" A testing race steeped in history " . . . Paul Feeney, head of international distribution, BNY Mellon Asset Management,
“ In a different league to the AZAB ” . . . Allen Clarke (Sage) competitor, Biscay Challenge, 2009.
“Excellent and seamless organisation” . . . Andy Hill , winner Biscay Challenge, 2007, and competitor 2009.
“ Hospitality at both Southampton & Hondarribia fantastic ” . . . Will Claxton, (Paradox) competitor, Biscay Challenge, 2009.
"Fue una regata bonita. Esperamos repitir en la siguiente edicion" . . . Carlos Liancoa (Pintia), race winner, 2009
RACE DIRECTOR'S BLOG
Royal Southampton Yacht Club
1 Channel Way
Ocean Village
Southampton, UK
SO51 6BY
T: +44(0) 23 8022 3352
Email: racing@rsyc.org.uk
Dateline: Hondarribia, Tuesday, June 21, 18.00
Monday was something of a ‘nothing’ day, apart from having to make yet another decision about whether any of our remaining boats would get to Hondarribia this week, or at all, and if so whether it was worth while any of our Race Officers going there on spec., especially as Andy Hill on Only Just had kindly offered to do the RO duties for us, if none of us had gone down there.
It was agreed that the Club should be represented at the finish regardless and Susana in particular, with her true Basque passion, was vociferous that we should be there to greet any finishers as heroes. We decided to send only two ROs and Mike Short generously offered to stand down, which was a shame, because his air fare had been paid and was irrecoverable from our friends at Ryanair, and we were not able to change the booking of our little apartment.
We shall miss him, as the three of us had bonded so well into a unit last time, but as we have now so few boats to finish, we felt that three was a little overkill.
However, I did decide to cancel all the hospitality arrangements that I had laid on at Hondarribia, including the Yacht Club Sardine Barbecue, the Mayor’s Reception in their historic Town Hall and of course the final Race Dinner on Friday, which was such great fun last time. It was very sad having to unscramble all this, because our Spanish friends had been so kind in laying it all on in the first place.
However, always resourceful when it comes to putting on a party, I hope that we will be able to make this up in some other way, if we do get some finishers to play with.
So there was still a good deal of administrative work to be done yesterday, including swapping Mike’s car details for Dave’s at Stansted Car Park, before Dave and Kirsteen very sweetly offered me a bed at their 17th century cottage, so that he and I could make an early start for the airport this morning.
Today, the M3 and dreaded M25 were comparative pussy cats compared to what we had feared and we arrived at Stansted in very good time. Unfortunately Ryanair did not, with our plane only arriving at the terminal five minutes before we were due to take off. But despite that, we were only delayed by 20 minutes. They don’t hang around, these Ryanair guys.
We arrived in Biarritz to blue skies, 25 degrees C and a good F4. Perfect sailing weather! Thus I write this from our apartment in Hondarribia and as I look out of the window, across terracotta roofs to the Bidasoa River less than 400 metres away, the wind has dropped and zephyrs ripple the blue water where an armada of little white hulled boats are moored, I can clearly see the hillside resort of Hendaye, in France. What a place to have to wait for race boats to arrive! It would be perverse to wish that they would take a long time, but I don’t really mean that. Or, do I?
So, where are the boats at 17.25 BST? It looks like Andy and Matthieu are leading with about 300 miles to go, but if the conditions favour them, those two Spanish guys in Baobab could well give Only Just a run for their money. Keep checking the trackers on the website. As Mark Mathews has just e-mailed me: it is pretty addictive stuff.
I’ll be back tomorrow, but first downtown Hondarribia beckons!
Roger