Sailing logic

London, Saturday; another year, another Boat Show. All those boats and nowhere to sail them. It's simply overpowering. After about ten minutes I'd had enough. But I didn't go to see the boats. I went to see my old friend Philippe Falle.

If you want to learn sail racing Philippe is your man. Check out Sailing Logic Racing, a business that that moulds winning crews from absolute beginners to those who already enjoy a racing pedigree. He has won the Royal Ocean Racing Club school boat trophy for the last three seasons running and should have been representing the UK in the Commodore's Cup had there been any justice in the team selection.

Philippe's Puma Logic crew qualified on the water but they clearly didn't carry enough clout with the stuffed shirts at RORC headquarters and so they were overlooked. Now he's recruiting teams for this year's racing season that includes the Fastnet race.

I'm hoping to get a berth with someone for the Fastnet, maybe even an Open 60 if I get lucky. I decided that to declare that my ocean sailing days were over after a tortuous Round Britain and Ireland Race last summer was a hasty reaction. It's amazing how quickly you forget how bad it all was.

Almost all of my sailing experience has involved going hell for leather trying to get the maximum boat speed every bit of the time. Having done very little cruising, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to sail a boat leisurely. Must try it some time.