Race Blog 2008. This is in date order with the most recent entry first.

Ruffian at Adfern

Calidoneon Canal

A lock on the Calidoneon Canal

The sign from the distillery we didn't go round on islay!!!

Sun 29 June 2008

Set off on Saturday 29th for Valencia accompanied by Star Dancer, and both turned round after 3 hours of beating into biggish seas and 30 knots of wind, making very little progress. This complex weather system seems as if it may last for ever, but I am quite sure a little respite on Wednesday Thursday will see us on our way (Emma thinks we are in a Stephen King novel, where we have sailed into a welcoming harbour only to be unable ever to leave!!)

More later.
P & E

Thurs 26 June 2008

The feeling of despair and failure is slowly subsiding having retired from the race. A decision which was so much harder to make than to actually carry on.

After Saturday's postponement of the start of the race nerves really started to jangle in every competitor, as the conditions deteriorated during the night and at 2200 the 10 am start was put back again to midday Sunday. By morning we were recording wind speeds of 35 knots whilst we were tied up in the safety of the harbour, but Icap Leopard had set off from his harbour Dun Lagohaire for the start line so the word was, much to everyone's alarm - no further postponement the race would definitely start at 12 noon.

The first hurdle was to get off our berth ( one which a Volvo 70 didn't manage to do without putting a hole in her side which forced her retirement even before the start.) Once outside the harbour we were hit by a steady 40 knots plus, but managed to get the main up with two reefs in and steer clear of boats which were wildly out of control, we went for a late but safe start.

The first leg down to Tuskar Rock was manic, beating into heavy seas gusting 45 to 50 knots until one wave lifted the anchor out of its locker taking the lid with it and smashing down and holing the bottom of the anchor locker, allowing water to the inside of the boat, which went unnoticed until Emma went below and exclaimed 'the cabin sole is awash!' Initial thoughts were it could have been the recently installed paddle wheel for the speed log, which along with all the other instruments had already decided to take and early retirement!

After ripping up the floor we realised it was coming in through the anchor locker, Pete struggled forward to the foredeck to try and lash the anchor lid back down, but forgot to take his shower gel and snorkel, but he did say the water was quite warm!! We then spent the next 3 or 4 hours bailing water out of the boat, Emma who is not great at being below in heavy weather not only emptied the bucket over the side but her lunch also!

An early evening rounding of Tuskar Rock saw conditions ease as we made our way tacking along the southern coast of Ireland as we made our way to the Fastnet Rock. Monday was a beautiful sunny day which gave us chance to put on dry clothes and an opportunity to dry all our wet ones and also seal the anchor locker with gaffer tape. All that day the VHF kept giving warnings of gale and severe gales arriving during the night. The sky was so blue and sea so calm it was hard to believe what was to come.

The next small drama we had was when we tried to start the engine to charge the batteries...... dead.....nothing...zilch Pete disappeared into the engine compartment and after casting a few spells and swear words over the engine, she decided to start.

Sure enough the gale arrived and the seas started to build. The last reef went in the main and the jib was rolled away as we started to surf down the growing Atlantic rollers, dead down wind. Ruffy was in her element as she sped off at constant speeds well over 10 knots, until eventually we spotted that the main sail head board slider and a couple below that had become detached from the mast. We pressed on regardless but now with the added worry of what would happen if we completely lost the power that sail provided, would we be tossed around like a rag doll uncontrollably in the ever increasing seas and wind? (whilst we had no instruments to measure the wind fellow competitors in the near vicinity later told us they had constantly recorded wind speeds of 50 to 55 knots plus and a subsequent recording from a local wave buoy gave a wave height of 6 meters

Our last opportunity for the next 120 miles to seek cover in the lee of the land to repair the main was about to be passed and a decision was made to change course and reach for the shelter of land, a decision which put us beam on to the huge seas which were now becoming very confused and although we felt very safe in Ruffian, steering was becoming quite hard and the cross waves broke and slipped under her hull with the occasional one sweeping across the deck, filling the cockpit and knocking us off our feet, providing much amusement to the one which wasn't on the helm, trying to regain control! At one point as we came of a wave it was looking down off the top of a mountain. The visibility was very poor and looking behind Emma saw what she first thought was a big yacht but shooting downstairs to check on the AIS saw it was a big tanker which was struggling to head into the gale, fortunately away from us as we could only see him when we both on the top of the waves.

