jester yacht race

Newport Yacht Club

• Board of Directors
• Past Commodores
• Honorary Life Members
• Lounge Hours
• Room Rental
• Reciprocity
• NYC Vision Mission Values
• Identify the Burgee Contest
• Advertisers
• PHRF / Cruising
• Predicted Log
• NYC Regatta Schedule
• Race Committee
• Classic Yacht Regatta
• Bermuda 1-2
• Offshore 160
• New England Solo/ Twin
• Mitchell Memorial and Columbus Regattas

Jester Challenge

• Junior Sailing
• Visiting Yacht Club Burgees

• Wednesday, March 20 2024

The Jester Challenge 2022

Start off western end of plymouth breakwater on 8 may..

The Jester Challenge is run on a ‘gentlemanly basis’ within the following guidelines: 

• for sailing vessels between 20 and 30 feet (including multi-hulls)
• human power is the only acceptable alternative propulsion to that of the wind: rowing or clubhauling, for instance, are permissible
• single-handed to Newport 
• stops allowed 
• no time limit……………….. read more   contact: Ewen Southby-Tailyour for further details

Jester Challenge

The Jester Challenge is single handed transatlantic yacht race for boats of between 20’ to 30’ from Plymouth to Rhode Island. 

The Jester Challenge was an original idea from a Second World War Royal Marine hero Blondie Hasler. Blondie came up with the Idea of singlehanded yacht race across the Atlantic called OSTAR. Which was originally sponsored by the Observer newspaper in 1960. The Jester challenge is really offshoot of that idea and name comes from Blondie Hasler Nordic junk rigged small Folkboat called Jester. 

What I like about the Jester Challenge it’s not really a race but designed for adventurous souls who like to do there own thing with out rules and regulations. No entry fees no sponsorship no prizes. Just friendly sailing adventure for small budget conscious skippers to cross the North Atlantic under their own steam to Rhode Island in the United States. 

The General Rules

• for skippers who are over the age of 18 on the 8th May 2022

• human power is the only acceptable alternative propulsion to that of the wind: rowing, kedging or clubhauling, for instance, are permissible

• single-handed to Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

• stops allowed, but skippers must take personal responsibility for adhering to any Covid-19 regulations wherever they stop

• no time limit

• engines may be fitted but only used to charge batteries for equipment such as mobile telephones, steering and navigation systems.  The sole exceptions to this, within the spirit of the  Jester Challenge , would be the avoidance of an imminent ‘mayday’ situation; responding to a distress call from a fellow seafarer or when within the harbour limits of an intermediate port  en route . If the use of an engine – or the acceptance of a powered tow from another vessel, whether a  Jester Challenger  or not – becomes necessary to meet, for instance, a personal time limit or, simply, to avoid a frustrating calm, then the details should be declared on arrival to fellow  Jester Challengers.  By common agreement – and using the Jester Helm as an arbitrator if there is no common agreement – the arrival order may then be amended.

• no entrance fees

• no inspections

• no regulations: skippers will be entirely responsible for the equipment they take, based on their own experience

• only hint of bureaucracy will be the signing of a form of indemnity accepting the skipper’s full duty of care for himself, his dependants and his fellow seafarers during his participation in the  JC 2022.

• skippers should ensure that they have the correct visa (if required) for entry into the US and any likely mid-way stop. US visas are best applied for as early as possible.  

Who was Blondie Hasler anyway?  He was Wartime Royal Marine and loved small boats as young man, he built his own and he had practical mind. He joined the Royal Marines in 1932 and went on to form the early beginnings of Special Boat Section using kayaks and later developed frogman dive oxygen rebreathers. Problem with breathing pure oxygen under pressure of approximately 1.5 bar which is less than 30 feet oxygen effects the central nervous system. Why rebreathers? They scrub or take out the exhaled CO2. You have long dive times and the rebreather doesn’t produce bulbs to give away your position on the surface. On operation Frankton as it was called they didn’t require dive equipment they were able learn over their kayaks to lay the limpet mine below the surface by hand.

Blondie’s job was to develop a folding two man kayak to slide in and out of a Submarine torpedo hatch . His claim to fame was the kayak attack with two man kayaks launched from a submarine down the river Gironde in France lay mines on cargo ships docked in the port of Bordeaux. only two of kayakers survived Blondie Hasler and marine Bill Sparks. The story is told in the book and film called the Cockleshell Hero’s. 

When I served as part time member of the Royal Marine Reserved we had an Special Boat section. The SBS were based in Poole Dorset. 

Do you always write this stuff, over you head.. Great article! Tell me more, let it come.. You are master. Laughing

Hi there, just became aware off your blog through Google, and found that iit is truly informative. I’m gonna watch out for brussels. I will appreciate if you continue this in future. A lot of people wiol be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

Here is my page; https://sites.google.com/view/gambling-gamingindustry

Hi Shonda, thanks 🙏 you for your positive words. Much appreciated. 👍😊

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. *

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Jester Challenge’s sailing purists

• Elaine Bunting
• May 25, 2012

They may look like eccentrics, but the sailors in the Jester Challenge are the heart of simple ocean sailing

To some they are eccentrics, maybe even crazy. But if you want to see what a real group of adventurers look like, there is no better place to look than the Jester Challenge.

This is the event – you must not call it a race – that runs biennially (and alternately) to the Azores and across the Atlantic, and it is open to single-handed sailors in yachts of 30ft and under. It was formed in spirit of Blondie Haslar and the first OSTAR – a race that now has no place for sub-30ft yachts

Strip away the professionals, subtract the sponsorship and wodges of ‘other people’s money’ and even the paid-for yard work that keeps the moneyed reaches of sailing going, and this is what you have: amateurs in small boats on tiny budgets with huge, horizon-less dreams.

The event that begins on Sunday starts in Plymouth and goes to the Azores. How many will start is anyone’s guess, as this Challenge, uniquely, has no rules, no safety inspections, no organisation, no entry fee and no prizes. It simply is a collection of people sailing individually who choose to go together at no cost.

One of the few organising touches is a start gun fired by co-founder Ewen Southby-Tailyour. He goes out into Plymouth Sound and, he says: “I take my oldest 12-bore gun, with cartridges filled with baby powder and I fire both barrels so there’s a big puff.”

The boats are the sort you might remember growing up or racing on in years gone by, that are now easy and inexpensive to find in the brokerage pages: a UFO, She 31, a Westerly 22, a little Gib’Sea. Most of them are 30 or 40 years old and, in many cases, somewhat scruffy batchelor pads.

The sailors themselves are mostly retired and on a very tight budget. But it would be a grave mistake to underestimate them, their accomplishments or their seamanship. It’s a common error to mistake a yacht’s price tag and smartness with experience.

One of the more scruffy-looking boats has been across the Atlantic four times and to the Azores and back once. The skipper is an extremely experienced sailor. One spent ten years building his boat in his back garden. Most have extensively refitted or rebuilt from keel bolts up.

A regular Challenger has covered 60,000 miles and sailed to 80°N in his junk-rigged Corribee 21. Roger Taylor is not doing the event this time, but has come to help the 20 or so already assembled ready for the off. “The spirit of it is the simplicity,” he observes. “Most people here are not well heeled, but part of it is they like the frugality.”

That sets the Jester Challenge apart from most other sailing events, as does its ultra low key profile. By choice most skippers don’t have satellite phones, emails or even chartplotters. There is no real-time stream of information when they go.

Most don’t send emails. They don’t phone home. They don’t tweet. They just go sailing.

• CLASSIFIEDS
• NEWSLETTERS
• SUBMIT NEWS

The Jester Challenge: Setting sail for the Fastnet Rock

Related articles.

Upcoming Events

Jester Challenge

A modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self sufficiency, and personal responsibility.

Newport 2022

The jester challenge to newport, rhode island, 2022.

The challenge started from Plymouth on Sunday 8th May 2022, following a skippers dinner on Friday 6 th and the briefing on Saturday 7 th , there were four starters.

The event began with a fair wind that provided a good first day, but this was quickly followed by a strong westerly flow giving an uncomfortable night for everyone on 11 th .  By then it was evident that a severe depression was forming which the fleet met on the 17 th . The three smaller yachts faced force 8-9 despite being to the south east of the depression. Opole, sailing a more direct westerly course, reported 54 knots while under storm jib.

John Apps in Arelia and Howard Chivers in Sandpiper retired and returned safely to the UK. Andrzej Kopytko in Opole tried to continue sailing west but damage forced him back to the Azores on 31 May. Bernie Branfield in Louis reached the Azores on 1 June after battling through a series of further depressions . Both the remaining challengers retired on reaching the Azores.

So, for the first time in the history of the Challenge, there were no finishers.

Ewen summarised the event: “Having made wise, timely decisions that is all that really matters.”

We are grateful to Charles Bush of Mayflower Marina and Sally of Jolly Jack’s for hosting the fleet and dinner before the start, and to Norm Bailey for his continued support and guidance in conjunction with the Newport Yacht Club.

Event Tracking

If you can’t see the active map, see this photo .

Skippers and Boats

Diaries and Reports

Click here to download Sitreps .

Share this:

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

Jester Challenge 2022 – Sailing single handed from Plymouth UK to the Azores: Part 9 – Around the Azores

by Bernie Branfield | Boat Handling , Communications , Crewing skills , Emergencies , Navigation , Preparation , Yacht ownership

Jester Challenge – A modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self sufficiency, and personal responsibility.

The Jester Challenge was created for skippers of small boats who want to test their skill and self-reliance, is a uniquely successful experiment in single-handed ocean sailing. This site tells you everything you need to know about it: its history, philosophy, guidelines and future events, along with the views and experiences of skippers who have taken part over the years.

There is a Challenge every single year and new skippers are always welcome. If you like the idea of developing your offshore seamanship in a relaxed and supportive environment, visit the Jester Challenge website. 

This is the ninth of a 10-part post where solo sailor Bernie Branfield shares his first hand account of his single-handed, 2022 Jester Challenge, from Plymouth, UK to the Azores, in his 26′ Invicta Mk2, Louisa. You can read more about Bernie at the end of the post.

After 10 days in Angra do Heroismo I was ready to test my sailing confidence so decided on a gentle run over to Velas on São Jorge Island. It was 55nm and should take a full day. I set off early after paying for my time in the Angra marina, 110 Euros for 10 days including extras (showers). The wind was from the NW and light so as soon as I passed the peninsula that forms a natural breakwater around Angra I had the sails up and the engine off. I made reasonable progress but about hallway between Terceira and Sao Jorge I was hit by the acceleration zone, F7 for a couple of hours was a good wake up call. Under a small head sail I crossed the gap but ended up further north than I had hoped and was in Martha’s Anguish, an area where the south going current is forced up by the underwater sea mounts off the SW tip of Sao Jorge. I quickly headed south until things calmed down.

It had rained pretty much non-stop since leaving Angra but on the way up the channel between Pico and Sao Jorge the rain stopped, the sun came out and the wind died. I motored for 20 miles up the coast past Manadas (see photo below) Riberia Seca, Calheta and the airport until I reach Velas.

