Jake
26-06-08, 20:04
Well, that's it until 2010. All the Jester Azores participants are safely accounted for, and many are now either making their way home, or sailing on to greater adventures.
Of the final tally, we had 13 retirees - most reluctantly, but all showing good seamanship and common sense.
The rest made it, although not all arrived exactly at the finish! A few arrived at other ports in the Azores, but everyone who took part has achieved something from the experience. That's what Jester is all about, after all.
I think I'll leave the overview to the man himself, Ewen Southby-Tailyour, a deep-sea adventurer and the driving force behind giving ocean 'racing' back to the man in the street: He's given me the nod to put his words on this forum. Thanks Ewen.
He writes to the skippers - and their often long-suffering supporters:
'Now is not yet the time for me to analyse JAC08 other than to say that despite the forebodings of the begrudgers this year and two years ago (including an anonymous piece in a leading yachting magazine that suggested that all JCs would be calling on the emergency services and thus would be putting lives at risk - and that in a year when a number of well-known - vastly expensive - vessels lost keels, crews and spars: incidentally a strange silence from that journal this year! ) it has been a HUGE success thanks, entirely, to the calm professional seamanship of the skippers - both those who reached the Azores and those who retired in sensible time and in good order.
As far as I am aware no keels fell off, no one fell overboard, no one lost a spar, no one ran aground and no one called for assistance (in itself not a disgrace) and so the JACs can celebrate joining a wonderful team that - in bucking the trend for more and more rules, outrageous entry fees and unrealistic and meaningless qualifications and entry requirements (for both vessel and skipper) - has shown that true Corinthians should not be written off as irresponsible eccentrics but lauded as true seaman - not something you can say about some of the over-hyped, over-sponsored skippers in their throw-away racing machines and 24-hour shore support.
HURRAH for the JESTER AZORES CHALLENGE I say and a HUGE BRAVO ZULU for every one of the 42 starters - and the individual and collective shore-supporters (some of whom were also skippers!).
With everyone safely accounted for I can now haul down the JC signal-hoist from BV's port yard arm, raise the riding light, drink a toast to all and look forward to 2010 - and the Boat Show dinners in between.
Thank you all for making it so worth while - and Blondie would more than agree to that. Very best wishes for the next two years of preparations but don't forget to 'book in' for the JAC 2012!
Well done!
Ewen
Of the final tally, we had 13 retirees - most reluctantly, but all showing good seamanship and common sense.
The rest made it, although not all arrived exactly at the finish! A few arrived at other ports in the Azores, but everyone who took part has achieved something from the experience. That's what Jester is all about, after all.
I think I'll leave the overview to the man himself, Ewen Southby-Tailyour, a deep-sea adventurer and the driving force behind giving ocean 'racing' back to the man in the street: He's given me the nod to put his words on this forum. Thanks Ewen.
He writes to the skippers - and their often long-suffering supporters:
'Now is not yet the time for me to analyse JAC08 other than to say that despite the forebodings of the begrudgers this year and two years ago (including an anonymous piece in a leading yachting magazine that suggested that all JCs would be calling on the emergency services and thus would be putting lives at risk - and that in a year when a number of well-known - vastly expensive - vessels lost keels, crews and spars: incidentally a strange silence from that journal this year! ) it has been a HUGE success thanks, entirely, to the calm professional seamanship of the skippers - both those who reached the Azores and those who retired in sensible time and in good order.
As far as I am aware no keels fell off, no one fell overboard, no one lost a spar, no one ran aground and no one called for assistance (in itself not a disgrace) and so the JACs can celebrate joining a wonderful team that - in bucking the trend for more and more rules, outrageous entry fees and unrealistic and meaningless qualifications and entry requirements (for both vessel and skipper) - has shown that true Corinthians should not be written off as irresponsible eccentrics but lauded as true seaman - not something you can say about some of the over-hyped, over-sponsored skippers in their throw-away racing machines and 24-hour shore support.
HURRAH for the JESTER AZORES CHALLENGE I say and a HUGE BRAVO ZULU for every one of the 42 starters - and the individual and collective shore-supporters (some of whom were also skippers!).
With everyone safely accounted for I can now haul down the JC signal-hoist from BV's port yard arm, raise the riding light, drink a toast to all and look forward to 2010 - and the Boat Show dinners in between.
Thank you all for making it so worth while - and Blondie would more than agree to that. Very best wishes for the next two years of preparations but don't forget to 'book in' for the JAC 2012!
Well done!
Ewen