Jester Helm Newsletter, Jan 2022

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Dear Jesters

Welcome to 2022!

It will soon be sixteen years since the first Jester Challenge got under way in 2006, and despite the difficulties of the last couple of years, all of the twelve Challenges planned during that period have been successfully completed. This is a great vindication of Ewen’s vision and tenacity.

This year will see the thirteenth Challenge overall, and the fifth edition of the main event to Newport, Rhode Island. The start is on Sunday, May 8th at 1200H, from Plymouth. So far, eleven skippers have put their names on the potential starters’ list, with interest from as far apart as Poland and the West Coast of the USA. If you are considering participating, please let us know as soon as possible, via the website enquiry page, as it helps us with the planning. A US Visa is required to participate, and any skippers without a visa are advised to apply as soon as possible, as it is not a fast process.  

A lot of work has been going on to improve the Jester Challenge website, firstly to make it more user-friendly, and secondly to create a more comprehensive archive of all the events. The WordPress system on which the website operates has its limitations and is not the easiest to deal with, and a big thankyou is due to Jester Helm member Howard Chivers for the many hours he has spent using his technical wizardry to create a better site. The work is still ongoing, but please do visit the site and see what you think.

The difficulty of obtaining suitable third-party insurance for singlehanded ocean sailing has long been a perennial subject of discussion. Unfortunately, there are signs that the market is hardening considerably, and over time this could impact negatively on the future success of the Jester concept. Over the next few months, we intend to do some research into the state of the singlehanded insurance market and also consider ways in which we can respond to future difficulties, should they arise. Life is a constant battle between the free spirits and the nannies, and we know whose side we are on!

Finally, we have just heard the great news that Duncan Lougee and George Arnison have been jointly awarded the Ocean Cruising Club’s Seamanship Award, for their sterling efforts in successfully bringing the disabled Minke across more than 400 miles of the North Atlantic during the 2021 Jester Azores Challenge. Huge congratulations to both of them for this much-merited acknowledgement of their skill and tenacity. 

Whatever your sailing plans for 2022, may you have the occasional fair wind and not too many annoying leaks…

With best wishes The Jester Helm

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Published by howardchivers

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8 thoughts on “Jester Helm Newsletter, Jan 2022”

    1. Hi Larry,
      I’ve just subscribed you. You can always unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of any emailed newsletter. We don’t circulate much via email, so if you are interested on the progress of this years Jester Challenge it is also worth keeping an eye on this site – unless you want to sail with us, in which case please use the contact/enter page on this site to send us an email.
      Fair winds
      Howard

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  2. Although not yet a jester participant (I hope to join a future event) I am an experienced singlehanded sailor and follow the admirable jester exploits. I am now embarking on my annual quest for insurance. Last year I thought I had found a reasonable company (Topsail) for my non-stop sail to Cadiz, they offered comprehensive cover for the whole of the Atlantic coast from France to Portugal. I was insured for singlehanded sailing only for 24 hours, enough to get me offshore when (as usual) I sail at my own risk – I have given up trying to get even third party cover for singlehanded offshore. I assumed, naively, that cover would resume once I was safely tied up or anchored at my destination. However, trying to renew my policy this year and being honest in declaring my future sailing plans, I was told that “I’m afraid we are not able to offer cover when the client is knowingly going to break the policy conditions. Therefore, we would have to decline to continue terms from expiry on this occasion.” From this it would appear that sailing, even once, outside of the conditions invalidates the whole policy. I will, if necessary sail without insurance, I have a cheap boat so I won’t be bankrupt if I lose it. Denting a super yacht is something I prefer not to think about and my only solution to that is to transfer the house to my wife and be as poor as possible! However, I would much prefer to have cover as I am breaking the law when I turn up in Portugal without at least their statutory minimum of insurance. I will continue to look for cover and let you know if I make any progress and will, of course, be interested in any success the jesters have, I hope your reputation for seamanship and self-reliance will encourage some enterprising company to take a risk!

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