Crew cut for Leopard

If everything had gone to plan I should have been writing this note tonight somewhere in the English channel helping to crew one of the fastest yachts in the world to what just might have been a record-breaking run in the 608-mile Fastnet ocean race.

But fate decided otherwise in the form of an unusually severe weather pattern heading towards the south west coast of Ireland with the Fastnet Rock in its path.

I had been invited to sail with property developer Mike Slade's 100ft super maxi yacht, ICAP Leopard, with a 25-strong core-crew of top professional sailors.

In reality, with no experience of the boat, I think that most of my time would have been spent keeping out of the way of the pros. But in easy sailing conditions there might have been the chance to pull on the odd rope.

Everything changed, however, when the race organisers were alerted to a weather pattern building in the Atlantic and expected to break on Tuesday.

You have to expect bad weather in sailing but many can remember the devastating storm that ripped through the Fastnet fleet in 1979, wrecking several yachts and killing 15 sailors.

Mindful of that earlier disaster, the organisers postponed the race start 25-hours. The thinking is that the smaller yachts will be close to Land's End as the gales come through, allowing them the opportunity to abandon the race if they choose before pushing on in to the Irish Sea. Indeed some have already pulled out.

The faster maxis and open 60s, however, will be well out at sea by then. Ironically, had the race started on time, the faster yachts would probably have beaten the storm back to port. Now they may bare the brunt of it.

That was bad news for me. A meeting among the Leopard management decided in the circumstances they would be sailing only with the core professional crew. So the extras and guests, including me, are no longer on board.

I suppose I ought to be relieved that I won't be facing such tough conditions but I can't hide my disappointment. I don't blame the skipper and the owner. They must do what they think is best but I was starting to feel a part of the race and it's hard to find myself sidelined.

My old friend Philippe Falle is racing on Puma Logic, the yacht we sailed last year in the Round Britain and Ireland Race. The Sailing Logic business mentioned in this earlier blog has several boats entered. The crews will be filing regular progress reports here. I wish them well.

Postscript: Leopard finished the race in a record breaking time. It didn't win, However. On corrected time that honour went to the 50ft Chieftain just as it did in last years Round Britain and Ireland Race.