The villages are built on rock outflows from past volcanic activity and all have beautiful churches and appear to cling on to the island. A couple have small ports.

In Velas harbour I tried to anchor but wasn’t happy with the set so I moved into the marina. It had been a long day, 16 hours, but it felt great to be in this beautiful little marina. At night there was a very strange noise, initially I thought it was children messing around in the marina with cazoos but I later found out that the noise was nesting Cory Shearwaters.

The next day a lovely couple who have been cruising the world for 13 years came over to say hi. It was obvious from the first chat that we shared similar views about a lot of things and we got on very well. The next day they hired a car and the three of us toured the island. We went to several Fajas (villages built on rock out flows by the coast) and to the main towns of Topo and Calheta where we had a very nice lunch by the harbour. We visited a cheese factory, they only make one type of cheese and sell it by age. The three year old cheese was wonderful and we bought some.

Back in Velas we went for dinner to a local restaurant and had a fabulous meal, we querried the bill, wine was 1Euro for a large glass! The bill was correct but seemed far too small.

I visited the church in Velas and another in Riberia Seca. They are of a similar style with amazing interiors.

The museum in Velas was interesting and I was the only person there. As cheese plays a significant role in island life, much of the infrastructure and facilities are set up around its production. The island is extensively farmed and apart from some small fruit and veg production is given over to dairy. There are about 6 cheese co-operatives on the island and each area has an unmanned miniature cheese museum. These have large windows through which the local cheese production history is visible.

Sao Jorge was an excellent alternative to Terceira, much quieter with beautiful rolling countryside and a sense of purpose around cheese production. It would be worth visiting Sao Jorge with walking boots and a bit more time to explore the coastal paths.

About Bernie Branfield

[fts_facebook type=page id=820902544629856 access_token=EAAP9hArvboQBAMMusRb1XctIwYq9fUcSZCVNDQAMjkZCiqAIMiZBkawPJZB3VkeSsH6gCIDfIZAslzZBRAEXYdesg0fu11YIst1FXtABBwdULjOsYFGUYqNujLSxRIWxKAcqm7bb9dmAgzJDZCVhkRj6r9useCQqJr4wJnxkBv909ySYxqj7hYl posts=4 height=650px description=no posts_displayed=page_only]

Recent Posts

• Navigating narrow channels
• Boat Security: Protecting your vessel from theft & vandalism
• Learning about diesel engine maintenance
• 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race – Part 3

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Guy Waites: Golden Globe Race 2022 skipper

• Katy Stickland
• September 30, 2022

Guy Waites has crossed the Atlantic ocean solo five times, and has circumnavigated the world with crew. He shares how he has prepared for the 2022 Golden Globe Race

Guy Waites is an RYA Ocean Yachtmaster with 100,000 miles of sailing experience, including solo adventures with the Jester Challenge, and believes the 2022 Golden Globe Race will be one of his greatest sailing challenges.

The 54-year-old crewed and raced, based out of Ramsgate in Kent, before taking part in the 2010 Jester Challenge in a Contessa 26.

While heading from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island, the boat began to fall apart; the most serious issue being a broken bulkhead.

Guy Waites returned to the UK, repaired the boat himself and then sailed the Jester route in 2011.

Guy Waites has around 100,000 miles of sailing experience. Credit: Guy Waites/GGR

A year later, he bought a Corribee 21 and refitted the boat for a solo voyage to the Shetland Islands off Scotland. From there, he crossed the Atlantic .

Consequently, he has a solid track record in sailing and repairing small boats offshore .

In 2017-18 he served as first mate in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and discovered a passion for long distance yacht racing.

He returned for the next edition as skipper of the 70ft Dare to Lead . The COVID-19 pandemic meant the race was suspended in the Philippines, and it was here that he heard that the Tradewind 35 masthead sloop, Sagarmatha was for sale in Panama.

He bought the boat and sailed her back to Whitby; he was forced to stop in The Azores due to a knockdown which damaged the yacht’s mast.

Guy Waites has subsequently replaced the mast, and has carried out a significant refit of  Sagarmatha ahead of the race start, including the installation of 15 watertight compartments.

He has opted to use Hydrovane self-steering and has made a 40% smaller vane, specifically for sailing Sagamartha in storm conditions.

‘During my trans-Atlantic qualifier [for the race] my observations of the Hydrovane vane in winds of up to 70 knots was that it was flipping and flopping in quite a violent motion and I was worried about how much it could take. You are a long time in the Southern Ocean , and it won’t be a question of whether you get a storm, it will be how many, so I have taken the standard vane and cut it down, so hopefully the motion will be less violent, whilst there is still enough vane to control the boat,’ he explained.

Sagamartha is a Golden Globe Race veteran, having been sailed in the 2018 race by Australian Kevin Farebrother. Credit: Nora Havel/GR

Why enter the Golden Globe Race 2022?

Guy Waites: It’s been a dream of mine for years and was an opportunity too good to miss especially when you think of the alternative solo nonstop races which were, until very recently, the Vendee Globe or nothing.

It also doesn’t require millions of pounds to put a campaign together.

How did you find your boat?

Guy Waites: I bought the Tradewind 35, Sagarmatha . which was Kevin Farebrother ‘s boat [Kevin was one of the 2018 GGR skippers].

I was in the Philippines with the Clipper Race having been diverted there at the very beginning of the pandemic and I got an email from Don McIntyre [GGR race organiser].

He knew I was looking for a boat and he said Kevin’s old boat had come back up for sale.

Guy Waites sailed his Tradewind 35 from Panama back to the UK ahead of refit work. Credit: Guy Waites//GGR

It was the right boat, for the right price at what I thought was the right time.

The boat was in Panama as the Australian owner who bought it from Kevin was planning on taking it back to Australia via the Panama Canal, but the Panamanian authorities had closed the canal to all but commercial ships [due to COVID-19] with no indication of when they would open for private vessels and the owner got fed up with waiting.

It was an opportunity that came to light very suddenly and one that needed to be pounced on.

You’ve completed your 2,000 mile qualifying passage, how did that go? What did you learn about the boat?

Guy Waites: I sailed the boat back from Panama to the UK. Unfortunately, the boat wasn’t really what I hoped it would be in terms of her overall condition.

There were quite a few problems and I discovered very early on there was an issue with the mast which wasn’t just associated with how the standing rigging was set up. It was something more fundamental than that.

As soon as it was on the wind it was deflecting out of a column on both tacks so I decided to press on with the voyage but to really throttle back and reef early.

Guy Waites has plenty of experience repairing small boats offshore. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR

It was all going fine until I was less than 80nm from The Azores and I ran into an easterly storm, so I turned back out to the west to run before it under bare poles and trailing warps and the third day I was knocked down by a large wave which put a crease in the mast.

Although I realised early on in the voyage that the mast needed replacing, the knockdown meant I was nursing a damaged mast rather than a weak one.

I also lost the wind turbine; 3 of the 5 blades shattered off and the resulting imbalance in the wind turbine was tearing the stainless steel mast it was mounted on to pieces.

So I managed to salvage the wind turbine before I lost the lot, but that put me in the Azores for three months while I tried to find the materials to repair the mast.

His experience sailing the boat across the Atlantic has led Guy Waites to make a smaller vane for his Hydrovane for sailing in heavy weather. Credit: Katy Stickland

In the end I wrapped the mast in carbon fibre and then waited for a suitable weather window to finish the journey home.

She is now out of the water at Whitby.

We are scrapping years and years of antifoul off the bottom of the boat which is just the start of the refit really.

It is only a year to go to the race start and I am only just scratching the surface of the refit. There are lots of challenges in this race before you even get to the start line.

The qualifying passage also changed my opinion about how the boat will be configured for the race although I am keeping that to myself for now.

What did you learn following the 2018 Golden Globe Race?

Guy Waites: My initial observation was that the 2018 Golden Globe Race started far too early and I think that has been born out [five boats in the race were dismasted]. I don’t think anyone thinks otherwise.

The new start of 4 September for the 2022 race is far more sensible which will have a big impact.

The race has also changed as access to weather information has changed dramatically.

Testing out his survival gear which he hopes he will never have to use. Credit: Guy Waites/GGR

Previous entrants had the benefit of essentially a private forecasting service over the amateur radio network which has been banned now and replaced by weather fax.

There is a lot of question marks over just how good the weather fax reception will be around the world regardless of how good your HF set up is.

The route is also different with extra media drop points which will affect people’s routing.

The level of experience of some of the entrants of the first race has clearly driven the introduction of a 2,000 mile qualifying solo passage [using wind vane only and evidence of celestial navigation logs] in the rules for the 2022 race, which is a very sensible step. [This is in addition to the 8,000nm documented ocean sailing experience and 2,000 mile documented solo ocean sailing experience which each skipper must have before entering the 2022 GGR]

A Tradewind 35 might not be the quickest boats around the world but is one of the boats more likely to get you through the Southern Ocean.

Did you pick up any tips from Jean-Luc Van Den Heede ‘s win?

Guy Waites: He had the benefit of effectively a personal private weather forecasting service, as did the others, and that will be a significant change for this race.

I was surprised he went around with a sliding hatch and washboard in his companionway and he wasn’t the only person to suffer from that set up.

Like many of the 2022 Golden Globe Race skippers, Guy Waites has opted for a watertight hatch in his companionway. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR

It is a modification I’ve made to previous boats of mine for single handed transAtlantic sailing, and I would not consider going around the world without making that change to the boat.

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede consulted meteorologists and studied the weather to choose the best route which helped him make early gains in the 2018 race.  Do you plan to do this?

I’ve been studying the weather for a long time.

Overall the weather doesn’t change that much. You could look at a Volvo Ocean Race and a Whitbread Race and you don’t see much change in terms of the weather patterns of the world but what is interesting is severity of the weather is changing, and it is increasing.

This was highlighted by Vendee Globe skipper Miranda Merron and several others so it is much better that the 2022 race starts in September and not July as in the 2018 race.

Many of the Golden Globe Race skippers are storing their gear in the saloon, secured by lee cloths. Note the two different size vanes for the Hydrovane self-steering system. Credit: Katy Stickland

What storm tactics do you plan to use?

Guy Waites: If I tell you that I would be giving away a lot of my strategy. The boat will be significantly safer than it was and the sail plan will change, although I don’t want to reveal that now.

Drogue or warps?

Guy Waites: I plan to use a combination of the two. I am not enamoured with the full on drogue but using just warps alone you need a very long warp to be effective, so I plan to use a combination of the two.

What are your refit plans for boat?

Guy Waites:  There are three main changes I plan to make to the boat.

Number one, the boat will have a watertight hatch, not washboards and a sliding companionway.

The second is that the interior of the boat will be divided into significantly more watertight areas, not just the watertight crash bulkhead forward as stipulated by the race rules.

There will be a lot more divisions and partitions in the interior of the boat, making it watertight.

Sagarmartha used to be owned by the founder of the Golden Globe Race, Don McIntyre. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR

You don’t want to be abandoning to a liferaft in the Southern Ocean or anywhere really. It is far better to invest in the boat’s integrity and security than to rely on safety equipment.

