What can bigger boats do?

damo

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22 Feb 2005
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longkeel35.org.uk
I realise that the Jester concept is for smaller boats, and I would love to participate, but my boat falls between such a Corinthian event and something like the OSTAR. I have a 35' boat, which is near the lower end of the range for the OSTAR, which would also be prohibitively expensive for me to get the boat to comply and enter.

Is there a similar event anywhere for us mid-size boats?
 

Jake

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20 Jul 2001
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www.jkcartoons.co.uk
Hi Damo

There are other events for the bigger boys! Have a look at www.petitbateau.org.uk and don't let the name fool you. They cover everything from 40-footers down to 21-footers. This is an excerpt from their home page:

'Petit Bateau are men and women who race offshore, mostly in production boats (often slightly modified), with a few one-off designs, with no sponsor and no budget. Monohulls and multihulls commonly race together in the short handed world, and the membership of our community reflects that. Some of us do not have a boat of our own, just a keen interest.

Petit Bateau is a mutual-aid group. We keep in touch through our electronic mailing-list. We aim to provide support and we work to promote our own interests and agenda.They are an organisation set up deliberately to promote single-handed ( and short handed) events in the UK.'

So - unlike our very own Jesters, they are a 'proper' organisation, so have all the issues of insurance, racing rules, membership fees and so on, but they are a lively group of enthusiasts, and hold a regular conference (see much earlier posts on this forum) where they show camcorder films and swap experiences. Designers also stand up and explain how they have overcome problems with new classes of short-handed race boats.

Worth a look - they may well have an event that will suit you, especially as they are into 'proving' races, staged well offshore and in long legs to shakedown their various single-handed racing machines. (Triangle across Biscay from Southern Ireland, away from main shipping routes, was one of them.)

Good luck!
 
G

Guest

Guest
[ QUOTE ]
I realise that the Jester concept is for smaller boats, and I would love to participate ... I have a 35' boat ...


[/ QUOTE ]

The Jester Challenge:
"a race for sailing vessels between 20 and 30 feet (including multi-hulls) but marginally larger vessels - clearly compatible with the Jester and Corinthian spirit - acceptable by invitation of the other skippers"

It's worth bearing in mind that in the original race, Chichester had a 40ft boat, and there were NO multihulls - so I'd like to think that there could be some flexibility to keep within the original concept.
Why not email Ewen to register your interest and enquire if it would be ok to enter your boat with an appropriate handicap ?

Colin
 
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