NIÑITA'S STORY OF THE PLYMOUTH TO LA ROCHELLE RACE 2012

 

 

Niñita's Race very nearly never happened.  According to the organisers the wind never blows during the night parades at Brest and this was true in 2008, so for 2012  Niñita paraded with 4 full sails plus the fisherman topsail and a large and helpful crew stolen from Eulalie, Thalamus and Saveol. Of course the wind blew healthily. With Kraken II tacking through the fleet immediately in front, it was full astern with both motors most of the time.  Breathing a sigh of relief as we escaped from the circuit and dropped the tops'l in the pitch dark after all the floodlights, the starboard engine stopped with an ominous "clunk". Tops'l clew stretched tight over the rail with sheet disappearing under the stern.  No matter, we have 2 engines!
Manoeuvring into the marina not too easy but at least we can get there quietly enough.  Next thing, loud "beep beep beep" noise from below - "what the ***** is that noise?": Jenny disappears below into a big cloud of steam and smoke!   "It's the smoke alarm!".  Paul disappears below, great relief, we are not on fire! 
A quick look at the engines revealed a broken exhaust pipe on the one good engine and water and exhaust gas pouring straight into the bilges. With the one engine still running just, our Saveol crew called up their Zodiac and we were soon alongside having stolen the place of the biggest of the Pen Duicks. 
The problem with the port engine was quietly fixed with a very sharp knife and an early morning swim but the starboard exhaust fitting was beyond any normal repair and a spare couldn't possibly be obtained in time for the Plymouth/La Rochelle Race.  Sam and the First Mate from the Abbeille Bourbon arrived after lunch just to see if there was anything to be done and within minutes the broken parts were removed and taken away. The Abbeille Bourbon engineering abilities would repair them by the following morning if humanly possible!
So less than 24 hours later, with the exhaust system repaired to 'better than new' condition, Niñita joined the parade to Douarnenez. On arrival she circled the anchored Abbeille Bourbon giving a salute of thanks with her bell before anchoring for the night herself.
Catalina and Amelie were exchanged at Douarnenez for a very large box of Kouign-amann and Olivier. Thomas and the girls had joined us at Brest.  A gentle sail to L'Aber Ildut for an overnight stop, visit to the Algue Museum and barbecue, before setting off for the Channel crossing, destination the River Yealm. 
Paul asked Samantha (family weather routing expert!) for weather routing advice for the next few days, her reply: "take plenty of gas-oil, water and food"!!
After 2 or 3 hours of sailing the wind fell to nothing and the iron tops'l, invisible to nearby Chrisando, because it doesn't send water out of the exhaust pipe, was coaxed into action to help the sails, whilst the crew ate kouign-amann.  From time to time for crew entertainment, the motor was cut and sails encouraged to propel Niñita towards her destination but to no avail and eventually we arrived alongside Khayyam moored at Misery Point in the afternoon in perfect weather (apart from the lack of wind!).
In the early evening Thomas and Olivier, having no confidence in Niñita's Avon dinghy sans moteur, took a motorised lift to the Yacht Club to arrange the dinner, Paul and Jenny staying on board to follow later, arrived at the Yealm Yacht Club after a relaxing 1½ mile row, justifying several pints of good English beer before dinner!
On to Plymouth the next day (Monday) in glorious weather (no, it doesn't always rain in England!) and Olivier and Thomas, being conscientious members of the organising committee,   headed off to organise, Paul got stuck in to some work and Jenny disappeared very quickly to the shops.  Marvellous Hennessey Cognac cocktails, "Horses Neck" is the English one; what is the French name for Cognac and Schweppes tonic? for the welcome drink at the Royal Western Yacht Club in the evening and race briefing, followed by a "fish and chip" dinner. 8 of us at a table for 6, Thomas, Olivier, Paul and Jenny plus 4 friends of P and J from Plymouth.
