The final JOG races of the season saw CSORC’s Jeepster head to Lymington for a weekend of challenging and varied racing, combining crew training, sunshine, strong winds and plenty of excitement on the water.
The team assembled at Mercury Yacht Harbour on Friday morning to prepare for the weekend ahead. Following brunch, crew familiarisation and a safety briefing, the day was devoted to training on the Solent. We were fortunate to be joined by Jack Vincent, who had recently raced aboard Jeepster during Cowes Week. Jack led an intensive afternoon of skills and drills, helping the crew refine tacking techniques, sail trim, spinnaker hoists and drops, and the all-important gybes needed to maintain both speed and course.
Saturday’s crew consisted of Cameron, Heidi, Jake, David (making his CSORC racing debut) and skipper Simon. With barely a breath of wind across the Solent, racing was delayed and the fleet was eventually sent to a committee boat start near the Powder Byrne area. As IRC Class 3 got underway at 1310, the breeze finally arrived, providing ideal racing conditions under glorious sunshine.
The course headed west towards Hurst Narrows before looping around marks off Lymington. Jeepster showed good pace on the downwind legs, her spinnaker drawing beautifully as the crew steadily gained places through the fleet. Mid-fleet mark roundings proved congested, with boats converging from all directions, and the resulting traffic left us at a slight disadvantage. Further downwind opportunities allowed us to remain competitive, but a series of demanding upwind legs towards the finish ultimately pushed us back through the standings.
After racing, the fleet berthed on the Dan Brown Pontoon in Lymington, rafted up four boats deep. The evening was spent enjoying a well-earned beer or two, sharing stories from the day’s sailing and catching up with fellow competitors. Prize giving at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club was followed by a hearty curry and the ever popular sticky toffee pudding.
Sunday promised a very different challenge. Forecast winds of up to 25 knots suggested a fast and physical race back towards Cowes, including a long downwind leg that would put crews and equipment to the test.
The start was upwind, and despite a competitive position on the line, we struggled to establish ourselves in the fleet. The situation was not helped when both jib inhaulers failed early in the race. However, spirits quickly recovered after rounding the first mark and hoisting the spinnaker.
What followed was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the weekend. Reaching back towards Cowes in fresh conditions and the A3 spinnaker, Jeepster regularly exceeded 11 knots through the water. The boat powered through the fleet, overtaking several fellow J/109s and providing plenty of exhilarating “yee-ha” moments for the crew.
Unfortunately, the Solent had one more challenge in store. Near Mother Bank, the spinnaker tack failed under the load of the strengthening breeze. The crew executed a rapid drop, completed repairs, and successfully re-hoisted another kite, only for the tack to blow again. Undeterred, the team launched the spinnaker for a third time. By then, however, the fleet had begun to disappear ahead and upwind legs still to complete, the earlier setbacks inevitably took their toll.
Despite the equipment failures and challenging conditions, the crew battled on to the finish, eventually placing 36th out of 48 starters. While the results did not fully reflect the determination and pace shown throughout the weekend, the event provided valuable experience for the crew, including new member David, and demonstrated the resilience, teamwork and enthusiasm that define CSORC racing. With some outstanding training on Friday, spectacular sailing conditions, and plenty of lessons learned, the Lymington JOG finale was a fitting conclusion to a first successful JOG campaign on Jeepster.