This weekend marked the start of the campaign for the 2023 Rolex Fastnet with 1st training weekend aboard Lutine. The crew of 13 who will sail in the race, overseen by club skipper James Close, had an introduction and safety briefing before lunch on Saturday morning, covering all aspects of boat safety (lifejackets, fire, water, life rafts) and man overboard (MOB) drill.
Lutine is looking particularly shiny with the brand new mainsail that just arrived, and James put the crew through their paces in the afternoon attaching the new sail. Luckily the sun was out on Saturday which made for a lovely afternoon. Once the sail was sorted, for some of the crew, it was off to watch the 6 Nations Rugby Championship in Gosport, with a terrific Grand Slam win for Ireland (and one very happy Irish crew member on board! – (Ed) didn’t we just know).
For the duration of the race, the crew will be split into 2 watches, and James will be supported by the two watch leaders, Tim Blackstone and Tom Bailey. Each crew member was assigned a ‘main’ role for the race, however everyone has the opportunity to learn and practice all aspects of sailing racing over the coming months.
On Sunday, the crew was up and out on the water early to practice the MOB drill (with a lucky fender!) and a number of spinnaker exercises. The 2nd training weekend is 25/26th March, and the purpose of these two weekends is for the crew to familiarise themselves with boat safety, their roles, get to know their crew members and develop a well-honed team ready for the 1st race – RORC Cervantes Race – Le Havre (110NM) on 29-30 April.
The Rolex Fastnet 2023 races starts on July 22nd from Cowes, and this year, the 50th anniversary, will finish in Cherbourg, France (Cowes/Fastnet Rock/Cherbourg 695NM).
Our crew:
- James Close (skipper)
- Tom Bailey
- Tim Blackstone
- Christopher Bailey
- Stephen Hill
- James Brady
- Richard Trevethick
- Nigel Ford
- George Bailey
- Noreen Boyhan
- Marta Michalska
- Tom Seaman
- Julienne Kerr
- Richard Laver
Also for those of you heading out in next few months on Lutine, some of the crew visited the newly opened Creek Restaurant in the Marina, and happy to report nice food and atmosphere. There is also a large outside deck for the warmer months to come! So be sure to check it out https://thecreekhaslar.co.uk/