Tuesday was prologue day - 2 races in Plymouth Sound with a pretty anchorage for lunch (kouign-amann for dessert) at Cawsand Bay in between the races. Not bad results but could have been better. Skipper and mate wasting time arguing about which boat to luff, and ended up not luffing Gerfaut with her huge blue spinnaker, and instead accidentally but very rudely luffing the beautiful wooden Pangur Ban and losing one place.  Light wind but a lovely day followed by jovial dinner at the Royal Western YC.
Wednesday and the weather forecast was not to Niñita's liking - light and from the North.  We left Sutton Harbour and anchored in Cawsand Bay for a good lunch of Cornish pasties and salad before the start of the race, unfortunately enjoying yet more kouign-amann dessert for too long and making it over the start line nearly 10 minutes late! 
With a following light wind and without a spinnaker, Niñita makes best progress by VMG running, gybing at big angles, thereby sailing much further, so we soon lost sight of all the other boats as they headed more directly towards their destination and Niñita headed 45 degrees away!  Many hours later, at first light on Thursday, somewhat despondent thinking we were the last boat, a sail was spotted on the horizon!  As we crossed just 100 metres behind Khayyam the sails of other boats appeared and then disappeared as Niñita sailed off in the opposite direction, a cheery crew ate a celebratory slice of kouign-aman! This pattern followed all day Thursday:  every few hours we would cross paths, Niñita's skipper making the crew work very hard in the light winds encouraging her 40 tons to keep moving! "
The course was shortened to finish at Ouessant and at 23.18 Niñita crossed the line, just behind Khayyam, and headed briskly towards Douarnenez in the first good breeze of the whole race - A glass of 'red', a good night's sleep at anchor in the Bay and entry to Port-Rhu on Friday morning.  2 days of rest, an interesting film by Pierre Marcel, nice boats in New York, not quite so sure about the sailors in New York - and a visit to Yves Tanguy Shipyard followed by a good dinner.
On Sunday afternoon the second stage started with the same light northerly wind forecast. Niñita, well stocked with food and water of course, tacked out of the Bay of Douarnenez and headed towards Penmarc'h, the wind died and being exactly on the stern, we headed towards Galicia whilst everyone else set spinnakers and balloon sails and headed for La Rochelle!  Paul jealously clung to the tiller, convinced (probably correctly) that he could wring a fraction more of a knot out of Niñita than anyone else! The rest of the crew tweaking the sails as necessary (or at the skipper's command!) and munching on slices of kouign-amann ("are they reproducing?" the crew wondered)
On Monday afternoon many gybes later, Niñita passed the 1st 'gate' off Belle Ile quite well placed and ghosted on slowly in the now dying breeze towards the 2nd 'gate' east of Ile d'Yeu. In the early hours of the morning Niñita sailling gently on a strong cross tide towards the committee boat, had to steer very carefully to pass the gate and avoid touching Pippi II. As we closed on the gate we were just ahead of, and had rights over 2 other boats and breathed a sigh of relief as we cleared through and were amused looking behind to see the confusion as the two following boats failed to get through.
All day Tuesday Niñita slipped on and Ile de Re appeared and there was Khayyam again, not more than 3 or 4 miles ahead!  Our luck ran out there, just off the Baleines, where we were overtaken by a glass flat calm whilst Khayyam held onto the last of the south going breeze and never stopped on her direct route to la Rochelle. We were well and truly becalmed and by the time we struggled in to the Pertuis the tide had gone down leaving less than 2.5 metres of water between us and our destination. We draw 3 metres.
Amazingly, as we sailed through 50 cm of mud, although our speed was reduced from 4 knots to less than 2 knots, we never stopped completely. Unfortunately the "Jauge" does not take into account the handicap of deep draught boats having to sail through solid matter instead of water, so this part of our race had a rather unfortunate effect on our position, but at least we finished, and within the time limit!
Big thanks to our excellent crew Thomas and Olivier. What a luxury for Paul and Jenny! Company on watch, regular meals and good sleep all possible!