Ross Hobson Racing Sailing Blog
Sailing Blog August
The MDI Loch Ness Monster Race.
Not surprisingly the race is an 'all comer' race for fast catamarans down and up the 25mile length of Loch Ness - with additional prizes for any crew who could produce evidence they had seen Nessie. The long drive north took a good 6 hours, arriving at Dores on the Northern end of Loch Ness early Friday afternoon to assemble Ideal Stelrad. The opposition was going to be tough. The VX40 team Basilica were there in force with gold medal winner Mike MacIntyre onboard. There were also many top small cat sailors in Tornado Sports (the Olympic catamaran class) and the all new all carbon Tek35.
Saturday morning brought rain and a SW F2-3 breeze, with a forecast for it to increase to F7. With the start originally planned for 1000, there was a delay until 1100 as the rain had dropped visibility down to less than ½ mile. As we launched the wind dropped to a zepher. We towed over to the start just off Dores.
Even with a long start line it was crowed with over 40 fast catamarans trying to find the breeze, or what there was. One second you would be almost stopped, next you were off, only to stop again after 50-100 yards. We got caught in a 'no wind' patch as the gun went and struggled to get moving. Basilica and the Tek35 found wind and shot off. The first mark was off Urquart Castle (where Nessie is 'often' seen). These first 5 miles took almost 3 hours as we battled the wind zephyrs, finding wind, surging forwards, then slowing again. Ideal Stelrad was performing well. We were caring her full sail area and using it to power past the other boats and to allow us to 'jump' between wind patches as once she is moving she practically generates her own wind.
By Urquart Castle we had got well into the Top 10, alongside a couple of Tornado Sports and had gained substantially on Basilica and the Tek35. The wind began to swap direction from NE to SW. Basilica was first to get the new wind and shot off. We soon followed, powering down to the next mark at Fores (half way down the Loch). As we cleared Fores we met the Tek35 being towed back with the mast down. They had dismasted.
The wind continued to build and strengthen. We were soon fully powered up and even overpowered with a couple of BIG moments when a sudden squall came through. We reefed the mainsail and spotted a problem, the 2nd from top batten had gone, this is a vial part of the sail as it takes massive load and allows us to control the sail shape and hence power of the boat. It was obviously the reason we were having problems controlling the boat in the big gusts. Even with the reef in it was very difficult. One moment all is OK and the next BANG as a gust hits and we are struggling not to capsize. It was like trying to drive a Ferrari with no accelerator, only an on-off maximum power switch. 20mins later we got hit again with an other squall (the wind was building to now a good F5-6 . they were recording 30+ Knots at St Augustus at the windward mark ) and a HUGE moment later we just managed to keep the boat upright. We could see the couple of boats ahead struggling and with another 3 miles upwind we decided that whilst we might make it OK, the close calls were coming far to frequent (we had almost capsized 3-4 times in almost as many minutes). So we took the decision to drop the mainsail and retire. Sailing back down the Loch in a much more controlled fashion.
We were passed by Basilica on her way north and the we started passing other cats who had either capsized - our support RIB helped a few, or had also found the conditions at the bottom end of the Loch too much and also retired. It was frustrating only 3 miles from the windward mark, but the later stories of how gusty it was off St Augustus convinced us we did the right thing. The batten failing just made the boat too hairy, with too little control. We have obviously made a big mental note to make sure that failure should not happen again and to adjusts a few things to enable us to sail in strong winds with much less risk.
We will be taking Ideal Stelrad back to Kielder Water for some end of season tuning and to look carefully at the mainsail and its control
Sailing Blog June
Final preparations and trails were undertaken at Kielder with many little niggles sorted and solved. The time there allowed this to occur in a controlled environment ready for the next event - the JP Morgan Round the Isle of Wight Race on 22nd June
The team (Ross and Peter Hobson, Martin and Jonny Boatman and Will Mitchell - overseen as ever by Dave Boatman, Ross's long time friend and main prepateur) assembled early Friday morning, put Ideal Stelrad together in double quick time, along side Brasilica and other VX40 catamarans ready for the race. We launched the catamaran late Friday afternoon, ready for Saturday's race.
With a race start of 0510, the team were up at 0300 and on the water for 0400, sailing rapidly across to the start off Cowes on the Isle of Wight. A mass (over 1700 entries) of boat were moving to and fro jostling for the start line. With a beam of 37ft wide we cause much interest and even confusion as we manoeuvred what is essentially a tennis court in between the massed hoards of everything form 100ft monster monohulls to old gaffers.
At 1 minute to the gun Martin spotted a gap right at the favoured end of the start line and Ideal Stelrad raced into the fray. With full rig and a nice 8-10knots from the WNW the boat was soon up to full speed, pulling a constant 15-16 knots of boat speed hard on the wind. We were just holding onto the much bigger Vx40's and occasionally making ground on them. Certainly we were charging past any of the other multihulls that had been cheeky enough to grab a better start. The mid- northern side of the Solent was paying off nicely as the team quickly got into the run of manoeuvre, accelerate, watch out, avoid, and race towards the Needles as we pulled ahead of the mass.
Just short of Hurst Point there was a bang - game over. A vital rigging fitting failed putting an immediate end to our race. The shroud - mast fitting had broken, no damage to boat, mast, sail or crew But massive disappointment as we believed we could do extremely well and to be thwarted was an unjust cruelty. Although it has taken us a mere 45 minutes to travel so far down the Solent, it took over 2 ½ hours to slowly motor back up to Hamble to slip the boat for repairs.