The third thing is a complete rewire of the boat as the electrics are just awful frankly.

I had a lot of electric and network problems while bringing the boat back across the Atlantic .

What self steering set up are you planning to use?

Guy Waites: I will stick with the Hydrovane as it is absolutely the right one for Sagarmatha.

One of the things I learned from the 2018 race was that there is nothing wrong with a Windpilot. I’ve crossed the Atlantic twice with a Windpilot but because of the type of steering system on the Tradewind 35 it is the wrong match; it would be like fitting bicycle tyres on a performance car.

The Hydrovane does fit the boat and the purpose very well.

I have no issue with it even though I lost the Hydrovane rudder on New Year’s Eve during my qualifying passage.

Guy Waites has already sailed around the world with crew. Credit: Guy Waites/GGR

Luckily it was in fairly benign weather and the boat was going to windward at the time.

The conditions were such that I couldn’t get the rudder back on for two and a half days until I was in almost a doldrum for a few hours.

The Hydrovane rudder just fell off, so I will be taking some precautions to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

The Tradewind 35 is a long keel boat and one of the benefits of a long keel is that the boat will sail itself very happily on the wind.

At the time the rudder fell off we were sailing on the wind, so with balanced sails the boat just continued to sail in a straight line for two and a half days until I could refit the rudder so it wasn’t actually a problem.

Guy Waites has added 15 watertight compartments to his Tradewind 35, based on his experience of sailing his Coribee 21 across the Atlantic via the northern route. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR

What antifouling will you be using?

Guy Waites: Seajet Shogun, the same brand Jean-Luc Van den Heede used

How is your celestial navigation going?

Guy Waites: It is a bit of an enigma for most people but I took sun sights almost every single day when I came across the Atlantic [on his qualifying passage] and I already have the Celestial Navigation qualification, but any opportunity to get some more practice between now and race start will be taken.

It is one of those subjects where the cobwebs can grow when you don’t use it every day.

How are you feeling about sailing solo around the world? How will you cope with the isolation ?

Guy Waites:   I am very good in my own company and my own space and I don’t seem to suffer from loneliness while sailing. I enjoy the peace and quiet.

But the biggest difference undoubtedly is the duration of the race because my longest time at sea alone in a boat is 59 days and potentially that will quadruple, which is a huge step. That is the only unknown really.

Guy Waites is one of four British skippers taking part in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR

I’ve seen what the Southern Ocean looks like.

I’ve sailed the Atlantic singlehanded 5 times now.

I don’t feel as though I have a problem with a lack of solo experience but the biggest difference will be the duration so that will be the big step for me.

How will you cope with that step?

Guy Waites: That is something you can’t really prepare for; you just have to go out and experience it.

I am saying to myself, if I can handle it for 59 days with no problem then I just have to go and find out. It is the step most of the race skippers will have to make.

Originally built for the Tradewind 35’s designer, John Rock, Sagarmatha was first launched in Lymington, UK. Guy Waites’s is the boat’s 7th owner. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR

Tapio Lehtinen [came 5th in the 2018 GGR and is a 2022 skipper] knows he can cope; Mark Sinclair [who retired from the 2018 GGR and is a 2022 skipper] knows he can certainly cope with half the world so he is a step in the right direction.

You have got to say to yourself, I am comfortable climbing three steps of the ladder, now I am going to the top and you just have to go out there and do it.

How will you deal with challenges and how will you motivate yourself to keep going in the race?

Guy Waites: The biggest part of the race is the challenge, not the race itself.

I feel confident that I am a reasonably good problem solver when I don’t have anyone else to talk to or bounce ideas off, and when I can’t just stop and go to a hardware store to pick up the equipment I need.

I feel that through my experiences and preparation work that I’ve done to previous boats and what I will do to Sagarmatha, I will know the boat like the back of my hand.

Guy Waites has changed the boat’s mast for a double spreader. Credit: Guy Waites/GGR

I am relying on my experience of overcoming the problems that have come my way up to now, and there is no reason why I shouldn’t continue solving the problems I may face.

That is not to say that there won’t be an event that knocks me out of the race altogether.

We saw from the 2018 race that 18 started and only five finished so it is very much a possibility that not finishing is on the cards, and that is where the preparation comes in.

Do you have enough time to prepare for the 2022 race?

Guy Waites: I know already that I wish I had more time to prepare, but that is not a luxury I can’t afford now.

The biggest challenge for me at the moment is the funding.

Don McIntyre [GGR race organiser] will tell you quite regularly that it is not about the money, but right now it is about the money.

If need to raise money to buy the new mast, buy the sails I need, complete the rewiring, all buy all of the rule complying safety and communications equipment needed for the race; it all adds up.

Sagarmatha is being refitted in Whitby. Credit: Guy Waites Sailing/Facebook

I’ve had people talk to me about sponsorship but who are put off by the fact that they have to pay a sponsorship fee to the race.

I imagine its not a problem for sponsors like PRB as it is a tiny part of their budget, but for people like me who would be glad of someone offering me £5,000-£10,000 for the campaign, an additional entry fee of $14,000 Australian is a big chunk of money, and it is getting in the way of me getting to the start line at the moment.

While the search for sponsorship goes on, we have in the meantime the Go Fund Me campaign which has raised £13,000 out of the £50,000 I need to get to the start line, and the reason for this amount is clearly broken down on the Go Fund Me page.

In lieu of that, sadly I am currently away from Sagarmatha, working as much as I can.

If I don’t find sponsorship, then the only way to get to the start line will be to take it out of my own pocket.

I did sell my house to buy Sagarmatha  so I already have made a financial commitment to the race.

Money is still a part of it whether it is a budget race or not.

Guy Waites is racing with the support of his family, including his wife, Julie. During the race, the skippers are unable to stay directly in touch with their families. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR

Are you confident you will make the start?

Guy Waites: Yes I am. I am confident that one way or another it will happen.

It is just a question of whether I hit the start line as a race entrant, or hit the start line as someone who just wants to get around in one piece.

I won’t enter the race if I have any doubts about the boat. The boat will come first.

I know I can do it. I just need the boat to get to a certain level in terms of its preparation and I obviously need to comply with the race rules.

If I can do that, I will enter the race. If not, I will have to deal with that.

The start date is very much in my mind.

Guy Waites has always dreamed of competing in a solo yacht race. Credit: Guy Waites/GGR

I suspect Sagarmatha won’t look very pretty on the start line.

She won’t have a shiny new paint job but the fundamentals will be done; the watertight areas, the rewire and all the things I need to get around the world in one piece will be sorted and if they are not, then I won’t be in the race.

Are you looking to win or get round?

Guy Waites: Even Jean-Luc Van Den Heede said himself that the primary objective is to get round.

No one wants to enter this and not get round the world in one piece and hopefully without having to stop somewhere.

The old adage that to win a race, first you have to finish could not be more true for a solo circumnavigation.

Can I win? The competition is pretty stiff. When there is a big sponsor in France [PRB] tapping a professional solo racer [ Damien Guillou ] on the shoulder to go racing in the GGR then you know you are up against it.

Guy Waites was skipper of Dare to Lead in the 2019-20 edition of the Clipper Round the World Race. Credit: Guy Waites Sailing/Facebook

Simon Curwen will be one to watch, as will  Tapio Lehtinen , who I imagine will come across as a different animal in this race, having built on his experiences and he is no slouch when it comes to racing either.

I am sure there are others out there that I haven’t mentioned who are more than capable of a good turn of pace.

I am preparing the boat as best I can, and I will give it everything I’ve got.

We will see where we are when we round Cape Horn ; if I have a chance of catching someone or staying ahead of someone and winning then I will go for it, but essentially it will be a race down the Atlantic, then it will be a survival through the Southern Ocean and then we will see where we are and if there is a race towards the finish so be it.

What will you miss most while racing?

Guy Waites: We are allowed a refrigerator on board for this race but fresh food only lasts for so long, so I will miss anything fresh – fruit, vegetables – anything that doesn’t come out of a can.

I also won’t be relying entirely on canned food as it is too heavy and takes up too much space.

Last minute preparations ahead of the race start

What treat will you be taking?

Guy Waites: Despite the fact we are not allowed a water maker and the amount of water we are allowed to take is limited, I will be taking something very dehydrating: fresh coffee.

Every day starts with a cup of fresh coffee for me.

GGR 2018 was a celebration of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston . The GGR 2022 is a celebration of Bernard Moitessier. What words of wisdom from Moitessier will you be following in the race?

Guy Waites: I must have read every single book there is by someone who has sailed singlehanded around the world, and before my first solo transatlantic I had actually just finished reading The Long Way .

I think what captivates people about Moitessier is that he is a very romantic writer, and whether that matches the reality or not is only something that each individual can go and experience and find out for themselves.

He is a very inspirational character just because of his love of the sea and being out there on your own. If you want to sail single handed around the world and you don’t empathise with that, then maybe you are doing the wrong thing.

OSTAR History

The history of the original single-handed transatlantic race.

The Creation of the OSTAR

In 1956 Blondie Hasler became interested in the challenges of offshore singlehanded sailing – “one man, one boat, the ocean…”. Over the next few years he conceived of a transatlantic race against the prevailing winds and currents whose purpose was to develop the necessary seamanship, equipment and techniques.

He had interested several competitors, but was unable to find an organiser or sponsor willing to move from the familiar full-crewed or ‘cruise in company’ racing to such a dangerous sounding innovation. His press release of November 1959 proclaimed “Described by one experienced yachtsman as ‘the most sporting event of the century’ a transatlantic race for single-handed sailing boats will start from the south coast of England on Saturday 11 June 1960 and will finish off Sheepshead Bay, in the approaches to New York, at least a month later”.

Blondie and Francis Chichester agreed that should no sponsor be found they would go ahead with the race anyway and each competitor would wager half-a-crown; winner take all.  But Blondie persevered and, with Francis, approached the RWYC and got a positive response from the Rear Commodore Jack Odling-Smee.

With a yacht club of repute to take on the organisation of the race, Blondie obtained the sponsorship of The Observer newspaper and so the RWYC Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic Race for the Observer Trophy, or OSTAR, came about.

With sponsor and organiser in place, the half crown wager was no longer required but its proposal was recognised later when the Half Crown Club was created to honour the intrepid sailors who have competed in an OSTAR.

OSTAR Records & Results

1960 – the first star, the birth of singlehanded transoceanic racing.

Over a hundred declarations of intent were received by the organisers and in the end eight boats entered but only five boats crossed the start line off Plymouth, and remarkably all five reached New York on the other side of the ‘pond’.

Self-steering gear was in its most basic homemade form, roller-reefing sails were just a dream and there were no satellite navigation systems or weather routing, just hand-held compasses and sextants.

The five pioneer yachtsmen took very different options, with Blondie Hasler ( Jester  25ft) opting for an extreme Northern route, Francis Chichester ( Gipsy Moth III  40ft) and David Lewis ( Cardinal Vertue  25ft) on the Great Circle route and Val Howells ( Eira  25ft) and Jean Lacombe (C ap Horn  21.5ft) on the Azores route.

