After the usual socialising and jollifications at Mayflower marina, Plymouth (many thanks to Charles Bush and Jolly Jack’s for their usual hospitality), the fleet got away in good order at midday on Sunday 16th. A big thankyou to Hamish Southby-Tailyour for once again providing the committee boat.
The Jester skippers could scarcely have had better conditions for getting off soundings and across the Bay of Biscay, with east to north-east and now northerly winds predominating. These winds were sometimes light earlier on but are now fresh – anything up to 25 knots – and driving the fleet on in good fashion.
The boats are remarkably evenly matched this year (but remember this is not a race!) and are spread in an almost perfect arc from west to east. At the westerly end, nearest the rhumb line (the most direct route to the Azores) are Charlotte and Macavity, skippered by Norman Rubenis and Pete Matthews respectively. At the eastern end of the line are Eberhard Harms with Lange Orm and Mike Atkin’s Tranquillity. The rest of the fleet is more or less evenly spaced between these two extremes. As ever, only time will tell whether the rhumb line route or the more easterly, inshore route will prove to be the better choice.
The forecast looks good for the moment. The Azores High looks as if it will be strutting its stuff for a while and will present one or two challenges for the skippers making their westing in the final stages of the passage. So far, so good and we eagerly await developments.
See Azores 2024 page for tracking.
Jester Challenge 