Sayer Report

When we see a cause we like, we jump on it and ride it 'till we're good and ready to get off. We ain't ready yet. We're down with Chris Sayer, and we know that a lot of you are too. Here's the latest from one of his support team. -Ed.

Chris is having trouble getting to an internet cafe, so I'm sorry it's second hand news through me.

Obviously his priority is to get "Wildcard" ready for the next leg. There are problems with a lack of facilities in Lanzarote, but it's slowly coming together, retuning the rig, hand stitching rope bags, the torn spinnaker away to be repaired on another island, jammer handles coming from France, and another solar panel from Barcelona.

Chris left La Rochelle an hour after the start of the mini transat, but because the organisers did not want him using their marks, he arrived at a headland off La Rochelle before the official race yachts. So he waited until they arrived, then set off after Manuard had passed him with lots of other nav lights all around. So he had no real disadvantage at the start. The race started beating into 30-35 knots westerly, which eased to 20-25kn, before dropping out completely on the north Spanish coast. In light breezes they worked around Finistere. At one point Chris crash jibed, kite in the water, and had to drop all his sails to recover. Eventually a very pleasant, if a bit light, north easterly carried them all the way to Lanzarote. He did have a brush with a merchant ship in the early hours of the 15th. He woke after 45 mins sleep in the cockpit, to find his prod colliding with an oil tanker. They were on opposing courses, about 20' from head on. Chris isn't sure how the outrigger missed the ship, but it did and he slid down the side. As he steered away, he pushed off the ship to clear the quarter, just as well, that's where the Argos beacon was hanging. There was no serious damage, though it did arouse Chris to a reasonable state of alertness.

He sailed further out to the west, the rhumb line being right on the shipping lanes. Chris said he couldn't see the point of constantly jibing across the lanes, he could often see six ships at a time. Chris then had a couple of poor days, where he didn't get the jibe angles right, just sailed poorly, and was passed by the two closest yachts. He came right again, passed Team McLube, closed on Tip Top Too, and finished 2nd, at 20.58hrs, 20 mins behind Manuard. His comment, rather different than the one from the 1999 mini, "wonderful sailing".

Apart from ripping one spinnaker and breaking a jammer handle Chris and Wildcard arrived in Lanzarote in good shape. The reception in Lanzarote has been good, the marina welcoming, the other yachtsmen friendly and interested in his yacht. Rumour has it that Chris was seen dancing on the marina at 6am, after an all night party! The 2003 mini must really must be a life changing experience!

09/23/2003