Sailing Logic Blog

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

'Puma' needs surgery after IRC Nationals!!

The wind and luck gods were not looking kindly down on Team Logic last weekend... in fact things just kept going wrong. We began well in the first race on Friday morning- in breeze gusting to 30 knots every manoeuvre must be executed well, and indeed in this much wind we were taking the safe option each time. Unfortunately, due to the illness of a crew member on board we had to retire from this race, whilst in second place. Safety and wellbeing of crew is always of paramount importance and so we headed into Cowes to drop him off.

A quick turnaround and then back to the start area for the second race; Over the radio many boats could be heard retiring from racing in the building wind, and once again we started well and were racing hard and safely when we had to retire for a second time due to sail damage (ripping our no.3!) and gear failure (broken main sheet jammer!) Very bad luck, as we were leading at the time!!

The third race of the day was postponed until Saturday morning and competitors headed out of Cowes, once again raring to go. The breeze had eased a little and we were out early for some much needed practise... finishing the third race of the series mid fleet.

On the forth race disaster struck once again when we rounded the second leeward mark and a boat just ahead of came up and tacked right in front of us. With a mark just beside us on our port side, we couldn't tack out of the way and unable to bear away enough we collided with the other yacht's transom. Unfortunately, 'Puma' came off worse with a chunk out of the bow, and there was no choice in the matter other than to once again retire; With damage to the boat, that was to be the end of our IRC Nationals weekend!! After a lengthy protest hearing that evening the international race jury disqualified the other yacht.

Back in Shamrock, work has begun, to get 'Puma' back in shape for the weekend, our next Fastnet training weekend.
Posted by Philippe Falle at 9:22 AM Comments (0)

Thursday, June 28, 2007

All set for the IRC Nationals...

With barely a chance to recover from sailing round the Island the members of team logic are preparing themselves for another full on weekend. After the success of last weekend everyone will be raring to go and enthusiastic to match the great result. Since Sunday's training session was short lived (due to a consensus to go to the prizegiving) Team Logic will be having an early start, and leaving the dock at 7.30am tomorrow in order to squeeeze in some pre race practise!!


The first start is at 10.30 and the format of the weekend will be three races on Friday and Saturday and two on Sunday... it's going to be pretty tiring!!! However, it looks like there is going to be a bit of breeze with up to twenty knots of SW forecast at the moment- great conditions for the Reflex's- so long as we don't break anything!!

Whilst Philippe is getting some extra driving practise in today (moonlighting for a well known Solent based charter company, who have a large fleet of 37 footers, for the day) Sara and SJ are busy preparing Puma Logic and getting her race-ready!!

Best of luck to Team Logic and all other competitors- hopefully it will be another brilliant weekend!!
Posted by Philippe Falle at 1:53 PM Comments (0)

Monday, June 25, 2007

Puma Logic takes first place in Round the Island Race!!

All the Sailing Logic teams gathered in the Waterfront for breakfast and briefing on Friday morning before heading straight out on to the water for a training day. After a few practise tacks and gybes and hoists and drops the teams headed into Cowes in the early afternoon... with such an early start (5.30am race start for most of us!!) the skippers were concious not to wear their crews out!!!


The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club provided us all with a splendid barbeque on Friday evening, which gave the teams a chance to get fantastically well fed before the race!! Fortunately everyone was sensible enough to limit the beer intake.


4.00am on Saturday morning certainly felt like a ridiculous time to get up to start a race but dawn wasn't far away and it was an amazing sight to see 1750 yachts of all different shapes and sizes milling about the start area as the sun rose!! And you can imagine who began to get very excited!


The big boats started first, folllowed by some very little boats, and the majority of our yachts started at 0530 as part of fleet 4. With some 170 boats on the start line, around 10knots of westerly breeze and a strong west going tide, it was all about finding a clear lane, getting the timing right and not hitting anyone!!


