Practical Boat Owner – September 2019

SAILING

The race around the Isle of Wight every year is

full of memories and spectacle for some, while

for others it is a way to help navigate the

future. Andrew English reports

W

ith a slither and heave,

the aged spinnaker

flopped arthritically

from its red bag and

slowly filled.

The silence was profound, not even a

snap from this limp, weird-hued sail.

“It looks like a potato,” whispered Oscar,

son of boat owner Nik Williams.

“That was the Seventies on the phone;

they want their sail back,” said another

voice, which might have been mine.

An unkind observer might have pointed

out that the elderly kite mirrored the age

and condition of (half of) the crew, but this

was our first outing all together and plans

were afoot. The spinnaker’s owner, Nik

Williams and his wife, Ruth, had

committed themselves to the race in order

to focus on life, adventure and

achievement, having been bowled over

not long before with Nik’s cancer

diagnosis. They were intent on making a

team of the crew, replacing the necessary

equipment (spinnaker included) and

getting the best out of themselves and

Tantris, their venerable 1977 Contessa 32

• a boat that never fails to look after its
  owners and crew. I was on hand to help
  and to rekindle my deep connections with

this race – an event that is part ritual, part

pilgrimage for me and no doubt for many

others as well.

Preparation

Choosing a crew, never mind getting them

together is always difficult. Aside from me

with a regular job as a Fleet Street

journalist, the other members of the crew

were friends and sailing buddies of Oscar

Williams all with busy full-time jobs and all

garnered out of Hayling Island Sailing

Club where Nick and Ruth have been

members for over 20 years. Ruth set up a

Whatsapp group and dates were

suggested and rejected with alacrity.

Eventually we managed to get our ducks

in a row on Easter Monday, the only spare

day also available to George Isted, the

Solent Boat Butler.

George’s is a funny business indeed.

Formerly employed in IT sales, he gave it

up for sailing, in this case mending,

maintaining, minding and restoring

Contessas and Westerlys, though his

Around we

The Contessa 32 Tantris

competing in the 2019

Round the Island Race