SAILING
to be a Captain Bligh to go racing, but you
need alacrity, you need vim and you need
to ‘own’ your job.
What we need is a tactician/manager,
and on the training day Oscar’s friend
Sam Nicholls steps up to the plate.
Standing on the back of the boat, he
calls the shots and, playing down his
considerable yacht-racing experience
including a Fastnet Race, makes a really
good fist of it – he’s got the job.
Another night, another pub and Nik
reports that the Raymarine chartplotter
which was playing up has been replaced
under warranty, which is nice of them as it
wasn’t actually in warranty. He’s planning
on removing the centre cleats since
George averred that they’ll jam every
sheet and warp that comes within a yard,
and he’s fabricated a better mainsail
downhaul; oh, and there’s a new
spinnaker! Well, not actually brand new,
but new to us and as Nik observes: “it was
on last year’s winning boat so it knows its
way round.”
Nik and Ruth have been to a Contessa
class association weekend meeting on the
Isle of Wight – time spent in
reconnaissance is seldom wasted, as they
say. Rafted next to their potential
round-the-island rivals, they joined
conversation while Bella their collie kept
close guard on Tantris. But what did they
learn from this secret spying mission?
“Well, they’re very keen and
a potentially chaotic downwind start at
Cowes. Oh dear, are we really doing this?
Ruth, Nik and I sail Tantris across to
Cowes from Hayling Island on Friday
before the race. The smart yellow and
blue kite comes out and Nik shows his
powers of recollection as he rigs pole, guy
and sheets before I haul up. It works!
With no snuffer or centre-pull deflator,
getting it down isn’t quite so
straightforward. It’s possible, but I’dcompetitive,” says Ruth. “I’ve got a feeling
they’re really fast as well.”
A week before the race Ruth joins Nik
and me for an impromptu strategy
meeting. The logistics are unbelievable:
lifejackets, lifelines, oilskins, hats, food,
dodgers, flags. I’m in charge of pork pies
and rum. We’ve a second-to-last start at
0900, 20 minutes before HW Portsmouth.
My ancient tidal atlas comes out. The
forecast is for light easterlies, which means‘Little can prepare you for the start line as
1,300 yachts try to avoid crashing’
ABOVE All smiles for skipper Nik Williams
and son Oscar in the early stages.
RIGHT Heading for The Needles
PaulSmithPaulSmith