The boat had created a BIG impact, with the wide racks, prominent hull and sail graphics many press and photography boats clustered around to see the little fly her weather hull with 4 crew perched 10 ft out from the hull, some 12-16ft above the water she looked a terrific sight.
We must pick ourselves up form the disappointment and undertake the repair. It would seem that the addition 40% power increase from the new carbon racks was just too much for the fitting. So some 'heavy' engineering is required. The next race is the 2 handed Round the Isle of Wight in 2 weeks time - so Ross and Peter have their work cut out to be ready on time
Sailing Blog 4th June Having got over the disappointment of not competing in the Scottish Islands Peaks Race the team assembled Ideal Stelrad and her ultra wide (3m each) carbon racks, c/o Hardy Advanced Composites, on Kielder Water on Friday night. Slipping her into the cold Keilder water as dusk fell.
On Saturday we arrived bright and early with photographer in tow (Steve Hogg, a friend from work). Unfortunately, the RIB engine decided not to work and Steve had to make the best with shots from the land.
The initial sail settled every one in and demonstrated the sheer power the racks produced. In blustery weather that would have had us hull flying, the boat was flat and fast - a max speed of 17 knots being easily achieved. Absolutely no issues, just shear speed. After a few adjustments to the rig (mainly setting the mast rake a bit further back so it reduced the tenancy to nose dive) we set off again after lunch.
This time with 'landlubber' Steve on board. Full rig was set as the wind had dropped. Soon we were powering along in the high teens with no effort. Steve's grin got wider and wider as the session wore on.
An interesting 'learn' was the effort required in tacking and gybing the boat. Not that it is any harder to change sails/set-up nor change direction, rather the 12 metre sprint from rack to rack across the boat, missing the boom and crew obstacles on the way. Soon we got our act together and began working well working as a crew. Max speed was a claimed 21 knots.
Note to Crew: - must start sprint training!!
On Sunday, Will and I sailed 2-up, lots of 'Big Air' as the snowboarders say - hull flying in sailing terms. Again the racks made a huge difference, we could power up, lift the weather hull, then calmly walk out onto the rack to keep the boat level and the hull flying.
In the afternoon we took a number of Keilder Water Sailing Club members out for a sail in the dying wind. We must thanks all at KWSC for making us so welcome over the weekend
We will be sailing again Saturday (afternoon) and Sunday (all day) this comming weekend end at Kielder Water, before dismantling the boat ready to transport down to Cowes for the Round the Isle of Wight Races
Sailing Blog 2007 - May
Having worked hard to get the boat ready, the team were in buoyant mood as we prepared Ideal Stelrad for the Scottish peaks race - we had the boat for what is 'always' a light to medium wind race. The big racks were fitted - to much bemusement by passers by in Dunstaffange marina. This sparked rumours about how fast she could go. We kept quite, hearing 18 knots, 25 knots, and then 32 knots as many watchers stood and gaped at the massive 37 foot wingspan with the racks deployed.
The weather forecast in the previous week had been poor. Medium to heavy winds - 20-28 knows, evener on Wednesday forecast was 21 mph with 0ccaional 30 mph gusts - big for the lightweight Ideal Stelrad, but do-able.
As we assembled the boat on Thursday the weather picture was rapidly changing for the worse - force 8 gales, severe gales were being talked off. Allan Henderson our local PR contact 9as Liz was on holiday) helped and photographed as we assembled Ideal Stelard. He too had heard the wind stories. We 'dialled in' the forecasts on and off during the day and as evening came the obvious storm was developing off the W of Scotland - a low of some 970 Mb - deep and very nasty, with winds building to forces 7-8 with severe 9, dropping off a bit on Saturday and then building again to severe gale 9.
Dermot and Stewart arrived, inspected the commodious accommodation. Admired the light weight of the boat (being fell runners they know all about the importance of keeping things light). They too had been following the forecast. Various options on how to sail were discussed amongst the team before heading to bed.
Friday morning arrives - forecast was as about as BAD as it gets: Force 8 to 9 is reality. Far too much to take out, what is a lightweight inshore boat. We all as a team very reluctantly agreed not to race. Dermot and Stewart would start the Oban 5 mile run, we would pick them up. Allan would get his photographs; John Collings (marketing director of Ideal Stelrad Group) would see his team in action; We would sail out of Oban bay and retire to the safe haven of Dunstaffange. I informed the race organisers as our intentions so no confusion over safety could occur.
As we left the marina the wind was picking up - blowing a good 25-28 knots outside haven of Dunstaffanage bay with a steep short nasty sea from the SW wind over tide. A quick decision was made - abandon even this short sail. As we had set the small jib it was obvious the boat was way overpowered and potentially dangerous, we were making a good 3-5 knots slightly up wind under the bare poles of the 50ft wing mast!
Safely back on the marina pontoon I watched Dermot and Stewart finish their run and a significant number of other boats not start the race. As we packed up and drove home, were we glad we were not out there, the wind was blowing the vehicles all over the road with driving rain. The disappointing, but right decision had been made. The boat and crew were safe and ready for the next challenge of the Round the Isle of Wight Race at the end of June.