Little was heard from the competitors during the race (the boats had been provided with short-range radio transmitters but these were of little use) and fears grew for their safety but, finally, after 40 days Chichester arrived. “Every time I tried to point  Gipsy Moth  at New York the wind blew dead on the nose” said Chichester. “It was like trying to reach a doorway with a man in it aiming a hose at you. It was much tougher than I thought.”

Hasler reached New York in 48 days but second place was no disappointment.  He had proved that his self-steering system was more than efficient to handle the 25ft Jester with a single Chinese lugsail on an unstayed mast, and claimed he had only had to take the tiller for one hour of the entire journey.

Jean Lacombe was the final skipper to arrive, in 74 days, having started 5 days after the others. His  Cap Horn  was the smallest boat in the race and he had been delayed in Le Havre by bad weather. With an earlier east-west single-handed transatlantic crossing (in an 18ft boat), Lacombe (a Frenchman living in New York) was possibly the most experienced oceanic competitor on the race.

Three other yachtsmen had entered but were unable to start. American yacht designer Arthur Piver sailed his trimaran ( Nimble , 30ft) across but did not arrive in time. Walter Kaminski, from Berlin, suffered damage to his yacht (26ft cutter  Sayonara ) while being shipped to England. Mike Ellison withdrew his 34ft cutter ( Blue Haze ) considering it not ready for the crossing.

1960 OSTAR Entries

1960 ostar winner, 1964 – a legend is born.

The second OSTAR in 1964 was the launch pad for one of the most influential figures in the history of single-handed sailing, the development of sailing as a sport in France and in offshore race boat design. In 1960 Francis Chichester had managed the crossing in 40 days, then a 32 year-old French naval lieutenant Eric Tabarly won the 1964 race taking just 27 days aboard his 44ft ketch  Pen Duick II .

A total of seventeen yachtsmen entered the race. All those who sailed in the first race were back again, though only Francis Chichester and Blondie Hasler were sailing the same boats. Val Howells sailed a 35 foot steel cutter,  Akka , a production yacht he was delivering to America; David Lewis switched to a catamaran  Rehu Moana , one of three multihulls in the race; and Jean Lacombe had moved from the 21 foot  Cap Horn  to his new 22 foot glass fibre sloop  Golif . Mike Ellison, who failed to start in the first race, was back in a larger boat  Ilala (36 ft).

Two yachts were unable to compete: Arthur Piver was unable to deliver his trimaran from the US in time and so missed his second OSTAR; Charles McLendon, an American living in London, suffered a fire on his 48’ ketch  Morna  – which would have been the largest boat in the race.

Two changes were introduced for the second race: the finish line was switched from New York to Newport, Rhode Island, so the competitors could avoid the marine traffic at New York; and a prize was awarded for fastest monohull on corrected time (using a handicap based on waterline length).

Two event occurred that were to be repeated in future races – two collisions, one with a spectator boat and another with a whale.  Val Howells ( Akka ) was rammed by a spectator boat after the start and had to return for repairs. Five days out while contestting for second place a few miles behind Eric Tabarly, Derer Kelsall ( Folatre ) struck what he presumed was a whale, damaging a rudder and daggerboard. He returned to Plymouth for repairs then restarted finishing a creditable 34 days later.

Publicity from the first OSTAR turned the second race into a media circus with a number of the 15 competitors signed up by national newspapers to provide regular progress reports by radio.  The crowds at the start brought about the first collision between a spectator boat and a competitor, Val Howells, who had to return for repairs.

Tabarly, the only Frenchman in the race, was the sailor’s favourite for the race with the advantage of sailing the largest boat and the only one purpose-built for the event. He had also carried out an in-depth study of the weather and physically was very fit. On a route close to the Great Circle and without the strong storms that had characterised the first edition, he reached Newport three days before Francis Chichester.

Arriving in Newport, Rhode Island he had no prior knowledge of his win – he had not used his radio during the race – and almost as a passing comment let slip that his self-steering system had only worked for the first 8 days of the 27 days it took him to complete the course.

At a depressed time in France, Tabarly became an overnight hero and for his endeavour was presented with his country’s highest honour, the Legion d’Honneur, by President de Gaulle. France’s love affair with solo offshore racing had begun.

1964 OSTAR Entries

1964 ostar winner, 1968 – storms and the introduction (and banning) of weather routing.

The race became truly international with a total of 35 competitors from as far afield as Sweden, Germany, USA and South Africa to add to the usual British and French entries. The starters included the 1964 winner Eric Tabarly, in his revolutionary trimaran  Pen Duick IV , the first woman entrant, Edith Baumann from West Germany in her sloop  Koala III , and the Frenchman Joan de Kat in his sloop Yaksha. Of these three, Tabarly retired at the end of the first week; de Kat’s yacht broke up, and he was rescued after a vast air and sea search lasting three days; and Edith Baumann was rescued off the Azores.

This race that proved what a tough proposition the OSTAR can be. During the race the North Atlantic was swept by a massive depression bringing with it 60 knot, storm force winds. Many competitors hove to, dropping all but a storm jib to sit out the terrible conditions.

Only one competitor made a significant gain by taking advantage of the rules, which had not outlawed weather routeing (at that time it was not considered viable for solo skippers). Before satellite communications, on board internet access or web-based weather sites, Geoffrey Williams racing the monohull  Sir Thomas Lipton  was the first to use weather routing. Via a hefty high-frequency radio, Williams would communicate with meteorologists at Bracknell who were running weather models using a very early computer and would provide him with forecasts. Warned of the storm, Williams sailed north missing the brunt of it and gained an estimated 300 miles over his competitors in the process. Williams went on to win the race despite some controversy at the end when he sailed the wrong course – Williams missed a vital part of the skippers briefing when an amendment to the sailing instructions was issued to round the Nantucket Light Vessel on approach to finish. As the Race Committee had not published the amendment in writing, grounds for any protest were weak. In a display of great sportsmanship, no other skipper protested him. Weather routing was banned from subsequent races.

While one multihull had entered in 1960 (but was unable to start) and three had competed in 1964, in 1968 there were no fewer than 13 multihulls (although only five completed the course), including a 65ft (20m) “monster” ( Pen Duick IV ) entered by Eric Tabarly. But his trimaran lacked preparation following the social unrest of May 1968 in France, forcing him to retire. The best multihull was a proa  Cheers  designed by an as yet unknown American, Dick Newick, and raced by Tom Follet who finished in an amazing third place.

This edition was a sign of a new era to come.

1968 OSTAR Entries

1968 ostar winner, 1972 – the multihull age.

After 1968 a 500-mile qualification passage became obligatory. 55 boats qualified for the fourth edition of the race.

Eric Tabarly’s  Pen Duick IV  had retired from the 1968 race, but in the intervening years prior to the 1972 OSTAR she had been tested and developed and then sold to former crewman Alain Colas, another icon of early French single-handed sailing.

In contrast to the 1968 race the North Atlantic threw up only one brief gale and it was perhaps due to the light conditions and skill of her skipper that Colas was able to steer his 67ft trimaran across the line first in the remarkable time of 20 days and 13 hours – five days faster than Geoffrey Williams’ four years earlier. In the process, Colas beat the giant monohull Jean-Yves Terlain’s 128ft  Vendredi Treize  by 16 hours. With Colas’ victory and other multihulls taking third, fifth and sixth places, the future of ocean-going racing catamarans and trimarans was sealed. With the exception of the 1976 race, all the subsequent single-handed transatlantic races have been won by multihulls and today they are the undisputed champions of the ocean.

Developed by the pioneering Tabarly,  Pen Duick IV  was a boat well ahead of her time, despite her aluminium construction and beams that appeared to have been made from scaffolding. Tabarly had been inspired to commission her after sailing on board Derek Kelsall’s trimaran  Toria , winner of the first two-handed Round Britain and Ireland race in 1966. With no keel for ballast, a racing multihull’s lightweight requires less power to drive it and is therefore easier for the single-hander to manage. Rigged as a ketch,  Pen Duick IV  was originally fitted with rotating masts to improve the flow of air over her mainsails – a prelude to the rotating wing masts that would become standard on future trimarans.

As for Colas this same boat would take him around the world single-handed and into the history books the following year. Tragically, while competing in the first Route du Rhum in 1978, both boat and skipper were lost for reasons unknown.

Marie-Claude Fauroux ( Aloa VII ) was the first woman to finish the course coming 14th after nearly 33 days at sea, while her fellow colleague Anne Michailof racing  PS  was the last to cross the line, finishing just a few hours before the time limit of 60 days.

1972 OSTAR Entries

1972 ostar winner, 1976 – bigger boats and bigger fleet, controversy and tragedy.

Even before the start, the storm was brewing. Controversy exploded around the entry of Alain Colas’ gigantic monohull  Club Mediterranée  that measured in at 236ft (72m). Few believed that a boat this size could be sailed safely by one man without being a risk to himself and others at sea, and many saw the race as getting out of control. A total of 125 boats crossed the start line in a shadow of sadness at the death of one of the competing skippers wives. Mike McMullen, an ex-marine commando, had bought  Three Cheers  from Tom Follet and had tragically witnessed his wife accidentally electrocute herself as she helped prepare the boat just days before the start. Sadly, McMullen and  Three Cheers  disappeared during the race.

Five low pressure systems followed each other one after the other, relentlessly generating an average wind speed of 35 knots and a raging, chaotic, short, crossed sea for over a week. The fleet were decimated with the well-chronicled retirement of Yvon Fauconnier ( ITT Oceanic previously  Vendredi Treize ) and the break-up of Jean-Yves Terlain’s 70ft catamaran  Kriter II . Two skippers were lost at sea in the storms – Mike Flanagan and the recently bereaved Mike McMullen. Only 73 of the 125 starters finished the race within the time limit.

Eric Tabarly racing his 73ft ketch  Pen Duick VI  had at one stage considered turning back when his self-steering gear failed. But the 1964 winner found new strength and crossed the finish line first in dramatic circumstances. With no sight or sound of Tabarly since the start concerns had been growing for his safety but he appeared out of the fog in Newport just as the French navy were on the verge of launching a full-scale search operation. Alain Colas’  Club Mediterranée  stopped in Newfoundland for repairs to the rigging and then also had to take a penalty for accepting a tow that relegating him to 5th place overall, although he crossed the line in second. Another amazing performance came from Canadian Mike Birch on the “tiny” 31ft trimaran,  The Third Turtle . He crossed the line in third but was finally awarded second place. Multihulls had staked their claim in storm-force windward conditions – there could be little to stop them now.

1976 OSTAR Entries

1976 ostar winner, 1980 – the americans oust the french.

Under pressure from the ‘experts of the day’, and concerns of possible intervention by the Board of Trade, the  organisers had imposed a restriction on length (56ft) and on the number of entries (110 boats) following the 1976 edition. The race committee chairman, Jack Odling-Smee announced that the decision had been reached for three reasons, the final one being “We have set the class limits to try to adhere to the original concept of the race, which is to defeat the ocean rather than the other competitors.”

