Jonathan Crinion Ocean Racing

Jonathan Crinion and one of the world's leading Naval Architecture firms; that of Owen Clark Design LLP have together designed and developed a superb racing machine to the new Class 40 Rule of 2004.

Vessel Name: Friends of the Earth
Vessel Make/Model: Owen Clark Design Open 40
Crew: Jonathan Crinion
20 October 2006 | Pendennis Marina, Falmouth, UK
18 October 2006 | 48,5.57N , 9,13.81W
17 October 2006 | 45,29.51N , 11,19.44W
17 October 2006 | 42,44.86N , 13,40.48W
16 October 2006 | 42,33.68N , 14,3.52W
16 October 2006
13 October 2006
13 October 2006
07 September 2006
14 August 2006
10 August 2006
10 August 2006
07 August 2006
02 August 2006
01 August 2006
24 July 2006
Recent Blog Posts
20 October 2006 | Pendennis Marina, Falmouth, UK

Falmouth

Well that's it, Cape Town to Falmouth. This last bit of the voyage from Madeira has seen some of the worst weather ever - non stop. My wind strategy worked well to go up the centre of the English channel and ships criss crossed all night. The weather grib files have been hopelessly wrong for the past [...]

18 October 2006 | 48,5.57N , 9,13.81W

Knock down

The ocean can be brutal. More to the point the weather can be. Yesterday was sunny but with large swells and I had been hitting 17 knots reaching on and off for most of the afternoon. Speeding off faster and faster, the feeling is exhilarating. With a reef in the main and the Genoa up I was under canvassed [...]

17 October 2006 | 45,29.51N , 11,19.44W

Approaching the channel

All along I've used one nautical chart for the Southern Hemisphere and St Helena and another for the Northern Hemisphere plus one for Madeira. I'm making fast progress at the moment and should be on the 10 degree West Longitude line shortly where I will switch to a detailed chart to take me into La [...]

17 October 2006 | 42,44.86N , 13,40.48W

Contemplation

I'm starting to understand why Bernard Moitessier made the turn and headed towards the Pacific. He was wondering what he would arrive back to if he kept going on to the UK. It's so vast out here and so far away from everything. I have a 360 degree view of the universe. I'm completely self sufficient [...]

16 October 2006 | 42,33.68N , 14,3.52W

Storm Warning

Wisdom says go wide of the Bay of Biscay but my weather files are showing a huge area of no wind to the West of me which forms the centre of a large and very vicious looking low heading this way.

Friends of the Earth arrives in Madeira

17 August 2006
32,44.49N , 16,42.76W
Position: 32,44.49N , 16,42.76W
Speed: 0 knots, Course: 137 deg.
UTC Time: 15. August 2006 08:31

We have arrived in Quinta do Lorde, a small marina, and the only one deep enough, just north of Funchal on the Island of Madeira.

Just as well as we ate our last meal the night before. We had originally planned our food based on the length of the route, plus a factor for tacking but in the end our tacks were longer and we travelled a greater distance: Over 6500 nautical miles!

We are moored beside one yacht from the UK and another from Canada. It's reassuring to hear their stores about breakages and things not going according to plan to know that we actually faired quite well thus far all in all.

The plan is to now make repairs and gather up parts that have been ordered. We have discovered that our stern rudder has been wearing on the hull. It has stripped off a one meter square patch of gel coat and worn the hull badly.

This wear would have been the cause of a chain of events that lead up from the stiff steering to the pilot bracket having to work so hard and sheering the mount. Getting that sorted will take some time.

A new solant sail, Xantrex electrical panel, new lines among many other items have been ordered and need time to arrive. It's hard to predict how long it will take for this to all come together but I would expect a couple of weeks given the amount of work and lack of resources here.

Brian is jumping ship here and the rest of the sail up to La Rochelle and Falmouth will be single handed so everything has to be in perfect order. If the auto pilot was to break for example I'd be in big trouble as there would be no way to let go of the tiller and thus no way to sleep or take a break.

So I'm off to look for supplies now and keen to get sorted for the next leg.

All the best,
Jonathan
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Friends of the Earth's Photos -

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