Baltimore 2025

The Jester Baltimore Challenge 2025

The Jester Baltimore Challenge is to sail single-handed from Plymouth or Pwllheli, United Kingdom to Baltimore, Republic of Ireland – a distance of about 250nm. It is an opportunity for skippers to test their boats and their seagoing mettle in a supportive and non-competitive environment.

There was considerable interest before the event with over 70 skippers registering as potential challengers. On the 15 June 35 boats crossed the start line, 25 at Plymouth and 10 at Pwllheli, illustrating the oft-repeated claim that ‘hardest part of the challenge is getting to the start’. Many challengers found the passage to the start awkward due to the weather. Eberhard Harms (LÅNGE ORM) however deserves special mention, sailing from the Azores for the event, including a just-in-time fast but wet 5 day passage from the Spanish coast to Plymouth.  

The light winds in resulted in some early retirements, all for sound and well considered reasons. Two were contingencies known in advance and one suffered serious sail damage, while another stopped to repair damage and then continued. Light winds can be hard on boats as well as making it difficult to sail safe routes.

Skippers took different approaches to dealing with the calms and variable conditions resulting from the high pressure. Many decided that it was prudent to motor a short distance, and a few avoided rounding Fastnet rock. Of the 19 challengers who arrived at Baltimore, 7 declared that they had used their motors for a short time and 3 others had missed the Fastnet mark. All the skippers have a story to tell.

Once again we were extremely well looked after before the event. Our thanks to those that hosted the starts: the Mayflower marina and Jolly Jack’s at Plymouth and Hafan Pwllheli Marina, the Pwllheli Harbour Master, and Plas Heli at Pwllheli. Thanks also to our hosts at Baltimore, in particular the Baltimore Harbour Master and his team.

Starters

The difficult weather faced by challengers this year resulted in many who reached Baltimore but at some point motored a short distance, or avoided rounding the Fastnet mark. The results listed here provide a record that is useful to future Challengers, so for this reason, and to recognise the achievement of those who reached Baltimore, times are given for all those who arrived. Times are annotated with ‘M’ if a small amount of motoring was used or ‘F’ if the Fastnet mark was not rounded.

Skipper	Start	Yacht	Type	LOA	Finish
Adrian Shreeve	Pwllheli	SUNDANCE	Mirage 28 Mk2	28′	20/6 03:50
Andrew Armstrong	Plymouth	HOLLY	Sadler 26	26′ 3″	Retired
Andrew Hepburn	Plymouth	OTTO	Sadler 29 Bilge Keel	29′	Retired
Andrew Merrett	Plymouth	SKYWAVE	Rival	32′	Retired
Andy Ball	Plymouth	SHEARWATER OF SANDAY	Vancouver 28	28′	20/6 10:00
Bob Angell	Pwllheli	MAYA	Westerly Longbow	31′	19/6 12:10 (M)
Bob Turner	Pwllheli	ONE DAY	Westerly Tempest	30′ 7″	19/6 21:40
Chris Ayres	Plymouth	SEA BEAR	Vancouver 28	28′	Retired
Chris Cowlard	Pwllheli	GULINGA	Westerly Griffon	26′	Retired
Christian Gallot	Plymouth	KALEVALA	Brise de Mer 31	31′	19/6 14:06 (F)
Claude Van Martyn	Plymouth	MOONSHINE	Mistral 31	31′	19/06 15:55
David Knowler	Pwllheli	HEADWAY III	Achilles 840	27′ 8″	Retired
Dominic Power	Plymouth	LOWENA MOR	Dufour Arpege	29’6″	20/6 10:25 (M)
Donald Heath	Plymouth	GUPPY GOES FORTH	First 25.7	26′	Retired
Eberhard Harms	Plymouth	LÅNGE ORM	Allegro 27	27′	Retired
Geoff Turner	Pwllheli	DAWN	Parker 21	21′	Retired
Iain Clark	Plymouth	NUNO	Sadler 32	32′	Retired
Jes Bates	Plymouth	MWERA	Corribee 21	21′	21/6 12:05 (M)
Jim Rolt	Pwllheli	GREEN TAMBOURINE	Contessa	26′	19/6 14:50
John Farmer	Plymouth	DESERT AIR	Twister	28′	19/6 22:16
Justin Butler	Plymouth	WESTERLY WAY	Westerly Fulmar	32′	18/6 00:00 (F)
Ken Fairbank	Plymouth	TOROA	Rustler 31	31’6″	Retired
Mike Jones-Downing	Plymouth	OLWEN	Achilles 9m	29′	Retired
Nikolaos Ntatsios	Plymouth	SPRITE	Sadler 25	25′	Retired
Paul Bennett	Pwllheli	SISKIN	Vancouver 274	27′	19/6 13:40 (F)
Pete Matthews	Plymouth	FLYANNA	Contessa 32	32′	19/6 15:50
Peter Kinver	Plymouth	JAVA BLUE	Sadler 290	29′	19/6 16:15
Simon Bennett	Plymouth	JALINA	Sadler	25′	Retired
Stewart Gibb	Pwllheli	KARIBA	Westerly Fulmar	31′ 10″	18/6 21:55 (M)
Storm Bate	Pwllheli	CARIAD	Nicholson 31	30′ 6″	Retired
Sue Denham	Plymouth	RAGDOLL	Westerly 33	33′	20/6 04:30 (M)
Susie Turner	Plymouth	LOUISE	Francis 26	26′	21/6 17:55 (M)
Tim Collins	Plymouth	FALCON	Tripp 30	30′	19/6 15:00 (M)
Tim George	Plymouth	ARTEMIS	Sadler 26 Bilge Keel	26′	Retired
Will Robinson	Plymouth	ZEUS	Achilles	24′	19/6 13:00

Plymouth Skippers

Pwllheli Skippers

Skippers and Boats

Diaries and Reports

Will Robinson – Zeus’ Jester Baltimore Challenge 2025

It was with much excitement that I entered the jester Baltimore Challenge this year having been unable to in 2023 due to work and a family emergency.

I had bought Zeus an Achilles 24 a few years ago, and had been looking for an excuse to sail it offshore and test its seaworthiness and seakindliness, and my endurance, so the Baltimore Challenge was the perfect opportunity. She represents to me a perfect Jester challenger, small, simple, fun to sail, and well built. Read more

Jes Bates – Mwera’s Jester Baltimore Challenge 2025

My challenge, as for many of us, started well before the start date on the 15^th of June. I had decided, under the influence of Roger Taylor, Alan Mulholland and others, to do a junk rig conversion on Mwera, my Corribee 21. The ease of handling just one sail from the cockpit, quick reefing, a more ‘forgiving’ and simple rig were all factors in this decision.  Read More