kite down, really trying to get everything out of every little gust that I could get in to to position the boat to where I thought the wind might come from.

All considering I am very pleased with a top to in this great offshore, now for a day off tomorrow before two days of inshore and coastal racing.