However the use of the expensive ARGOS tracking system, primarily for safety reasons, resulted in the sponsors (the Observer and radio station Europe 1) using the regular position reports to reinforce the competitive nature of the race. A number of the new transmitters failed during the race causing some concern over the ‘missing’ yachts – a problem that continues to the present.

Many potential competitors had to be turned away and, in the event, ninety competitors started. Incidents came immediately. Most unfortunate was Florence Arthaud who lost her mast before even reaching the start. Tom Grossman ( Kriter VII ) collided with  Garuda  but after hurried repairs to a float managed to restart the following afternoon.

There was a noticeable drop (26 to 16) in French participation who, upset by the restrictions in force, favoured the new solo transatlantic race, the Route du Rhum, created by Frenchman Michael Etevenon. Only one French skipper, Daniel Gilard, appeared in the top 10 finishers; although in 14th was a new rising star Olivier de Kersauson on  Kriter VI . What did dominate the top 10 finishers, were the multihulls including the unofficial entry of Marc Pajot racing Tabarly’s “futuristic” foiler  Paul Ricard . Tabarly had to withdraw from the race due to a skiing injury and Pajot, unable to complete the qualification in time, raced as an unofficial entry crossing the line in fifth. In fact, the top five slots were filled with multihulls but it was, above all, the “American Multihull School” that emerged victorious with the veteran of the race, the 100% ‘Corinthian entry’ Phil Weld ( Moxie ) who finished in 17 days, 23 hours and 12 minutes, plus Phil Steggall ( Jeans Foster ) and Walter Greene ( Cassettes Olympia ).

Phil Weld had carried a detailed study of North Atlantic weather and, balancing this with the known abilities of Moxie, he came up with his own route: south of 45°N 35°W and through 43°N 50°W – the Weld Waypoints.

The weather conditions were ideal at the start with a northerly flow for almost ten days enabling the leaders to sail more than half the course with the wind abeam, an extremely favourable situation for the trimarans. Seventy-two boats finished and the course record dropped by six days in one go – it was fast approaching the two-week barrier.

1980 OSTAR Entries

1980 ostar winner, 1984 – the french return.

Ninety-one boats started in a strong south-easterly and the multihullswere quickly away, but within six hours the first was out – June Clarke ( Batchelors Sweet Pea ) pitchpoled and was rescued by lifeboat.  In the early stages of the race it was two catamarans of Patrick Morvan ( Jet Services ) and Gilles Gahinet ( 33 Export ) that dominated until they were forced to retire through damage to the hull and mast problems, respectively.

The competitors had been warned of large numbers of icebergs drifting further south than usual, but it was whales that caused more problems. Class IV winner Luis Tonizzo sighted several and  sailed over one that lifted his boat out of the water “I was very lucky it didn’t touch the rudder otherwise it would have broken off”. Not so lucky was Henk van de Weg whose boat  Tjisje  sank and David Duncombe who retired after hitting whales.

But it was the capsizing of Philippe Jeantot ( Credit Agricole ) in the middle of the Atlantic that was the talk of the town posing a problem at the finish. Philippe Poupon ( Fleury Michon ) was first to finish in Newport in a record 16 days, 11 hours and 55 minutes (which was increased by 30 minutes for his start line penalty), but Yvon Fauconnier ( Umupro Jardin ) was declared the winner after standing-by Jeantot for 16 hours. His finish time of 16 days, 22 hours and 25 minutes were reduced by 16 hours to 16 days, 6 hours and 25 minutes. Philippe Poupon on hearing the news during the middle of his victory press conference, could not disguise his immense disappointment and broke down in tears. At the prize giving Fauconnier received the overall winner prize and Poupon was awarded a special Line Honours prize.

Two other boats,  Alan Wynne Thomas ( Jemima Nicholas ) and Bertus Buys ( Sea-Beryl ), received time allowances for assisting other casualties.

The first 11 boats finished within 24 hours of each other and of the 10 only two skippers were not French and only the 10th placed boat was not a multihull. 13 skippers beat the record time of 17 days 23 hours set by Phil Weld in the previous race.

The French were back and the race was fast becoming a transatlantic multihull sprint.

1984 OSTAR Entries

1984 ostar winner, 1988 – record breaking downwind race.

With 95 entries, the trend was towards on board electronics, weather files and automatic pilots. It was no longer enough for the solo sailor to be an excellent mariner and a tough racer, he also had to be a computer wizard and manage his tactical and strategic options on board.

1988 proved to be a record-breaking race as multihull designer Nigel Irens stated: “The record is bound to be broken. The evolution in multihull design is taking place at a phenomenal rate. Today’s 60ft trimarans have 25% speed advantage over boats raced four years ago.” Philippe Poupon’s ( Fleury Michon ) demonstration was exemplary with exceptional conditions on the Atlantic allowing the Breton to virtually sail a direct route the whole way. Mike Birch ( Fujicolor ) and Olivier Moussy ( Laiterie St Michel ) were sailing similar Nigel Irens-designed trimarans. But, unfortunately, Birch hit a whale, while Olivier Moussy had problems caused by a late launch. Philippe Poupon set a stunning new record of 10 days, 9 hours and 15 minutes or the equivalent along the Great Circle route of 11 knots average speed. Florence Arthaud ( Groupe Pierre 1er ) became the fastest woman finishing in 13 days 10hr 58m.

Nic Bailey ( MTC ) set a phenomenal Class 4 record for the course, finishing 12th in 16 days 17 hours – faster than all of Classes 2 and 3.

An exceptional disaster befell skipper David Sellings on board his monohull  Hyccup . A pod of whales, up to 50 or 60 at one point, had surrounded his boat for three days and finally attacked, holing the boat. Sellings only had time to grab a few belongings and inflate his liferaft before  Hyccup  sank.

Another loss was that of  Jester . On her eighth OSTAR, having competed in every race, she was knocked down in heavy weather and lost her starboard hatch. Mike Richey was unable to stem the flow and was taken off.  Jester  was taken in tow but had to be abandoned.

1988 OSTAR Entries

1988 ostar winner, 1992 – choose a course.

Sixty-seven boats started the Europe 1 STAR. Loïck Peyron ( Fujicolor II ) was just one of the many favourites with the French now completely dominating this side of the sport. Amongst them Florence Arthaud ( Groupe Pierre 1er ) fresh from her victory in the Route du Rhum, Philippe Poupon ( Fleury Michon ) the title and record holder, Laurent Bourgnon ( Primagaz ) the rising star, Philippe Monnet back from his single-handed sail round the world, Paul Vatine ( Haute Normandie ) on the 1988 winning trimaran, Francis Joyon ( Banque Populaire ), Jean Maurel and Hervé Laurent.

Weather conditions were unpredictable and not very favourable and the fleet quickly scattered across the Atlantic – Joyon headed north, Vatine south and Bourgnon and Peyron took the middle course. It took almost a week to sort out the lead. Bourgnon, in the lead, broke his mainsheet track, Arthaud capsized off Newfoundland and Poupon had long dropped out because of a broken daggerboard. There remained just one, Peyron, lying in wait for half the distance. He put his foot down near the finish and came in with more than a 24-hour lead over the second boat. He said on his arrival that he could have sailed much faster, but was not very familiar with the boat (he had taken over as skipper of  Fujicolor  from Canadian Mike Birch).

The new generation 60ft monohulls specifically designed for the Vendee Globe surprised all with their performances. Yves Parlier ( Aquitaine-Innovations ) flirted with the 14-day barrier for crossing the Atlantic.

Mike Birch and David Scully were using the event to match race their two new Irens­designed 40ft trimarans. The plan was to make a class of 40ft trimarans, a stepping stone into the 60ft multihull class, which would fill the void left by the demise of Formula 40s in the late 1980s. But it was Fort Lauderdale-based Etienne Giroire who took 11 hours off Nic Bailey’s Class 4 record, again beating all the Class 2 and 3 entries. Despite claiming sustained speeds of 21 knots in 12 knots of wind, Birch finished over a day and a half later, having taken the southerly Azores route.

A replica Jester, after the original was lost in 1988, was sailed keeping up the tradition of sailing in every race.

1992 OSTAR Entries

1992 ostar winner, 1996 – northern route wins.

By now multihulls no longer hit the headlines and the Europe 1 STAR had turned into a French battle, at least for overall victory. There were no new trimarans except for  Banque Populaire . The 60ft IMOCA monohulls shunned the event to concentrate on the Vendee Globe. Amateurs took advantage to come back in force in the smaller classes while observers already knew that the podium would be a contest between Peyron, Bourgnon, Vatine and Joyon. But it was the latter who created the surprise by choosing a route not used by anyone since Blondie Hasler in 1960, the Northern route. Joyon went far to the North passing over the top of the centres of the depressions that were slowing his adversaries on the direct route. He had more than a 300-mile lead by the time he had reached the Newfoundland Banks and nothing seemed capable of stopping him from breaking the record for the crossing. But it was without counting on the unstable breezes that knocked him down just over 400 miles from the finish. A similar fate befell Laurent Bourgnon.

Loïck Peyron was able to savour a second successive victory, with a time very close to Philippe Poupon’s 1988 record in spite of significantly less favourable weather conditions. Paul Vatine came in just four hours behind the winner.

Devon pub landlord Peter Crowther was rescued when, on his fifth race, his junk-rigged  Galway Blazer   hit an object  and sank.

1996 OSTAR Entries

1996 ostar winner, 2000 – battle of the giants.

While seven 60ft trimarans engaged in the 2000 Europe 1 New Man STAR, the more remarkable fleet was that of the Open 60s of which a phenomenal 24 were entered. The reason for this incredible growth was because many were using the event as both a shakedown and a qualifier for the Vendee Globe the following November.

In the end the race produced two surprise winners. First trimaran was Francis Joyon’s  Eure et Loir . Joyon had been leading the 1996 race until it came to a premature end following the pitch pole of his trimaran. Come 1999, the burly French man had lost his sponsorship from Banque Populaire who had passed the reins over to Lalou Roucayrol and were building a new boat especially for the 2000 race.

Coming into the 2000 race, Joyon was the least favourite of the six trimarans to win, having just scraped together enough sponsorship to charter his old boat back. Pre-race he worked on his boat tied up to a mooring as the heavily sponsored, high profile boats with their full shore teams enjoyed the convenience of the marina. However, it was with some irony that Joyon went on to win the race, while once again the Banque Populaire trimaran experienced a capsize.

In the Open 60 fleet, picking a pre-race favourite was hard with a line-up including solo sailing heavy weights such as Thomas Coville, Michel Desjoyeaux, Yves Parlier, Mike Golding, Roland Jourdain and Dominique Wavre. Who would win? In the event it was none of them. Sailing a brand new boat in its maiden race, few were betting on a 23-year-old English girl. However, on day nine of the race Ellen MacArthur monitoring the weather like a hawk, spotted a lull ahead and by taking an unfavourable tack north neatly sidestepped it putting 75 miles on her competition that she would hold until the finish. This result was a defining moment in MacArthur’s career, the first occasion when the sailing world realised that she was not out there simply to take part, but despite her tender years she had the ability to win.

