Oyster Regatta
Juno
Paul and Caroline Frew
Mon 3 Oct 2011 18:17
Ten knots of wind, a full crew and five minutes to the start of the first
race in the Oyster Regatta in Palma. On board are Caroline and me, Andrew
and Jeanette, Kim (Tina coming tomorrow) and Richard from Oyster. Only
Richard and I have raced before so we are all a little nervy as we circle
for the start of the first race. We time our run from the gun that signifies
two minutes to the start and we gybe onto Starboard tack to give us right of
way on the starting line. Jeanette counts us down to the gun and we cross
the line about a minute late going at full speed. Two hours later we round
the final mark and cross the finish line. We discover later that we finished
eighth in Class One out of a total of 16 boats. Class 2 is for boats up to
56 feet and Class 1 is for 57 and above – that makes us the smallest boat in
the big boys’ class, with the largest yacht being Starry Night, an 82
footer.
After lunch in the cockpit under a very hot Mallorca sun, we are ready for
the second race of the day. We start badly, getting crowded out by the
bigger boats and they power past us leaving us in their wind shadow. We
recover a little as the race goes on but our lack of a spinnaker or cruising
chute makes us slow going down wind in light airs. We finish a respectable
9th in the second race having cut our teeth and already our crew are
becoming competitive, and talk on the way back to the dock is how we will do
better tomorrow.
We are based at the Royal Club Nautico Palma, so called because the King of
Spain is a member and patron of the club. This patronage comes with a blend
of old school nauticalia combined withmodern Gallicdécor with white chairs
around anOlympic size pool set in dark teak decking. The clubhouse is set
right on the water and a convoy of 35 Oysters is descending on the dock at
full speed, sending the marineros scampering up and down the pontoons,
catching lines from crew members who are hot and thirsty and charged with
the excitement of the first days racing. Next comes the ritual of the
passarelle, with shouts of ‘up a bit’, ‘down’, ‘no… DOWN!’ until all 35
yachts are settled with shore power attached, hoses snaking across the decks
filling water tanks for 250 showers as everyone prepares for the drinks
party on the terrace. There is a groan from our pontoon as 35
airconditioners cause the power to trip and oyster technicians are sent
urgent calls to ensure that owners’ wives can operate hair dryers in
preparation for the evening’s festivities.
Waiting for us on the dock as we return is Tina, who has been delayed by a
dose of flu which we hope will be cured by the Mallorcan sunshine. The next
morning we are racing from Palma to Andrax, a village set around a marina on
the west coast of Mallorca. It is a race downwind and we decide that we have
to use our big red cruising chute as it is going to be downwind all the way.
It takes us twenty minutes to hoist the chute and we sail badly, sailing all
the wrong angles downwind and as a result we come second to last. It’s been
a very frustrating race but once over the line we motor to a lovely bay
where we drop anchor and swim before lunch and a Juno snooze. Then it’s time
to motor around the headland into Andrax where we are staying the night. A
quick shower and then we board coaches which wind their way up narrow roads
to a vineyard in the hills above the port. After wine tasting on the
terrace, dinner is served in a huge vaulted hall with wine barrels stacked
high to the ceiling. We are all tired after another long day in the hot sun
and we catch the first coach back to the boat.
Thursday dawns with a stronger wind blowing into the bay. The race committee
announces over the radio that we can expect 15 knots from the East which
means that we will be sailing upwind all day. The cruising chute stays
firmly in the sail bag and we prepare for the start. By now our crew are
well drilled with Caroline and Andrew on Genoa, Kim on mainsheet, Jeanette
on stopwatch and Tina giving me a commentary on how we are doing against our
competitors. I decide to stay up wind of the fleet to make sure that we get
clear air. We start our run for the line earlier this time and in the strong
wind we are in danger of crossing too soon so I bear off and run down the
line building speed as we go. With Jeanette counting down the seconds we
trim the sails for maximum speed and we cross the line at full tilt just as
the gun goes off, right at the front of the pack. Juno is heeled over at
maximum power and we lead the fleet around the first headland as the
photographer’s helicopter hovers above us, cameras whirring for the Oyster
marketing machine. Caroline and Andrew calculate the point at which we tack
and we round the headland just as the wind starts to drop. As we cross the
finish line we know we have sailed a great race and we take bets on our
finishing position. We shower and dress quickly so as not to miss the drinks
party and the results announcement. David Tydeman, the CEO of Oyster, reads
out the results for Class One ‘In third place…..Juno of London’ . David also
hands out two prizes for the best start of the day; one for Sotto Vento and
one to Juno. We collect a bottle of champagne and get a cheer from the
crowd.
The next day Kim and Tina have to leave us and Kit and Stevie take over.
It’s the final race of the regatta and it’s a pursuit race with the slowest
boats starting first and the fast boats last. The idea is that the staggered
start should result in everyone crossing the finish line together but that
assumes that everyone sails a perfect race. We have another good start and
Caroline and Andrew once again call the tack to perfection. We round the
upwind mark with only feet to spare and as we crack off on the downwind
reach towards the finish line we are well placed. The yachts with cruising
chutes start to gain on us but the wind strengthens and we power down to the
finish line, eighth out of 35 yachts - a great result in the conditions.
The gala dinner is in a huge privately owned house in Palma and Caroline
looks very glamorous as she picks up our prizes for coming third and eighth.
Over dinner we speak to Matthew from Dolphin sails and we order a new furler
which will enable us to set our cruising chute faster at the next regatta in
the British Virgin Islands next year. When I ask him what he needs he
replies ‘don’t worry – we have your measurements’. I am not sure if this is
the luff length of the sail or my credit card details but either way, we now
know what Caroline is getting for Christmas.
The next day Jeanette goes to hospital to have her bruised foot x-rayed, and
we discover that she has in fact broken some bones in her foot and she
returns in plaster wielding crutches. We hope that she will recover in time
for the BVI. As our friends leave us and return to real life, Caroline and I
have our bikes on the dock so that we can visit the marinas in Palma to find
a berth for Juno for the winter. Its mid October but still hot in Mallorca
with 30 degrees during the day and warm evenings, but there is a hint of
Autumn in the air and we feel that it will soon be time to return home.