Next was a beat up the Western Solent, trying to stay in the strongest tide and pick the right wind shifts to tack on aswell as not having to duck too many yachts whilst on port tack made for an interesting sail as the yachts picked their way through the little Gaffers and Etchells. Turning the corner at the Needles, there was a flurry of activity as kites were hoisted for the downwind run to St Catherine's Point; looking back though, was a spectacular sight of multicoloured spinnakers pushing hard to make up ground, as the wind built to 18knots. The kite run continued all the way to Bembridge, marking the Eastern corner of the island, where spinnakers were dropped and the yachts came up hard on the wind for the final beat back up the Eastern Solent to the finish line by Cowes. This also required negotiating our way round Ryde Sands and some boats definitely ventured further inshore than others... indeed, more than one or two could definitely be seen aground!!


It was a fantastic race for all our teams but particularly Puma Logic who battled it out with some very competitive boats all the way round. They finished just after 1pm, believing they might just be in the top five of their division, IRC class 1b, so it was a bit of a surprise, but a brilliant one, to discover they had actually won their division!!


Needless to say, Saturday afternoon and evening was spent celebrating... in fact, unsurprisingly, I can't really describe much more about the rest of Saturday as I can't remember anything other than champagne disappearing at a super fast rate!!


The Sailing Logic teams headed gently back to Shamrock Quay on Sunday, whilst those on board Puma made their way to the Island Sailing Club for the prize giving. It was a great occasion and the whole team felt really proud of such a superb achievement. Philippe's highlight though, was definitely getting to receive our prize and a kiss from Shirley Robertson!!!


Congratulations to all those who took part and some great results... I know I can't wait to do it all again next year!!





Posted by Philippe Falle at 8:53 AM Comments (2)

Tuesday, June 19, 2007


2 Places left for this year's Round the Island Race


With nearly 1800 boats entered, this year's Round the Island Race is set to be the biggest yet!! It is a superb race and quite a spectacle to see that many yachts descend on the startline off Cowes. There is a fantastic atmosphere, both on and off the water, and it is many people's favourite race in the sailing calendar.


Sailing Logic yachts have been placed in the top five for the past three years, and this year, with so much interest we have five boats entered in the race. Our race package includes a training day this Friday (22nd), the race itself on Saturday 23rd, berthing in Cowes overnight and a sail back to Shamrock Quay on Sunday.


We have just two places left on our Match 42 and we are opening these up to offers!! Each of these places will go to the two highest offers that we recieve by close of business tomorrow... so for one of the last chances to be on board a competitive boat in an amazing race email info@sailinglogicracing.co.uk or call us on 02380 330 999 with your bid!!


Good Luck!!
Posted by Philippe Falle at 9:05 AM Comments (0)

Monday, June 18, 2007


4 Sailing Logic Reflex's in the top seven!


The Morgans Cup race to Jersey this weekend was to be a wet and windy one! It begun on Friday evening and the fleet of around 100 yachts headed east out of the Solent in a SW force 3. Most of the boats decided it was a bit tight to hold spinnakers but a few were seen persevering with kites and A-symmetrics. As the yachts came round the corner and hardened on the wind, it became a case of short tacking to stay out of the worst of the foul tide round the back of the island. The wind was due to veer to the West (which didn't happen) and build (which definitely did happen!!) And so it turned out that we all had to tack all the way across the channel to Les Hanois in breeze that gusted to 30 knots and some very exciting seas! Of course some people (Bol) enjoyed this more than others!


Jaguar and Puma were neck and neck most of the way in their very exciting own little match race, pushing each other harder and harder after every tack and sail change. Staying in sight of another boat of the same type definitely raises everyone's game- unless of course you were on board Puma, who allegedly cruised across (!!!!)


Eventually though, it was Puma who rounded Les Honois rocks off the western edge of Guernsey first, out of the Reflex's, and from this point on it really became a drag race as the boats could bear away and reach to Jersey.


Puma finished just before seven pm on Saturday, just ahead of Jaguar and followed not far behind by Pink Panther then Lion, taking 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th respectively in IRC1... which really is a fantastic and superb result for Sailing Logic, especially considering the next best placed Reflex was 20th!


Unfortunately, due to sail damage, both Bongani and Sidney had to retire. The others all turned around and had a great sail back to Shamrock yesterday afternoon.


It really was a cracking race and everyone worked so hard to achieve the much deserved results... and after a good night's sleep last night I can't wait for the next one now!!!
Posted by Philippe Falle at 3:01 PM Comments (0)
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