By coincidence both Joyon and MacArthur went on to take up single-handed record breaking, Joyon setting an extraordinary new record time for sailing solo non-stop around the world then eclipsed by MacArthur.

2000 OSTAR Entries

2000 ostar winner, 2005 – return of the corinthian ethos.

Following the decision by the Royal Western Yacht Club to split the OSTAR into two races, the ‘Corinthian’ race for yachts up to 50 ft was held in 2005 continuing the OSTAR name and traditions.

The return to the Corinthian spirit of the original singlehanded transatlantic race brought out an entry of 42 (32 monohulls and 10 multihulls). Many of the skippers were experienced OSTAR competitors back for more; including Peter Crowther sailing his seventh OSTAR, Bertus Buys on his fifth, and Franco Manzoli for his fourth trip. This race also saw the reintroduction of handicaps with the classes determined by IRC/MOCRA ratings with separate classes for Open 40 and 50 yachts.

34 yachts came to the start but a collision with  Chivas 3  forced Jacques Dewez to retire  Blue Shadow  from his third OSTAR attempt. Hannah White made a good start in her Open 40  Spirit of Canada , setting a challenge to Lia Ditton and Anne Caseneuve for youngest finisher and first female honours. There was interest also in the seven strong Open 40 class – how would the new Class 40s perform against the unlimited 40s of the experienced Ronnie Nollet and Michel Kleinjans – and whether the North Atlantic weather would favour the smaller boats.

The light conditions favoured the smaller boats on the first day but the wind then increased on the nose and the first retirements soon came. Anne Caseneuve was leading the fleet when her dream of breaking the 50ft record was shattered by a fall which badly damaged her knee. Roger Langevin in the remaining Open 50 ( Branec IV ) became favourite, but Pierre Antoine in the 43ft Spirit and Franco Manzoli in his 40ft  Cotonella  would prove strong contenders for the multihull honours.

Over the next few days six of the Open 40s retired with a variety of failures leaving just Nico Budel to win the class. Hanna White’s retirement due to autopilot failure left Lia Ditton in the small 34ft tri Shockwave as the sole female competitor. Two storms later, when halfway across the Atlantic, damage forced Michel Jaheny ( Chivas 3 ) to become the last of the 16 retirements from the 34 starters.

The race settled down as predicted with  Branec  just leading  Spirit  and  Cotonella , and the 50ft  Olympian Challenger  well ahead of  Atlantix Express  and  Hayai . At the finish Langevin and Antoine went south but Franco Manzoli held course to the north and passed the other two to take line honours.  Olympian Challenger  came fourth to be the first monohull finisher. Lia Ditton crossed the line in eleventh place to become the youngest female finisher. Mervyn Wheatley ( Tamarind ) led the Eira class, the only class not to have any retirements.

Quest II ’s arrival in sixteenth place was greeted warmly. Gerry Hughes is profoundly deaf and overcame many problems to finish (including the loss of electrical power which restricted his ability to text his position).

Cees Groot completed the arrivals finishing just before the time limit some 41 days after he started.

2005 OSTAR Entries

2005 ostar winner, 2009 – strong winds.

They say the major achievement of any OSTAR competitor is to get to the start. There were 67 potential competitors for OSTAR 2009 but in the end just 31 boats crossed the line on the 25th May. This was during the worst financial recession for a generation when sponsors and money were almost impossible to raise. Younger skippers found it difficult to take such a long break from their jobs. One even resigned his job when refused leave and faced an uncertain future after the race. Skippers had to complete a 500 nm qualifier. Some only achieved this after more than one attempt. Among the starters was a Class 50 trimaran and a junk rigged monohull which were expected to be first and last to Newport.

At 1130 UT on 25th May HRH ordered the two Vendèe skippers Mike Golding and Dee Caffari to fire the start guns and the OSTAR fleet was off. After 24 hours the Class 50 trimaran was in the lead and the junk was, as expected, at the back. Gale force winds then came as the fleet entered the Atlantic as a result of which the two trimarans suffered damage forcing retirement together with two monohulls and the junk. Pip Hildesley put into Southern Ireland for rigging repairs and Jacques Bouchacourt took up the lead in his Futura 50 but later turned round and headed back to France for reasons unknown. Pip bravely rejoined the race and started her own campaign to overhaul the back markers one by one. She overtook seven yachts before arriving in Newport.

Unusually, in this race there were strong easterly winds for about a week as the fleet sailed north of a depression resulting in some fast and exhilarating surf sailing. Records were for the taking. As the fleet approached Nova Scotia there was a deep depression resulting in severe gale force winds and big seas. Ice was further south than usual and many competitors found themselves being squeezed between the depression to the south and ice to the north. As usual, most competitors had to contend with calms which are more difficult to bear than gales.

In heavy seas 300nm south east of Halifax Gianfranco Tortolani’s boat rolled 360 degrees. He had been hand steering for a week. The mast broke but the boat righted itself although it was awash. His EPIRB had been set off automatically some hours earlier by a big wave so the coastguard in Rome and the race office were alerted. The EPIRB had been left on so when he requested help his position was known from both it and his tracker. A C130 aircraft found the boat and was able to divert a US container ship, Maersk Missouri, bound for Newark, New Jersey which rescued Gianfranco at midday Newport time. His Adventure Open 30  Città di Salerno  was abandoned. It subsequently created some alarm when it was found by a fishing boat who mistakenly reported it giving Huib Swet’s identification number – he was by then sailing home via the Azores but was eventually able to confirm he was safe.

Some great results were achieved: Oscar Mead in  King of Shaves , aged only 18 years, became the youngest person ever to finish the race. Katie Miller in  bluQube , aged 22 years, became the youngest woman ever to finish the race. Hannah White in  Pure Solo  had a great sail and nearly broke the 35 foot record set by Mary Falk in  QII  in 1996 of 19 days 22 hours and 57 minutes. She missed it by 1 hour and 25 minutes. JanKees Lampe in his Open 40  La Promesse  broke the 40 foot record set by Simon Van Hagen in  Seatalk  in 1992 of 19 days 11 hours and 19 minutes with a fantastic time of 17 days 17 hours and 40 minutes becoming the first Dutchman to win the OSTAR.

2009 OSTAR Entries

2009 ostar winner, 2013 – stormy race.

In early January there were doubts about whether OSTAR 2013 could go ahead. There was no sponsor and only five possible entries. The Race Director had resigned. The core of the OSTAR 2009 Committee stepped in and convinced the Royal Western Yacht Club Board to proceed. Luckily, there was considerable financial and other vital support from the Mayor and City of Newport without which we have struggled.

In the end we received 25 potential entries of which 21 became confirmed. Charlie Storr came through very bad weather on his qualifier off Sicily and withdrew. Maarten Ruuschen was half way from Holland to Plymouth days before the start when he was recalled to his office. Kass Schmitt and her boyfriend Rupert worked extremely hard to prepare  Zest  but conceded defeat when Rupert injured himself. Kass gallantly sailed down from Southampton to Plymouth to join us for the start.

So, on 27th May there were 18 boats on the start line.

Olbia  and  Vento di Sardegna , sailed by Christian Chalandre and Andrea Mura, came flying around the start frigate HMS Somerset’s stern on starboard tack to find Peter Crowther’s  Suomi Kudu  static on the start line.  Olbia  went upwind but there was a minor collision between  Vento  and  Suomi . Fortunately, both yachts still managed to reach Newport without repair.

It appeared that Asia’s Pajkowska’s catamaran  Cabrio 2  had gone aground in Jennycliffe Bay. In fact her steering system had failed due to loss of hydraulic fluid. She was towed back to Plymouth and restarted later.

When the Race Officer shouted “Gun” there was total silence for 20 seconds. HMS Somerset’s ashen faced Gunnery Officer reported that his salute gun crew had suffered two misfires. Nonetheless, no yacht had crossed the line early.

James Taylor had struggled to get  Anarchy  ready for the race and made a very mature decision to retire. Subsequently, he completed a Jester race to Ireland.

Three boats went inside the Eddystone Lighthouse, which was a mark of the course, but all returned to round it eventually. AIS tracks proved they had.

Keith Walton in  Harmonii  suffered a torn mainsail and returned to Plymouth. He set off again only to tear the replacement sail and retire. Jonathan Snodgrass’s junk rig  Lexia  broke a mast off the Lizard. It is of much credit to him that he got into Falmouth without assistance. He did restart weeks later only to retire due to sea sickness.

Christian Chalandre had a great race in 2009 but sadly was forced to retire back home to France with a wind generator problem. Ralph Villiger in  Ntombifuti  put into Brest to fix a defective bilge pump. He restarted a few days later and completed the course.

In 2009 the fleet enjoyed a week of easterlies. Not so in 2013. Boats remaining in the race had to fight all the way across the Atlantic against contrary winds, several times up to gale force.

By tradition the OSTAR winner is the first boat to Newport. Therefore, the primary interest was to see if Roger Langevin’s 50’ multi  Branec VI  could get there before Andrea Mura’s 50’ mono  Vento di Sardegna  while the three classes raced against each other on handicap. Roger took a more northerly route while Andrea went further south as he was suffering from the boat’s motion as she pounded through rough sea. In the end the mono got to the finish line in 17 days, one day ahead of the multi. Andrea thereby added the OSTAR to his TwoSTAR win in 2012. Roger beat his previous OSTAR by one hour. Nico Budel, at the grand age of 74, came in third finishing three days later in  sec.Hayai  beating his previous OSTAR time by one day.

Within two of the classes there was keen competition. Luckily for Geoff Alcorn, the other boats in Eira retired one by one leaving him to battle with the Atlantic for 58 days as he struggled to finish by the deadline. Asia on her third Atlantic crossing this year in her catamaran  Cabrio  got across in 26 days. She became the first Polish woman to complete two OSTARs.

In the Gipsy Moth Class  Spirit , the smallest boat in the race sailed by the tallest skipper, Jac Sandberg, had a close race with Richard Lett in  Pathways to Children  coming in only 14 hours behind.  Spirit ’s time was only one day outside the record for a 30’ boat.

Jester Class comprised the cruising boats. Peter Crowther completed his 9th OSTAR in a graceful 30 days. Charles Emmett in  British Beagle  and Mervyn Wheatley in  Tamarind  both had equipment failures which required putting into Halifax thereby incurring 24 hour penalties. Krystian Szypka managed to finish in 28 days.

However, Jester Class was led all the way by Jonathan Green in  Jeroboam . Jonathan had a tough Atlantic crossing from Newport to start the race but had a faultless passage back again in 23 days. He became the OSTAR 2013 IRC Overall Winner. Richard Lett came 2nd in this class.

2013 OSTAR Entries

2013 ostar winner, 2017 – the ostar’s ‘perfect storm’.

