IDOR 2011 Passage Race to Portsmouth

Friday of the IDOR means a race from Cowes, via Warner to Spit Sand fort in the entrance to Portsmouth.

The wind was super light westerly at the start and the tide against us. So the question was whether to go for the inshore route to cheat the tide or outside and get the best wind. The tide also turns earlier nearer the mainland - but this is a long way off.

We went for the close in option as Phil had spotted that the tide was almost zero inshore. This appeared to work as we sailed high under the spinnaker and swapped the lead with Sue Antonelli, Matt Adams and one or two others. This was tense nail-biting stuff, and it went on for a long time, enlivened only by a large ship coming through the fleet. Those that went very close inshore seemed to do well for a while once they reached Osborne but later it become clear that further out was the way to go as the wind was more consistent.

We went off to the north of the main channel, just east of Browndown before the wind headed us so we dropped the kite. Then the wind just about gave up, and we were back to the IDOR game of pooh sticks. A big grey cloud was raining to the east. Eventually we could see that wind was coming in from the west and we quickly got the kite up, but the damage was done and the boats at the back had all been swept up to join the becalmed leaders. Worse still they were south of us, so nearer to Warner. We were now under spinnaker and sailing a bit higher so able to make good ground.

We dropped the kite close to Warner and gybed to the north side of the channel, the tide now being against us. Some close tacking in the stiff breeze took us to the finish. Results to come soon.

Nick