W.Bro Ronald Wilkes-Green from Loyalty Lodge recently went on adventure and has sent us these words to share ‘Well!!!! It all seemed a good idea at the time to enter the Fastnet yacht race, on my daughter’s suggestion, following the purchase of a new boat. When I bought the boat last year it was the same boat that I had previously sailed on in 2006 when it crossed the Atlantic from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to St Lucia in the Caribbean so I knew the boats capabilities.
What I hadn’t anticipated was the huge commitment in both time and resources required to get the boat up to spec to comply with the vigorous criteria now required to be allowed to complete. After carrying out a lot of work on the boat, buying new sails ,new rigging new navigation gear and recruiting a crew the boat just made it to the start line. Two qualifying races were in very light airs which was in complete contrast to the severe weather on the day the Fastnet race started. Force 5 to 6 increasing 7 to gale 8 with gusts to 40kts. The race went west down the Solent and out into the English Channel. 430 boats started and by the first night 85 had retired through damage and 100 taken shelter ( myself included as I wasn’t prepared to risk the lives of the seven people on board ). I started again the following morning when the wind had abated to Force 6. Here after it was a tough old race with continually strong wind a confused sea state and testing conditions. However with the preparations made beforehand and the strength of the crew nothing broke and no one was injured and we eventually reached Cherbourg six days later. The statistics of the race make grim reading. 188 boats were forced to retire 39% of the fleet. One sank, many were dismasted and in the first night three lifeboats and two helicopters were dispatched . I feel my decision to wait in Yarmouth was completely correct and the crew were much relieved. It was the fourth time I had competed in this race and was certainly the most demanding. Will I do it again ? I never say never.’