The fifteenth edition of the Original Singlehanded Transatlantic Race, the OSTAR, was unique in several respects. For the first time the Royal Western Yacht Club ran both its transatlantic races in the same year, with the singlehanded OSTAR and the doublehanded TWOSTAR starting together. Then both fleets were hit by one of the worst storms experienced in the long history of the OSTAR  –  the OSTAR’s ”Perfect Storm”. From a combined start of twenty-one boats ten retired, four were abandoned and only seven finished the race.

After a few days the weather built up with a series of lows bringing strong winds and heavy seas. But, as veteran OSTAR competitor Mervyn Wheatley commented, it was nothing unusual for the OSTAR. However even this was too much for some boats and failures, usually of rigging, mounted. Breizh Cola (Christophe Dietsch) was hit by a large wave and suffered rigging damage, taking on water, Opole (Andrzej Kopytko) also had rigging problems and retired. Ricardo Diniz on Taylor 325 was thrown by a large wave hitting his head again and had to retire on medical advice. Lionel Regnier (One and All) also retired with wind-pilot failure.

Then, in the early hours of Friday 9th June, 60 knot winds and 15 metre seas were experienced by competitors, caused by a very low depression (967mb – 15mb lower than the terrible Fastnet storm). These extreme conditions caused damage to many boats with 3 emergency beacons (EPIRB) triggered. The Canadian coastguard in Halifax immediately reacted to the situation sending ships and air support to all the boats in distress.

Tamarind (Mervyn Wheatley) suffered a knock down and flooding and was forced to abandon and sink his beloved Tamarind when he was rescued by the Queen Mary 2. The TWOSTAR boats Happy (Wytse Bouma and Jaap Barendregt) was dismasted and Furia (Mihail Kopanov and Dian Zaykov) struck a floating object causing severe flooding and leaving it sinking. Their crews were also rescued by nearby ships.  Illumia 12 had sustained keel damage and when it became worse Michele Zambelli decided to abandon and was picked up by helicopter from Halifax. This brought the number of yachts abandoned to four.

Other boats suffered significant damage and decided to retire. Harmonii (Keith Walton) had mainsail and track damage and headed for the Azores. When his engine failed managed to set up a sail and continued under jury rig. Suomi Kudu (Peter Crowther) also had mainsail problems and elected to return to Plymouth. The American, Kass Schmitt, in Zest had rigging damage but the subsequent loss of her wind pilot forced her retirement. David Southwood in Summerbird also had sail failures, losing both foresail furlers, and damage to his forestay and retired to the Azores.

Seven yachts remained racing – Vento di Sardegna, Bam, Mister Lucky, Olbia and Solent 1 in the OSTAR, with Rote 66 and Midnight Summer Dream in the TWOSTAR. The competitors and the race committee were unanimous in their appreciation and praise for the way the Halifax JRCC personnel, and the ships and aircraft in the area, had responded to the emergency situation. The Coast Guard commented on how well the fleet had acted, heaving to and riding out the storm.

Shortly before the finish Andrea Mura also suffered problems and had to stop off Nova Scotia to fix his keelbox hydraulic system. This eliminated his chance of beating the OSTAR 50ft record held by fellow Italian Giovanni Soldini.

On 15 June Andrea Mura in Vento di Sardegna crossed the Castle Hill finish line in Newport, Rhode Island, at 12:06 local time to take line honours in the 2017 OSTAR. He crossed in an elapsed time of 17d 4h 6m, and a corrected time of 24d 05h 28m 50s, beating his previous elapsed time by 7 minutes. Andrea’s success following his win in the 2013 OSTAR makes him only the second competitor to win successive OSTARs, the first being Loïck Peyron (1992 and 1996.

Four days later Conor Fogerty finished in Bam, taking second place in OSTAR and winning the Gipsy Moth class on corrected time. Australian Mark Hipgrave sailing the other SunFast 3600, Mister Lucky, finished in third place 3 days behind Bam.

The other two OSTAR finishers were in the smaller Jester class – Christian Chalandre coming first in Olbia (in his third OSTAR) ahead of Neil Payter in Solent 1.

The 2017 OSTAR was sailed in what was probably the worst weather since the 1976 race.  Fifteen boats started, five finished, eight retired and two were lost with their skippers rescued under the control of the Canadian joint rescue services.

2017 OSTAR Entries

2017 ostar winner.

• Search forums
• Yachting Monthly's Scuttlebutt

The Jester Challenge

• Thread starter trevorleek
• Start date 11 Mar 2005
• 11 Mar 2005

THE JESTER CHALLENGE The first single-handed trans-Atlantic Jester Challenge for yachts under 30 feet LOA will start at the end of May 2006 from a line off Plymouth and finish at Newport, Rhode Island. The Jester Challenge will be held every four years thereafter: there are no entrance fees, inspections, time-keepers or (formal) prizes. The object of The Jester Challenge is to further the spirit of long distance, single-handed sailing in small boats, purely for sport and the camaraderie of other competitors. It will also pay tribute to 'Blondie' Hasler, the originator of the Single-handed trans-Atlantic Race, inventor of the servo-pendulum self-steering gear and designer of Jester. This 25 foot Folkboat-style, junk-rigged yacht has competed in every OSTAR since the first in 1960 but from which she has now been disenfranchised due to her size. The second Jester Challenge will take place in 2010 on the 50th anniversary of the first race in 1960 when five yachts started and five finished: four of these were under 26 feet. It is expected that in 2006 at least two of the original competing yachts - and possible all five - will take part for it is hoped to invite Gypsy Moth III. Jester herself is the first confirmed entrant. There are just two rules and one recommendation: Competing boats must be 30ft LOA or below (unless invited by a majority of the other skippers) It will be the responsibility of the skipper/owner to ensure that his/her vessel is covered by third-party insurance up to £2 million and It is recommended that competitors sail a single-handed, open sea passage of 500 miles before the start in the vessel in which they intend taking up The Jester Challenge. This is not a Race in the accepted meaning of the word and thus The Jester Challenge is, emphatically, not in competition with the Royal Western Yacht Club's OSTAR: a race for larger yachts and held in different years. The Jester Challenge exists on the understanding that everyone has the right to sail across the Atlantic single-handed and 'in company' without submitting themselves to rules and regulations other than common sense, good seamanship and the established COLREGS: thus there are no sponsors, no organisers, no committees, no one responsible for collective or individual safety and no one has a duty of care to the competitors other than the skippers to themselves. Skippers will, individually, be expected to inform the appropriate authorities of their intended passage as they might - or might not - for any other lengthy or oceanic cruise. For further information about The Jester Challenge please email the co-ordinator through [email protected]. If anyone knows the whereabouts of Cardinal Vertue, would they also e-mail the co-ordinator.  

Sounds brilliant.  

Well-known member

Excellent! Do you reckon a Snapdragon 24 could cope? Only joking ... I think... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif  

I am up for that. Any of you lot got a 29.99999 foot boat that needs delivering to Rhode Island?  

Love the idea, small boats may not be as fast and comfortable as a large yacht but can be just as safe. Well done to the organisers!  

Great news, if I still had my Vertue (and was 20 years younger - and single) I would be there. Looking forward to 2010.  

• 12 Mar 2005

penultimate

Agreed, what an excellent notion. Blondie Hasler collaborated with Rags Nierop on the design of the junk rigged Kingfisher 20 with a view to Ocean suitability, e.g. small ports that could better resist breaking seas, be opened for ventilation, or sealed against down flooding. Most of these little craft are still in existence although now 30 years old and, although like Jester they were disenfranchised on size, IMHO they may be more suitable for ocean passaging than some new RCD A boats.  

• 13 Mar 2005

[ QUOTE ] THE JESTER CHALLENGE "This 25 foot Folkboat-style, junk-rigged yacht has competed in every OSTAR since the first in 1960" Sounds great, but could I make a small point? Wasn't Jester abandoned at sea and subsequently lost?  

snowleopard

Active member.

there were two jesters, the second being an exact replica.  

Of course, and obviously they both competed in every OSTAR since 1960. NOW I understand!  

• 14 Mar 2005

Re: Kingfishers I'm sure I've seen a picture of one of them little kingfishers in the Arctic or Antarctic. Pretty impressive voyage.  

Members online

• Irfan mansuri
• justanothersailboat
• Frayed Knot
• Andrew_Fitton
• CaptnPugwash
• Wandering Star
• Jack Haines
• Solwaycruiser
• Charlie Boy

Share this page

Practical Boat Owner

• Digital edition

Jester Challenge 2018 gets underway

• Katy Stickland
• May 15, 2018

Seven skippers have crossed the Plymouth start line of the Jester Challenge 2018 and will now race to Newport

Len Hiley and Emu head out of Plymouth. Credit: Jester Challenge

Seven solo skippers now have their bows firmly pointed in the direction of Newport, Rhode Island as the Jester Challenge 2018 gets underway.

Described as ‘a modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self-sufficiency and personal responsibility’ by organiser Ewen Southby-Tailyour, the race has no time limit and embodies the Corinthian spirit of one of the original sailing greats, Blondie Hasler.

The 2018 competitors crossed the start line off the western end of the Plymouth Breakwater at 12 noon on 7 May in near ideal conditions – a warm sun and lightish southerly winds.

The Jester Challenge, which is held biannually for yachts under 30ft, has no entrance fee or rules.

The skippers, who take responsibility for themselves, just need common sense and good seamanship.

Follow the racers’ progress on the Jester Challenge website .

2018 Jester Challenge Skippers

Tim Luke, Medusa , 34ft Vancouver, UK

Doug Pingel, Jekeeda  2, 33ft Westerly with bilge keel , UK

Chris Jackson, Sixpence , 29ft 11″ Albin Ballard, UK

Howard Chivers, Sandpiper , 29ft Sadler with bilge keel, UK

Len Hiley, Emu , 27ft Hurley, UK

John Apps, Raven, 29ft Rival, Australia

Steve Hickey, Newlyn Magic , 26ft Wharram Tiki, UK

The Stunning Ritz Carlton EVRIMA Yacht

Gliding Across Tokyo’s Sumida River: The Mesmerizing Zipper Boat

CROCUS Yacht: An 48 Meter Beauty by Admiral

PHI Yacht – Royal Huisman’s $45 Million Superyacht

• Zuretti Interior Design
• Zuretti Interior
• Zuccon International Project
• Ziyad al Manaseer
• Zaniz Interiors. Kutayba Alghanim
• Yuriy Kosiuk
• Yuri Milner
• Yersin Yacht

• Superyachts

JESTER Yacht – Awesome 70m Superyacht

The JESTER yacht was originally built in 1972 for the purpose of hunting NATO submarines.

Due to a severe shortage of funding and drastically reduced requirement for a powerful standing military, many former USSR military boats were sold or exchanged including this ex-Soviet spy ship.

She was constructed by Laivateollisuus , a Finnish shipbuilding company that serves the Finnish war reparation industry and focused on wooden ships.

In 2011, she underwent an extensive refurbishment which turned her into a majestic 1,259 gross-ton, world-class expedition yacht.

Her former names include Delta Bravo One, Red Dragon, Galapagos, REM Fantasy, Arctic Fantasy, Valerian Albanov, and Olivia.

