Welcome to the Jester Challenge forum

boatman61

New member
Joined
24 Mar 2011
Messages
78
Location
Portugal
www.forcrew.com
I have alot of question, I am hoping to sail in the 2012 race but for sure the 2014, I have been around boats small trimarans monohulls. I am planing on getting a 22' boat soon and get it out fitted for crossing the Atlantic, my first big question is navigation, I will start classes soon for celestrial navigaton, what do you who have crossed the atlantic use, GPS, or less hight tech?

Usually just carry a Maggelan H/Held GPS.... only had a failure once just north of the Azores... dead reckoning and my pilot charts got me to 10 miles off Falmouth just fine...
As stated before... one fix a day is all you need.
And to any safety 'experts'.... if I'm hit by a crewed boat while hove to and asleep.... the crewed boats 60% to blame... chances of being hit by another singlehander are a million to one... there's not a lot of us out there....:p
 

tomski

New member
Joined
12 Jul 2011
Messages
91
Location
Surrey
Visit site
Hello all, was an entrant in the 2010 challenge but withdrew due to boat troubles...since then purchased a wing 25 and have every intention of participating in the 2012 challenge so just wanted to say hello. Will be fitting her (Seawing) out for offshore passage but first I need to sail her from Plymouth to Chichester which I intend to carry out towards the end of August...any suggestions on this passage (other than the standard almanac points which I am currently reading through) would be greatly appreciated :)
 

c2518

New member
Joined
5 Jun 2004
Messages
82
Visit site
Newbie onboard

Hello everyone. I've been loitering and reading with interest for some time and have finally succumbed to the dream and am now the proud owner of a 1979 Corribee fin keel . Haven't had chance to sail her much as she is moored in Whitehaven (home) and I work in Saudi(something has to pay the mortgage) so I only get the chance on very infrequent visits back to the UK. As with many I hope to participate in a future challenge and look forward to perhaps meeting others like me perhaps in the north west for a sail sometime.
 

RoryD

New member
Joined
22 Jul 2011
Messages
2
Visit site
2014

Is there a 'official' site for the Jester Challenge 2014?
How does one obtain date and place of start etc?

Thank you.
 

fisherZ

New member
Joined
16 Aug 2010
Messages
240
Visit site
Is there a 'official' site for the Jester Challenge 2014?
How does one obtain date and place of start etc?.

There's the Jester's group on Yahoo, but nothing specific for 2014.
It'll probably kick in after the 2012 Challenge, but I'm sure if you ask on there, someone will be able to give you more information.

And welcome to the forum.
 
Last edited:

RoryD

New member
Joined
22 Jul 2011
Messages
2
Visit site
There's the Jester's group on Yahoo, but nothing specific for 2014.
It'll probably kick in after the 2012 Challenge, but I'm sure if you ask on there, someone will be able to give you more information.

And welcome to the forum.

Thanks.
 

evantica

New member
Joined
28 Feb 2011
Messages
57
Visit site
How observant am I??? "In June 2008, the race is from Plymouth to the Azores" the very first thread... sorry.
Will this same route be, in the years to come?
I could see my self taking part.
 

evantica

New member
Joined
28 Feb 2011
Messages
57
Visit site
oki... thanks. then my 2014 will be cancelled. Will I make it to the 2012..hm.
Would be an adventure for life.
Any tip. of the needs and "must" list? links and so... would be appriciated. Latest day for reg.?
 

fisherZ

New member
Joined
16 Aug 2010
Messages
240
Visit site
oki... thanks. then my 2014 will be cancelled. Will I make it to the 2012..hm.
Would be an adventure for life.
Any tip. of the needs and "must" list? links and so... would be appriciated. Latest day for reg.?

I would go through all the pages on here (the jester forum) to start with,and look at the threads that might be of interest to you, and then if you have questions on a particular thread, just ask your questions there, or start a new thread.
 

Dharma Bum

New member
Joined
11 Nov 2010
Messages
16
Location
London
Visit site
I bet the jester's not joking.