We made for a natural harbour called Smethwick where the intention was to drop the main, repair it, have a hot meal and continue on our way. Although the water was flat in the bay the wind was still very strong funnelling down the mountains. Pete managed to make a temporary repair to the sail and we were getting ready to return to the fray when the VHF came through with a new severe gale warning and the outlook for the next three days giving variations of gale to severe gale.

After a lot of heart searching and tears (Emma's not Pete's) we made the decision to retire. Common sense told us this was the right thing to do, but our dreams were devastated. As we were trying to work out where to go for more shelter we got a call from a fellow competitor (two round the world yachtsmen) to say they had already retired and were in fact only 20 miles away in a sheltered marina called Fenit, so we decided to make for there.

The last two days we have spent soul searching and questioning weather we made the right decision - but it is very easy to question yourself when you are tied up safely in a sheltered marina.

The most devastating thing was to read on the website, Ruffian DNF.

Many thanks.

Pete & Em

24 June 2008: text from Emma 21:25 on 23 June

Just getting prepared for next gale. Hoping to be round Fastnet before it hits. Looking forward to 5 days of hand steering as autopilot has died! Pete says we need a rich sponsor! Will keep in touch. A nervous Emma!

23 June 2008: Email from Paul Emma's Husband

1130 Monday 23 June 2008

The race eventually started at midday on Sunday. With 45 knots of wind at the start-line Ruffian was at the edge of control so we decided to keep clear of trouble and started towards the back of the fleet. The sail south towards Tuskar Rock was wet and rough with Ruffian taking torrents of water over the decks. Unfortunately the motion of the boat threw the anchor out of its locker, smashing the lining. Water then found its way down below & the instruments stopped working - the only remedy was to slow down, repair the damage and hand bail. The instrument problem has not been solved so we are having to sail 'by the seat of our pants' with only the GPS working. We are both very wet and salt-encrusted! Current heading is 250 degrees 80 miles east of Fastnet in light winds, with southerly gales & rough seas forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.

21 June 2008

Text Recieved: due to severe gale force conditions start delayed until 10.00am tomorrow.

20 June 2008

The day before the race. Pete and Emma text to say they are waiting with a sick feeling building in their stomachs.

14 June 2008 from Emma

We then sailed on to Loch Craignish and Adfern Marina, which was stunningly beautiful but as usual a tricky job navigating through the rock strewn shores. The next day we had a fantastic sail all the way down the sound of Jura, passing the infamous Corryveckain and sailing through the tumultuous waters of Dorus Mor to Port Ellen on Islay. Another beautiful place where we took in a trip to the local whisky distillery, only to find we had missed the tour and so returned to Ruffian for a gin and tonic! The marina operated on an honesty policy with a box to put your money in for your showers and you paid at the local shop for your berth. (£14 per night including electricity and water) After our first rest day (Pete wouldn’t travel on Friday 13th!) at Port Ellen we departed at 3 am the following morning, leaving Scotland behind and to Bangor in Ireland.

After taking three days and enjoying the scenery in perfect weather, we were then delayed a day leaving due to bad weather (fog and strong winds). We finally exited the sea lock at Corpach to be welcomed by 25 to 30 knots on the nose and tacked through corran Narrows to Dunstaffnage Marina with the most excellent shower facilities one could imagine! Before we left the following day we engaged in conversation with somebody, from Whitby who knew Captain Estill ……….. his boat is now kept in Inverkip!!!

The Caledonian Canal has 29 locks and was engineered by Thomas Telford. The biggest flight of locks is Neptunes Staircase which has 9 locks in one go and takes about an hour to lock through. We arrived at the same time as a group of Japanese tourists, who practically got on Ruffian to have their pictures taken of her going down the locks!

We left Eyemouth, carrying the tide until we hit Rattray Head, encountering strong tides, against us and again the fog closed in, we realised that we could not sail against the 6 knot tide on the approaches to Inverness and picked up a mooring buoy in Cromarty, which is just opposite Fort George. We stayed the night carrying favourable tide, leaving Cromarty like the proverbial cork out of a bottle all the way to Inverness and the entrance to the Caledonian Canal. On the way through a particularly narrow part of the Moray Firth we were entertained by dolphins leaping 6 foot out of the water, herding and catching salmon.

2 June from Emma

We left Scarborough, waving to family and friends who had come to see us off on the 2nd June, motoring on a completely still day until Robin Hoods Bay where it is always windy and we could turn the engine off. We trucked on, having a pleasant overnight sail until it started to rain and the fog closed in and the wind died, a tactical decision was made to put in at Eyemouth, to dry everything off and wait for the fog the clear, rain to stop and wind to arrive!