She is considered the 1st-largest yacht built by OY Laivateollisuus and is in the top 5% by LOA in the world. 

JESTER is currently under the Jamaica flagship, the 8th most popular flag state for superyachts with a total of 193 yachts registered.

JESTER Yacht interior

JESTER yacht’s interior is designed by Rouvia Road Yacht Design & Construction and Droulers Architecture . 

The Droulers style utilizes components such as materials and details that give a space or location an enduring quality.

Even when they reinterpret forms and lines that have been influential in the past, their projects have a contemporary aesthetic. 

Incorporating these into the JESTER yacht, they paid special attention to the use of space and light with the majority of furniture in sleek white color.

The hardwood wall paneling, neutral linens, and minimalist furnishings highlight the present owner’s art collection’s flashes of brilliant color.

JESTER Yacht exterior

Her exterior was also penned by Droulers Architecture, one of the leading designers in the superyacht industry.

With her ice-classed hull, this ex-Soviet ship also features multiple enormous teak sun decks with a touch of white, beige, and red furniture here and there.

JESTER Yacht accommodation

JESTER yacht was initially constructed out of steel as a vessel for conducting hydrographic surveys, but it has since been converted into an exploration yacht.

As a result of the conversion, she now has all of the toys and technology necessary to compete with modern superyachts.

These include the most up-to-date navigational equipment, stabilizers, jet skis, and a spa pool that can accommodate 12 people.

There is space for a total of ten guests across five cabins, which are comprised of an owner’s suite complete with a private office and four additional guest double cabins, all of which include full en suite bathroom facilities.

Outside, she has acres worth of space that can be used for a variety of purposes, including relaxation and amusement.

A variety of formal and informal al fresco spaces can be created by combining elements such as long, wide side decks, shaded areas, and furniture with clean lines.

JESTER Yacht specifications

The luxury motor yacht JESTER measures 70 meters (229 feet and eight inches) in length. She has a steel hull and steel superstructure, a beam of 13 meters, and a draft of 4.8 meters. 

She has a gross tonnage of 1259 tons, an impressive 15,000nm range, and is equipped with a cutting-edge stabilizing system to ensure great comfort at anchor or on any cruise.

She was constructed in accordance with RINA (Registro Italiano Navale) classification society guidelines.

Additionally, she is propelled by two Deutz engines that are each capable of producing 2000 horsepower, enabling her to reach a top speed of 15 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots. 

Do you have anything to add to this listing?

• Caterpillar
• Redman Whiteley Dixon

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Love Yachts? Join us.

Related posts.

SOMNIO Yacht – World’s Largest Yacht Will Launch in 2024

NOMAD Yacht – Awe-inspiring $50M Superyacht

QUEEN MIRI Yacht – Mesmerizing $70M Superyacht

CARINTHIA VII Yacht – Epic $180M Superyacht

Sailing Magazine

“talking sailing”from my archives. the legend of the magnificent court ‘jester’.

by Richard Crockett

Many will know the name ‘Blondie’ Hasler, and many will have heard of his yacht ‘Jester’.

For those who don’‘t, here is a very brief refresher: He is considered to be the father of single-handed sailing as he invented the first practical self-steering gear for yachts – a system still in use today.

The concept of the OSTAR – Observer Single-Handed Transatlantic Race from Plymouth to New York was his, and he competed in the very first one in 1960 in which just five yachts competed. His boat was a modified Nordic Folkboat Jester, and finished second in 48 days to Chichester’s much larger ‘Gipsy Moth III’.

Jester was built some years prior to the first trans-Atlantic race, with Hasler specifying a fully enclosed deck with two circular hatches in the cabin top rather than a conventional cockpit. He also chose a Chinese-style Junk rig as he planned to carry out all the sail handling from the safety of the central control hatch. He claimed he could sail Jester across the Atlantic without ever leaving the cabin.

After also competing in the 1964 OSTAR he became disenchanted with what he perceived as the race’s commercialisation and sold ‘Jester’ to Mike Richey who raced the boat until she was lost in an Atlantic storm during the 1988 OSTAR.

The feature today tells the story of ‘Jester’, and of Mike Ritchie abandoning her, plus how he described ‘Jester’ as becoming one of the most famous yachts in the world.

I have used every original image I have of jester in my archives in memory of such a fine yacht.

READ IT HERE:  Pages from 1991 03 – SAILING Magazine – OCR

Related Articles

“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. 1973 Round-the-World-Race

March 11, 2024

“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. I Had it in the Bag Says Bruce

March 8, 2024

‘Talking Sailing” From My Archive. Voortrekker in Surprise Arrival

March 7, 2024

“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. Dalling is 2nd

By Richard Crockett On 28 June 1986 the local newspapers gave saturation cover to Bruce …

Los Angeles

• San Francisco
• Washington DC

Cover Story

Hear eva longoria roar during women’s history month as she leads her tequila brand to victory.

Gordon Ramsay Is Turning Up The Heat In Miami With The Opening Of Lucky Cat

Romero Britto On Transcending The World Of Fine Art to Expand His Massive Empire

Mario Carbone Is Planning A Major NYC Domination With The Opening Of ZZ’s Club New York

Katie Couric’s Advocation For Cancer Screening Paid Off — And May Have Saved Her Life

Luxury rules at the moscow yacht show.

by Maria Sapozhnikova

The windy Russian autumn weather might be a little bit tricky for sailing, but it doesn’t stop brave yachtsmen from all over the world from flocking to Russian capital in the beginning of September when the Moscow Yacht Show commences. The main Russian Yacht exhibition gathers professional and amateur yacht lovers together under the wing of The Royal Yacht Club.

This year it took place for a fourth time already. The exhibition is considered the principal event on the sporting and social calendar. The Moscow Yacht Show 2010 united in one area three of the largest Russian yachts distributors: Ultramarine, Nordmarine and Premium Yachts.

A wide range of yachts were on display for a week. An exhibition showcased yachts both from Russian manufacturers and world famous brands: Azimut, Princess, Ferretti, Pershing, Riviera, Doral, Linssen, etc.

It was a real feast for seafarers as visitors of the show had a unique chance not only to take a look at the newest superyachts before they hit the market, but also to evaluate their driving advantages during the test drive. The show provided an excellent opportunity for yacht enthusiasts to choose and buy a new boat for the next season.

The event started with the grandiose gala evening. It included grand dinner, the concert and professional awards ceremony for achievements in Russian yachting industry. The guests also enjoyed the annual regatta.

Special guest Paolo Vitelli, Azimut Benetti Group president, opened the evening.

Next year organizers assured guests they would bring more yachts, the scale of which will even make oligarch Roman Abramovich envious. Sounds very promising indeed.

Dori's World: Lunch with Karl Lagerfeld

Haute Event: Project Dinner Table Comes Features 5 MGM Grand Chefs

' . get_the_title() . ' ' ); >, related articles.

Bruno Mars Pinky Promises A Good Time At His New Sin

The Pairing We’ve Been Waiting For: Daniel Humm’s Eleven

Cocktail of the Week

Cocktail of the week: celebrate the miami open with the.

Tommy Paul And The Road To Olympic Glory

Latest news, you might also like.

Bruno Mars Pinky Promises A Good Time At His New Sin City Nightlife Venue, The Pinky Ring

The Pairing We’ve Been Waiting For: Daniel Humm’s Eleven Madison Park Is Taking Over Jean-Georges’ Matador Bar For One Night Only

Cocktail Of The Week: Celebrate The Miami Open With The Courtside Cooler

Cult Gaia Has Officially Opened In The Miami Design District — Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Inside this issue.

STAY CONNECTED

DISCOVER THE BEST KEPT SECRETS IN YOUR CITY

* All fields are mandatory

Riva Iseo superyacht tender

• Inspiration

Related News

Popular news this week, popular news this month, latest news.

• Yacht Charter & Superyacht News >

Written by Zuzana Bednarova

This image is featured as part of the article Ferretti Yachts and Riva to attend Moscow Boat Show 2013 .

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "Riva Iseo superyacht tender".

• Charity & Fund Raising
• CharterWorld News
• Classic Yachts
• Coronavirus
• Cruise Ship
• Ecological Yachts
• Expedition Yachts
• Expert Broker Advice
• Feature Superyachts
• Interior Design
• Legal & VAT Yacht Issues
• Luxury Catamarans
• Luxury Gulet
• Luxury Phinisi
• Luxury Trimarans
• Luxury Yacht Design
• Luxury Yachts
• Marinas & Harbours
• Marine Ecology
• Marine Electronics
• Marine Equipment
• Mega Yachts
• Modern Yachts
• Motor Yachts
• New Launch Yachts
• New To Charter
• Open Style Sports Yachts
• Private Jets
• Sailing Yachts
• Social Media
• Sports Yachts
• Superyacht Crew
• Superyacht Photographers
• Superyacht Products & Supplies
• Superyacht Refits
• Superyacht Reviews
• Superyachts
• Uncategorized
• Yacht Builders
• Yacht Charter
• Yacht Charter Destinations
• Yacht Charter Picks
• Yacht Charter Specials
• Yacht Delivered to Owner
• Yacht Designers
• Yacht Events & Boat Shows
• Yacht Fashion
• Yacht Industry News
• Yacht Photos
• Yacht Racing
• Yacht Racing & Regattas
• Yacht Safety Equipment
• Yacht Support Vessels
• Yacht Tenders
• Yacht Videos
• Yachting Associations
• Yachting Awards
• Yachting Business
• Yachts For Charter
• Yachts For Sale

Quick Enquiry

Superyacht news:.

Email Your Yachting News to: news @ charterworld.com

Ferretti Group announces its presence at Moscow Boat Show 2013

Ferretti Group attending Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show 2014

Ferretti Group Days 2013 to be marked by premiere of Ferretti 960 Yacht

Ferretti Group to deliver first Ferretti 960 superyacht and Riva 86 Domino yacht to Hong Kong by mid-December

Stunning 70m superyacht ALFA welcoming charter guests for the first time

47m motor yacht KING BENJI embarks on a luxurious voyage of opulence and adventure

Classic 37m motor yacht LADY VICTORIA for charter in the Bahamas

39m luxury yacht EVOLUTION for charter on Australia’s east coast

Croatian charter yacht LA PERLA offering 10% discount on exclusive vacations in the Adriatic

Charter a yacht during the Monaco Historic and F1 Grand Prix festivals and soak up the atmosphere from on deck

Charter Special on board 36m luxury yacht CALYPSO I from Italy to Greece

65m Feadship superyacht PROMISE.D delivered

Discover our Top 10 brand new yachts available for charter worldwide this year

Florida charter yacht REAL SUMMERTIME offering 10% discount

Discover summer in New England aboard a luxury charter yacht: Escape to this beautiful northeast corner of the USA

Looking ahead to the 2024 MYBA Charter Show in Genoa

Westport announce the first hull of their 36m W117 range is nearing completion

Last minute yacht charter deals in the Bahamas

49m sailing yacht ANIMA MARIS is offering discounted rates for the remaining summer weeks in Croatia