I'm thinking of giving this a go. I'm wondering how many boats take part? Roughly how long does it take to get to the Azores? I've done a fair bit of single handed sailing but never more than four days alone before touching shore. What happens if you can't hack it? Do you just do a Crowhurst?!!:eek:
 

Gargleblaster

Well-known member
Joined
16 Dec 2003
Messages
1,217
Location
Medway, Gillingham Reach
Visit site
I'm thinking of giving this a go. I'm wondering how many boats take part? Roughly how long does it take to get to the Azores? I've done a fair bit of single handed sailing but never more than four days alone before touching shore. What happens if you can't hack it? Do you just do a Crowhurst?!!:eek:

The number of boats is variable as there are three categories: 1 those who nominate, 2 those who start, 3 those who finish. In 2008 we had 42 starters and 28 finishers.

It's about two weeks to the Azores Depending on the wind. You do catch some good northerlies and the Portuguese current to help you down. Teceira is a wonderful island and is one of 9 great islands. It will also take about 2 weeks to get back. Firstly you've got to go north to get out of the still air in the Azores High and then catch the westerlies back to the UK.

I rather like the doing a Crowhurst idea as an option. But you could always call into Spain around La Coruna if you feel you can't hack it rather than take a shallow dive off the back of the boat.
 

Dharma Bum

New member
Joined
11 Nov 2010
Messages
16
Location
London
Visit site
The number of boats is variable as there are three categories: 1 those who nominate, 2 those who start, 3 those who finish. In 2008 we had 42 starters and 28 finishers.

It's about two weeks to the Azores Depending on the wind. You do catch some good northerlies and the Portuguese current to help you down. Teceira is a wonderful island and is one of 9 great islands. It will also take about 2 weeks to get back. Firstly you've got to go north to get out of the still air in the Azores High and then catch the westerlies back to the UK.

I rather like the doing a Crowhurst idea as an option. But you could always call into Spain around La Coruna if you feel you can't hack it rather than take a shallow dive off the back of the boat.

Thanks for your reply. What happened to those that start and don't finish? Do they just turn tail and head back to Plymouth or do they get abducted by aliens? I imagine there's a point of no return where you might as well try and keep going as head back to Plymouth or to Spain if things go wrong? My boat (Contessa 32) is fairly well equiped with self steer windvane, wind generator and a liferaft/grab bag. Any tips on what might be regarded as essential for this trip?
 

Gargleblaster

Well-known member
Joined
16 Dec 2003
Messages
1,217
Location
Medway, Gillingham Reach
Visit site
What happened to those that start and don't finish? Do they just turn tail and head back to Plymouth or do they get abducted by aliens?

A few boats never make it out of the Chanel, either through gear failure or the skipper's unfamiliarity with ocean sailing. Some get past Ushant and then make for northern France. So far to my knowledge we have had none abducated by Aliens.

The ability to make the voayge is dependent on two things. One is the boat and more importantly the spares and tools that are carried to fix those things that will break. Secondly the skipper and his/her ability to exist in the conditions and his/her determination to continue despite the conditions, and his/her ability to fix things that they neve imagined would go wrong and don't have the correct tools and/or parts to fix [see my tool list in my signature block :)].

A Contessa 32 is more than capable of making the journey. The essentials are food and water, spares, tools, some means of finding the Azores [charts, navigation eqpt], and items to make you visible to other boats so that they try not to run you down [I like passive radar reflectors that work and a good LED tricolour]. You may need some money in the Azores if you intend to stay in the Marina [cheap, but anchoring off is cheaper] or join in eating and drinking with other skippers.

One thing with self steer windvanes is that some of them are effective and some are quite useless. I believe based on anecdotal evidence that more single handed skippers fail to complete voyages because of the failure of self steering than any other item that is likely to break. Most self steering will go wrong at some point, some at purpose built weak points that usually make it an easy fix others at critical points that make it difficult to fix. So basically what I am saying is there are windvanes that work and those that don't.
 
Top