Fastnet here we come! Double-handed.

[Snowden]

try tacking an an Open 50 through the Needles singlehanded or 2H ... need to be fit!

What's your draft on the 50? Things like the Shingles and Ryde Middle presumably are a bit more real!

 

[Roleur]

Rock Lobster is downsizing from 40' (J121) to a Sunfast 3300 for the coming season, much as we love the 121. Some of our reasons are likely peculiar to us: half the crew is off sailing round the world for a couple of years so has less time for racing. Other reasons are probably common to others: We normally sail the 121 with 5 (small for 40') but that still involves a fair bit of organisational effort which is a challenge for those managing a career. It is a good DH boat but at 40' the size and loads really need a meaty team to manage it: the RLo crew being left behind are modest sized/tiny/normal human beings compared with pro-racers so a big boat is not ideal for them. And keeping a 40' boat competitive is expensive (or maybe that should be "even more expensive"). On the other hand, the 3300 is much more manageable in terms of loads and costs, and it introduces the team to a new skill set and challenge and it gives us the chance to race in a big fleet (nearly 20, and maybe more for the Fastnet) of boats of the same design, which seem to be having a lot of fun. My sense is that a good chunk of the class 1 Solent boats have made similar decisions and moved to Cape 31s for inshore races and the 3300 for offshore.

Which SF3300 did you get? Or new?

 

[Rantifarian]

I think boats in general are smaller in the UK / France. Around the Solent, 40' is a standard size for a crewed "big boat", and there are relatively few 45s regularly racing, let alone 50+. Not since the Farr 45 fleet dispersed 10+ years ago. You notice the difference when you go to watch the Sydney-Hobart start and the 40'ers look tiny!

I think part of the reason for larger boats in aus is the types of coastal racing we do, which are usually point to point, and usually majority downhill. A 50 will get into the leading edge of good breeze from behind and stay in it, a 40 will fall off and end up in less breeze. There is never enough rough upwind to make the tp52 and similar start slowing up to preserve the boat for a 40 to catch back up

 

[[email protected]]

Which SF3300 did you get? Or new?

We bought Fortitudes, used but very little. Thanks for your thoughts, they helped us chose.

 

[Roleur]

90 DH IRC boats signed up now. Almost 1/3rd of the IRC fleet. So, that does not include the DH IMOCAs, Class40s, or Figaro3s (only 1 of them so far).

Interestingly there are 55 boats signed up that are not in a class. I can see several of them at least will be DH once assigned. I still think 100+ is possible.

 

[Jambalaya]

Well done. I forget how many DH boats we had in 2005 and 2007 about 30 I think. Back in the day J105's were the boat of choice for DH. DH is frankly more fun and a whole lot less hassle than full crew so I expect this edition to be a record as DH racing goes from strength to strength

It's been interesting to see how many SF3300 have been out every January weekend so far this year, training I assume.

I live in Hamble so if you need any help with anything just ask. Probably going to be away in August so not around for the race.

 

[Jambalaya]

We bought Fortitudes, used but very little. Thanks for your thoughts, they helped us chose.

Is that you're email address ? I'd change your screen name so bots can't harvest it for spam lists

 

[Black Jack]

I do hold out hope for 2025 for a double handed race although a crewed race would be ok.

Let's hope the requirements for the boats remain the same. I am not interested in winning just participating and doing well with an old boat. Shelling out more than 50k including the boat, new sails, gadgets to be tracked and getting there to participate is not in the cards. Just being there makes one a winner in many measures.

 

[Roleur]

There it is! Wow, wow, wow!

 

[Black Jack]

Holy sheee.... for 30.7' lead mine with a short stick

Airline Tickets from SFO, Train tickets and rental car 3000

House rental: $5000 for 2 weeks in UK

Apartment Rental France 3000 for month.

Bracelets Race Fees and expenses: $1000

Food, Booze, at the house & lunches at boat: 1800

Dinner out one night for the crew: $ 600

Mooring: $2000 (Cowes)

Mooring; 1500 France

IRC Cert: $200

Miscellaneous Stuff; boat parts , etc: $1000

Booze: 1 bottle each x 2, 300

Making the start 500

Total: ~$20000

------------------------------------

Not including the haul out and bottom repairs done before hand. 4000

Shipping from California/Ensenada MX - $20,000


Estimated - 44000 which does not include a promise top ten finish, hookers or blow for crew.

 

[Cruisin Loser]

I’ve been invited on a fully crewed boat. Probably going to skip. Love the boat, but going to do the Maine wooden boat circuit on my own boat. Epic parties.

 

[Roleur]

Nice update on the huge DH turnout for Fastnet:

https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/en/videos/1196-the-two-handed-revolution

 

[Wacka_Elvis]

Nice update on the huge DH turnout for Fastnet:

https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/en/videos/1196-the-two-handed-revolution

Yep - good release from RORC.

Gave me goosebumps to think about the competition (I’m on Mzungu!), but also how epic Cherbourg will be.

without wishing thread-drift it also l made me think how much of a trick the syd-Hobart missed by resisting double handed… they could have had 50+ more boats this year…

Bring it on!

 

[spiggie]

Any far x2 doing nothing has been mentioned

 

[Wess]

Nice update on the huge DH turnout for Fastnet:

https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/en/videos/1196-the-two-handed-revolution

Amazing growth in an otherwise dying sport. And many of the boats are smaller (ie more affordable/accessible) and similar in size and rating making for better racing than a wider rating band would. You guys seems to have found some secret sauce!!

 

[Roleur]

Any far x2 doing nothing has been mentioned

Nope

 

[huey 2]

Another iteration of the report into Double Handed Entries

Rolex Fastnet Race - The 2-handed revolution - Mysailing

Offshore yacht racing’s greatest evolution recently has been the rise of doublehanding. No better demonstration of this is there than the Royal Ocean

www.mysailing.com.au

 

[SSolo]

What's your draft on the 50? Things like the Shingles and Ryde Middle presumably are a bit more real!

4.3m..... makes the Solent rather small and narrow!

 

[huey 2]

World’s leading offshore racing class heads for the Fastnet Race - Mysailing

An extraordinary phenomenon of modern day yacht racing, especially considering their cost and complexity: 40 IMOCAs are due to compete in the next Vendée

www.mysailing.com.au

An extraordinary phenomenon of modern day yacht racing, especially considering their cost and complexity: 40 IMOCAs are due to compete in the next Vendée Globe in 2024. The majority of these 60 footers, many of them foil-born flying machines, will also be on the July start line of the Rolex Fastnet Race, now part of the IMOCA calendar and counting as qualifying miles for next year’s singlehanded non-stop round the world race. In this year’s historic 50th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s flagship event, the IMOCAs will race doublehanded (with an extra media crewman).