Rolex Middle Sea Race Break Down For those of you who watched on during the 2019 Middle Sea Race, you will have seen that Challenger did not have a competitive race after the first 48hrs. It was a situation that came upon those on board unexpectedly despite hard work and dedication and the requisite amount …
Rolex Fastnet Race 2019 From Challenger GBR301R we are excited to be approaching the Rock which we will pass just after dark with our octogenarian crewman Mr. Christopher Hope. Born in 1938 this is Chris’s first Fastnet and biggest challenge to date despite having recently crossed the Atlantic with Spartan as part of his exciting, …
Why does it hold such a special place in the hearts of sailors all over the world? On the face of it, it’s just another boat race; it’s flags in the high street in Cowes, canon fire at Egypt Point, a busy afternoon on the water at Hurst Castle and an overnight drift on the …
What drives those who compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race? Read More »
Marconi Transat 2019, Day 5 and 6 onboard Challenger COG 11 SOG N50 10.8 W31 54.7 It’s watch change on Challenger and it is POURING outside. Heavy cold droplets seemingly the size of mini water balloons and they are coming in sideways from the South. In answer to the crew’s questions about ‘How long will …
Catching mini water balloons in the middle of the Atlantic Read More »
Marconi Transat 2019, Day 7, rerig the main halyard COG 079 SOG 6.2 N50 55.3 W012 30.5 It seems there is a mouse in our mast or a rat or at least something sharp that has an appetite for gnawing through main halyards. For the second time in as many months, the mainsail unceremoniously fell …
A mouse gnawing through main halyards, how to rerig the main halyard? Read More »
To paraphrase Queen Elizabeth II speaking to the Guildhall in 1992: [2018]… is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘annus horribilis’. 2018 started out bright and breezy with good things on the …
Update: After a quiet first seven days we finally have an update from Challenger and it seems Chris and the ARC crew have been hard at work. So far so good on Challenger. After being delayed arriving at Las Palmas due to heavy conditions on the North Atlantic delivery from Westbrook CT we finally set …
I keep making changes for the better in my life- but I’m not sure my life is getting any better When I first got into offshore sailing at 18 I was a volunteer working with a charity helping people make progress in their personal development by coming out onto the water with us and engaging …
The crew from Frenchman’s Bay YC could not have known when they booked with us last Fall what kind of event this year’s Caribbean 600 would turn out to be. With winds on start day consistently over 30 knots (I mean a steady 30kts here sailors not ‘it hit 30 once’) it was always going …
CSM has a think about what really matters to Spartan. Since the very first day I sat down to write the business plan for Spartan it has been my personal dream to find a way to ensure that what we do has a positive net result for the community- whether that is purely here in …
I have been reliably informed that 2017 is a train that has now left the station and any saved up phone minutes, last year’s resolutions or Christmas turkey sandwiches are to be considered past their due date. That means it is time for me to look forward, set unrealistic goals, turn myself inside out trying …
The Vendee Globe represents the pinnacle of offshore yachting- one sailor, totally alone, circumnavigating the world is a competitive concept anyone can grasp very quickly and equally quickly understand this is no ordinary pursuit. The individuals who line up for such a challenge are uniquely tenacious and by start day have already been successful in …
So, yeah the Fastnet. After a protracted period beating myself up for our less than stellar result I have decided two things- 1. Everybody had a great time so actually the result on the water is not important & 2. If I had a time machine there are four things I would definitely change. Let’s …
Arriving initially in California to work on Charger it was sad as always to see the results of the heavy pollution in the Port of LA area. The light gray deck was almost black with downed diesel particulates and whilst the initial scrub got the show on the road- it actually took regular attention every …
After 3300Nm we finally have Grenada in sight and the crew are elated. Whilst this has been a race and we have not won(!) the scale of the challenge we have completed is not lost on us and as a sail training vessel we are exceptionally proud of what we have accomplished. People with wildly …
Not far to go now- Challenger continues to head ever West and life onboard is a finely oiled machine. Watch changes, on deck evolutions, food preparation & cleaning- after 2500Nm together 14 people have made this little stick of Kevlar in a wide, wide sea into not only a race boat but also an operational …
When you buy a race boat there are a number of things you always get as part of the package; 1. A box of spares that do not seem to fit anywhere on the boat, 2. the joy of discovery as you uncover all the cowboy repairs the last owner failed to mention 3. a …
Still out here… Yep certainly getting our money’s worth with this edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race- BUT seems the race office have finally flipped the switch on the weather and suddenly its everything every transatlantic sailor ever wanted: 20 knots from the North East, flat seas and sunny skies- so yeah thanks guys- only …
Keen observers will have noted that everyone and his dog in this race has now ground to a halt as the high we were all looking to skirt round took a quick step to the left (No, my left not your left) and consumed the fleet. We have spent many hours today at a mighty …
After a decent night making steady headway alternating between headsails and the Code zero we thought life was pretty good onboard Challenger until with the coming up of the sun, the Zero started to wilt, the main started to slat and in short order we ran slap bang into the middle of a wind hole. …
So, has anyone noticed this race is taking forever? Now granted we are not leading the pack but hell’s teeth we’re still within spitting distance of Africa! Where are the white fluffy clouds? Where is the constant 20kt tradewinds we were all expecting? Come on RORC flip the switch- it’s hot out here. Had I …
There is almost never a moment these days when I can sail our boats quietly and peacefully just for the sheer joy of sailing. For the past ten years all of my sailing has been characterised by a necessity to be somewhere quickly whether it is a delivery or a race or a voyage from …
The Route Halifax St.Pierre Race 2016 sailed last week and Challenger was right there once again proudly flying the flag for Spartan R/T, Nova Scotia and the Ocean Class. We were lucky to be joined on board by some skilled sailors in the shape of Philippe Paturel of St.Pierre & Miquelon and Jeff Brock, a …
With the race done and the prize-giving finished we turned our attention to the return trip back to Halifax. With the weather on the race course having been headwinds the whole way one might be forgiven for thinking that the trip back would be a joyous downwind hustle to ‘make up’ for all the uphill …
The Newport Bermuda Race is one of the premier offshore events in North America and Challenger was one of only 200 boats invited to attend. After a mad dash North to Newport from St.Maarten at the end of May to make our appointment with the ORR rating measurer after our Caribbean racing season we returned …
Challenger was originally designed for 12 professional sailors to push as hard as is humanly possible, far offshore at speeds in excess of 25kts. The fastest of her class (Illbruck) has covered 478Nm in a day (885km) and the fastest I have ever heard of a Whitbread or Volvo 60 going is 35kts. So, there …
Challenger W60 Update. 29 N, 57 W, 2000hrs. Monday February 15, 2016. What an incredible past 10 days it has been on board Chris Stanmore‐Major’s (CSM) Whitbread 60 Challenger, en‐route from Nova Scotia to the 2016 Caribbean 600 Race in Antigua. To say there have been high seas adventures to last a lifetime would be …