The round Anglesey race as Team Papagena saw it
The morning of the race.
We rushed down to the start form Beaumaris. The wind was good, 15knts+ we wanted the line honours so we checked out the big monos. They started well, the big 'j' was carrying great boatspeed along with the eventual class 1 winner. So now we knew who we need to beat. They carry a 15min head start so slicing through class 3/2/1 swiftly would always testing.
After a relaxed start along with team Cully who was interestingly the only other multihull in our class, we hit the afterburners!!!
We launched through the swellies with a great deal of tide under us, and out into more open water.
Seeing over 18knts of boat speed in the gusts we knew the race for the record was on and before we had passed Dinorwic and the kevlar yellow tinge of kevlar Class 1 leaders were in sight. Through the Class 2 boats, waves and cheers as we passed one to leeward made us grin, some had cameras that had been hurridley found on that boat to get a snap of us before we dissapeared in a cloud of spray and rainbows.
It was definatly getting up, the middle hull had been air born a couple of times so a reef was put in before the bar. Boat speed had averaged 17 knts, no signs of slackening off as we were fired through the gap and headed across Newborough bay. At that point two boats and a beam reach lay between us and South stack.
So cracked off some, too shy for the asemetric, still with one reef in we'd lost some boat speed. Bearing in mind we were within spitting distance and to leeward of the big 'j' we decided to take her to windward then reef out and bear away. Boat speed increased as expected and we passed with 16knts on the clock, effortless, but still undercavased.
Reef out, full main up and we were off. Goodbye big 'j', hello mighty max!
As we looked and looked again she seemed to get bigger every time. 18knts 20,boatspeed in the gusts, still too shy for the kite but we were gaining. In spades!!
South stack was looming, my father was concerned about arriving there with the kite up at warp speed with wind against. As we passed max his mood changed and thoughts of the record, the wind angle, and the possiblity of a calm patch close in to the cliffs changed his whole demina!
With a half mile to go we hoisted. With a pop and two degrees more heel angle the water passed the boat in a blurr. The clock now regestered 20knts average she was flying, this was a moment to savour! Not much time to mull things over as things happen quickly at this speed. The leeward bow was all but an inch burried, it cast the wake she sliced vertically rather than laterally, water was tossed in fire hose style over the boat from the main hull. With this boat speed the apparent wind moves forward so I sheeted in again.
At the helm all I can do when pitch pole or capsize is threatening at this wind angle is bear away. Sounds all wrong to conventional sailors doesnt' it. If you head up you swim !!
Glancing behind at max, who incidentally look fantastic. We noted she had hoisted her small reacher. We know this because upon rounding South she hoisted her large running kite and peeled off the smaller one.
We had been racing now for two hours fifty three mins. She was rounding and not too far behind us.
Tide against us between the stacks on a dead run we couldnt' afford to gybe out too far. Max held on to us, she had to gybe but she ran well with the wind straight against the tide. It was cat and mouse for a good while, until Holy head bay. We took a landward course gybe angle as the bay opened up and with a steady 18 knts of boatspeed we left her behind. A quick bacon sandwich cup of tea and energy bar and we neared a good gybe angle to skirt church bay and clear the point. We gybed swiftly and discovered more speed, better wind angle and a perfect lay line! Time was on our side.
Now we chased the mouse !!! middle mouse!!
Things went from rapid to down right silly as middle mouse dissappered. Max was behind broaching for Britain ! She had her little reacher up again, I think it was dark blue. At one point it trailed behind like a sea anchour with just the head, still attched to the halyard, poking out of the water about 30 yards behind her and she was head to wind. Classic! No poking fun though the consequences of a disaster for us were far more serious.
Wind speed was 25knts plus (true). We still held full main, jib and kite, sailing at well over 25knts with bursts of more. The white caps were forming regularly and we pushed on saying nothing.(conversation would only be possible face to face) The boys sat to wind and aft getting battered by heavy spray and we hung on. The leeward bow now permanently buried the main hull was my next concern.
A case of ' not if but when'
Looking behind it was clear that the wind had arrived. Every big gust and surge of speed the power and momentum drove the bouyancy of both hulls deeper. It came to the point wher I just couldnt' bear away enough and bang!
A little bit like a white out when flying in fog or snow the water engulfed the entire boat. It raced up, up over the sponsons, up over the main bow up over the tramps them up over us. A pressure of water that forced my upper body back, with only my tiller in one hand and a winch in the other I gripped, head down, eyes shut. Whoosh !!!
I took breath again and a sudden glance of fear to starboard, the boys, dad, Craig? Lying face down with fingers tightly impaling the tramps they looked at me almost as if the were asking for mercy!!! I was glad to see them, that was close, very close.
I pointed skyward and slit my throat with my finger, they knew, the kite had to come down.
I dont remember passing amlwch. We hardened up to find our course and passed Linas at a tremendus speed. Full main and jib now beam reach, boat speed steadiliy rising. 'Papa' seemed effortless, the helm neutral, powered up completly. Looking across Red Wharf Bay , the sea enhanced by the suns' rays, we commented upon the white caps. The windspeed was touching 30knts already. boatspeed surged up to 25, 26knts at times. Spray, wind and sun battered us continually.
As we entered the middle of the bay we decided to put a reef in, we knew the straits would be howling, could be 40knts+ in the gusts. Do it know we the consensus. At this point the main hull was airborn more than it was afloat! The decision was to prove a wise one. After all we had nothing to gain and the line honours trophy to lose.
We clocked the time before reefing, we had sailed for 7hrs and five mins, we were tired and knew it was far from over.
Rounding Puffin light was fairly easy, in fact, the windspeed eased for a moment, giving us time to gear up and get into position for what turned out to be the hardest leg of the entire race.
Tack after tack after tack, up to boat speed, 'ready about' from me, caution from my depth man, depth dropping so dramatically the Craig shouted 8 then tack!! as it dropped to 2 in a breath!!! So narrow so much wind, so much foul tide it was horrendus.
We touched twice, just left it that second too long, it was to be expected after all our boat speed maxed out upwind at 16knts we tacked over 75 times.
We worked constantly, through the moorings passing nav marks by inches we gave it all we had. We knew it would be all worth it and we could see the sodium lights of the pier, 'YES' the finish was in sight.!!
The back eddy by the Madog vessel was on so was tacked into it and layed the line quite as we were on it, we held silent, waiting, waiting we crossed, well over , NO GUN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We logged the time, according to me 1953hrs.
Yes it was a record. Though what a disapointment.
We deserved a bloody medal!!!!
I look forward to the prize giving, it should be very interesting, we ve done our bit time for somone else to sweat!!!!
Simon Flack