Mini-Fastnet After Action Report Part III
Racing from the new waypoint in the Celtic Sea back to France
Photo: Manon Le Guen
Just after two days of racing, the fleet was issued a new waypoint to round in the Celtic Sea to shorten the course. [See part II to learn more!] It was light air and shifting between a reach with the Code 0 or A3 spinnaker, and a run with the A2 spinnaker (my biggest downwind sail).
The fleet continued to compress and expand over the next 24 hours. The wind remained light and variable. Many times the water looked like glass with not a ripple of wind anywhere to be seen.
A common sight throughout this race, light wind and close racing (Photo: Manon Le Guen)
About 10 nm from the waypoint, the wind shifted again. The fleet was on port tack with the boats to the left of my course making the greatest gains. Now we had to make a few tacks going upwind just to make the mark, while the competition a few miles west could reach down with their Code 0.
At 1350 on 15 June we rounded this waypoint and could finally point back towards France. [Note: I clearly read my notes incorrectly on the previous blog post. We received the course correction by radio probably around noon the day prior on 14 June]
We hoisted the A2 spinnaker and took off with a dozen boats in close proximity. Unfortunately due to the previous wind shift, we were now in the middle of the fleet. As the wind softened again, the fleet spread out laterally. Some chose a higher route closer to the wind, while others went low and slow. We continued to sail the boat at its best angles for the conditions, which also meant we split the middle between the two options. As the wind decreased and shifted more, we switched to the reaching A3 spinnaker. Once the sail couldn’t support itself in the light air, we hoisted the Code 0.
Surprisingly, the Code 0 with a reefed jib inside worked very well in this light wind with swells. Both sails could hold their shape a bit better and the boat felt fast compared to the competition who still tried flying spinnakers.
This leg was about 150 nm with the next waypoint being the north west corner of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) west of Ushant Island.
Four days into racing, on the morning of Thursday, 16 June, the fleet sailed upwind on a port tack. About 310 nm down, 170 nm to go. What looks like a tack a few miles back was actually a large wind shift. Throughout these shifts the fleet primarily stayed on the same tack and we did not want to lose our position with a high risk course change. So we pushed through the headers and lifts, just trying to go as fast as possible. It can take over 10 minutes getting fully back up to speed after each tack because there is so much weight to move around down below. The weight side to side is just as important as controlling the pitch of the boat forward and aft.
For a few hours we were able to fly the Code 0 and were hitting a high of 8 kts of boat speed. However, as the wind increased and rotated, we had to drop this sail and switched back to the jib. This day of sailing on the same tack upwind felt like it was never going to end.
17 June, on day 6 (five full days of racing) we passed the main shipping lanes for the final time. There were about a dozen ships steaming perpendicular to our angle, but they did a great job keeping clear. The closest was only about a quarter mile away, but we took their stern so it was not a big issue. Just 50 nm to go! We were starting to think about what we wanted for dinner that night on land…big mistake!
This wind shut off for most of the day. We just sat their drifting waiting for the wind to fill in from any direction. Late that afternoon, it finally started to fill in slowly. So much for dinner on shore, but at least we had a nice reach with the spinnaker.
As we approached Douarnenez Bay under spinnaker on the evening of 17 June, the wind began to soften. About five miles from the final mark (leaving it to port) the wind shut off again. We caught up to the boats ahead of us, and the fleet compressed from behind. This was going to be an entirely new start again! After this final mark, we just had 10 nm of racing until the finish line just outside of Douarnenez.
Photo: Manon Le Guen
The mouth of the Douarnenez Bay is about 5 nm across and surrounded by large cliffs. These cliffs can block the wind from some directions and the tide is also a big factor. This was going to be the most important 15 nm of the entire race.
As darkness overtook the fleet, the glow of navigation lights were reflected off the calm surface of the windless water. Neither Yannick nor myself had ever seen so many boats this close together after over 400 nm of racing. It was unbelievably close. Due to localized pressure, we started working to the southern edge of the fleet (the bay was oriented west to east). In previous races, we had both seen boats do well hugging the southern coastline, so we started to go that direction. At this point, the forecasts over the VHF radio were not specific enough for this area and it was like playing the lottery on who would win. It was anyone’s race for the taking.
Just after 0100 on the morning of 18 June, the wind started to slowly fill in. Unfortunately for us, the northern most boats received this pressure first. We spent the next hour watching the fleet sail right by us. To say we were frustrated is an understatement. We were helpless and no matter how hard we tried, we just could not move without any breeze. All the time preparing for this race, the practice, and the days racing, came down to one little puff…and we felt like we blew it!
I had been driving for many hours late into the night and I was getting tired. I tried to get some sleep for Yannick here and there, but kept interrupting him with sail changes. As daylight approached, I turned the helm over to Yannick and I passed out on the bow. I needed a few naps and we were only drifting as fast as the current. No idea when we might finish.
During this time, the middle of the pack once again consolidated in another zone of no wind. We caught back up, but could not pass the fleet. In the image above, the difference between boat #1020 (upper right most) and #837 (us in the lower left) was 25th place and 56th place…with just 2.6 nm to go!
We were still drifting slowly, going back and forth between the jib and Code 0. Upwind, downwind, and back upwind…over and over again. At one point when the wind shifted behind us, we accidently went “wing on wing” with the main and Code 0, meaning the sails were on different sides of the boat. With a preventer holding the boom back, we could heal the boat to weather, and extend the Code 0 out. This turned out to work very well! A few moments later other boats around us tried the same technique as well and we all moved just ever so slightly faster. I still can’t believe it worked, I never would have pictured so many Classe Minis coming into a finish line wing on wing!
Unfortunately, for how hard we fought those last ten miles, it was not enough. At 0725 on Saturday, 18 June we crossed the finish line. About 480 nm in 5 days, 23 hours, and 3 minutes. Almost 6 full days of racing! We placed 54th out of 66 series boats, and only 2.5 hours behind the lead boat in our class.
Were we happy with the results? Of course not, but that is just how sailboat races go sometimes. It was the preparation and training that kept us competitive throughout the race, then simply some bad luck that prevented us from getting the final puff of wind into the bay.
Yannick and I after returning to the port
Overall route for 837 in the Mini-Fastnet Race
Lessons Learned:
Never give up: This race reinforced that idea that you are always just one puff or wind shift away from passing boats or being passed yourself.
Playing the fleet: Throughout the 6 days at sea, I enjoyed learning from Yannick about his perspective of racing within a large fleet of Minis. Some situations you need to stay with the pack and wait for your opportunity to gain the advantage, other times it can be necessary to break away a bit. However, you cannot ever lose sight of your position within the fleet (even if it is just through AIS).
Boat preparation and optimization: Yannick and I spent a lot of time going over many aspects of the boat with one goal in mind: the Mini Transat. There are details I can improve before the next race to the Azores, and others I will wait until next season. Either way, I am now more prepared for the Mini Transat than ever before.
Huge thank you to Yannick for all of his support on and off the water!!!
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Photo: Manon Le Guen
