Dear Jesters, past, present and future,
For those of you who have not followed progress on the website, we can report an extremely successful Jester Azores Challenge earlier this year. 15 skippers participated and 15 finished in good order. The 100% success rate mirrors that of the Jester Azores Challenge 2021, where 9 out of 9 finished (thanks to Duncan Lougee’s and George Arnison’s heroic seamanship). The only major problem encountered was a forestay malfunction aboard Lange Orm, but after putting into La Coruna for repairs, skipper Eberhard Harms was able to complete the passage in an excellent overall time. Once again, we were extremely well looked after by Charles Bush and Mayflower marina, along with Jolly Jack’s, now the regular venue for the skippers’ lunch. A big thank you to both of them. Our relationship with the Port and Marina at Praia da Vitoria now dates back 16 years and grows stronger with each event. This year the town organised a reception for the skippers, with food provided by the local catering college – a measure of the warm welcome we have always had there.
The start date for next year’s event – the 2025 Jester Baltimore Challenge – has been finalised for June 15th. There will be a starts from Plymouth and Pwllheli. The Plymouth venue will once again be Mayflower marina, with the usual discounts for berthing. There are already 18 skippers on the provisional starters’ list. If you would like to put your name down, simply send a message with your basic boat details (type, name and length) via the enquiry button on the website.
Finally, a note about a couple of small changes to the Jester Helm. After taking the lead on the last five Jester Challenges, Roger Taylor is standing down from the Helm. We are grateful for his energy and wisdom in helping ensure the continuity of Jester Challenges, with creative events held during Covid, followed by a return to the established pattern of events. Roger’s support of skippers during challenges has also been highly valued.
Roger’s role as Lead Helmsman will be taken by Howard Chivers, who has served on the Jester Helm since its inception over four years ago. We are delighted to announce that Bernie Branfield has agreed to join Howard and George Arnison as the third member of the Helm team. Bernie is well known to many Jesters, has made a considerable contribution both on and off the water, and will be a great asset to all things Jester.
Best wishes
The Jester Helm
Jester Challenge 