41–year old Dutch sailor Mark Slats and his Rustler 36 Ophen Maverick took second place overall in the 2018 Golden Globe Race last night, and despite the late hour, received a rousing welcome from Dutch, French and British supporters there to applaud his super-human efforts in trying to overhaul race winner Jean-Luc Van Den Heede back up the Atlantic Ocean.

Slats, a record-breaking Atlantic rower, was challenging for the lead from the start, but a tactical decision to follow the traditional clipper ship route on a wide sweep round the western side of the South Atlantic, left him at a 900 mile disadvantage to his French rival by the time he had reached the Cape of Good Hope. Van Den Heede then extended that lead to 2,000 miles through the Southern Ocean before his yacht Matmut, another Rustler 36, was pitchpoled some 1,900 miles west of Cape Horn which left the Frenchman with a damaged mast to nurse for the rest of the circumnavigation.

"I didn’t get forecasts for 7 days and ran straight into calms”

That gave Slats an opportunity - which he grasped with both hands. By the time he rounded Cape Horn, the Dutchman had regained 500 miles, and by the time they had reached the Azores, the difference between them in terms of distance to finish was less than 50 miles. That was when Slat’s luck ran out. Questions over the validity of his Ham radio licence, left him ostracised by the amateur net and without regular weather updates at a critical period. “I didn’t get forecasts for 7 days and ran straight into calms.”

There were also issues with Van Den Heede’s Ham licence but as he put it when talking to Slats on the dock, “I had a few French friends who kept broadcasting to me.” He was soon 400 miles ahead again and kept this cushion to the finish.

For Slats, the most frightening moments came in the Indian Ocean when caught in the same 60-70knot storm that put paid to Ireland’s Gregor McGuckin and Indian Abhilash Tomy’s challenges. “We agreed to keep in radio contact every 3 hours.” Recalled Slats. “We spoke to each other on the first two scheds. but there was no one there for the third. I learned later from Race HQ that they had both capsized and lost their rigs.”

The full force of that storm hit Ohpen Maverick soon after and she suffered two major knockdowns. During the first, Slats was thrown overboard and saved only by his lifeline, which catapulted him back on to the cockpit floor. “It was a massive knockdown through 120°, then I suffered another which filled the boat right up to the level of the nav station. “That’s when I began to pray – and they were obviously answered because after pumping by hand for an hour, and with two electric pumps working, I managed to get the boat dry.”

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, winner of the first Golden Globe Race 50 years before: sent Mark a congratulatory note. “You have my respect for a very difficult voyage well accomplished. To be second to Jean Luc is to be at the highest level of solo sailing. A fantastic performance."

Mark Slats set a time of 214 days, 12hours, 18minutes 43seconds but carries a 36-hour penalty for improper contact over the Sat Phone by his team manage which leaves him with a race time of 216 days 00hours 18 minutes 30 seconds.

Jean-Luc Van Den Heede wrote his name into the record books by not only winning the 2018 Golden Globe solo non-stop round the world race today, but becoming the oldest in history to complete such a race. The 73-year old French veteran of six solo circumnavigations takes over both titles from Britain’s Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the sole finisher of the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race 50 years before. Until the finish gun fired at 09:12 UTC, Sir Robin had held the title as the oldest solo circumnavigator in a race, after completing the Velux 5 Oceans Race in 2007 at the age of 68.

Age is clearly no barrier, for Van Den Heede has led this race ever since rounding the Cape of Good Hope. At one point he and his Rustler 36 yacht Matmut had built up a 2,000 mile lead over second placed Dutchman Mark Slats, until pitch-poled during a ferocious southern ocean storm some 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn. He and his yacht survived the ordeal but when she righted herself, Jean-Luc was devastated to find that the pressure on the bolt holding the lower shrouds had torn a 10cm long hole down the mast section.

His first reaction was to head north to the Chilean port of Valparaiso to replace the mast, which would have put him out of the running for the main prize, but two days later, he had worked out a way to repair the damage and headed back towards Cape Horn once more under reduced sail.

Slowly but surely, Mark Slats narrowed the lead, regaining 500 miles by the Horn, and by the Azores, Van Den Heede’s advantage was less than 50 miles in terms of distance to finish. But then the French veteran showed his experience, delivering a master class in ocean racing tactics to pull back a 400-mile advantage over his 41-year old rival.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, one of the first to welcome Van Den Heede at the finish, said: “Jean-Luc is to be congratulated for a magnificent performance, made all the greater by the jury repairs he had to make to his mast to stay in the Race. I’m sorry to lose my record as the oldest to race solo around the world, but it couldn’t go to a better person.”

Race Chairman Don McIntyre, who was inspired by Knox-Johnston’s achievement in winning the first solo race back in 1968/9 to organise this 50th anniversary event, was just as ecstatic: “How fantastic. What a win for Jean-Luc. He has proved that age is just a number. Jean-Luc’s performance is a classic example of planning, preparation and execution. This has been a great celebration for adventure and resurrecting the history of the original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.”

A joyful Jean-Luc Van Den Heede said: “Before the knockdown, I had a 2,000 mile lead but the repairs cost me a week which cut the lead back by 500 miles. Then, once back in the Atlantic, Mark Slats kept nibbling way at the distance and became a real threat. At the Azores, my one option was to go north as fast as I could, and a day after making that tack, Slats followed me. I could see from the weather forecasts that he was heading directly towards the high pressure system there, and a day later he was cooked. He is still cooked now – and I am here!”

More than 100 vessels ventured out into the cold wet January weather to welcome Jean-Luc back to his home port, and the entire town of Les Sables d’Olonne, including classes of school children, braved the conditions to line the harbour walls and give their hero the warmest of welcomes.

Talking about his earlier solo circumnavigations, Van Den Heede said. “My two previous Vendee Globe races (which also start and finish in Les Sables d’Olonne) were just practice races for this Golden Globe Race.”

The Golden Globe Race is unique in the fact that all the yachts are traditional long keel cruising boats between 32-36ft long. Skippers must rely on sextant, chronometer and paper charts to navigate by and can receive no outside assistance. Second placed Mark Slats, who has been penalised for receiving information directly from his shore manager yesterday, called Race HQ at 15:00 UTC seeking an update on the approaching storm predicted to blow into the Bay of Biscay on Thursday. This Low pressure system has changed direction over night and is not now expected to impinge on the course, so Slats has altered course away from refuge in La Coruna and is once more on course for Les Sables d’Olonne

Race Chairman Don McIntyre issued for following statement: “Mark Slats is currently 350 miles from the finish line and we now expect him to finish late Friday. The GGR Committee has assessed the evidence surrounding the breach of GGR Notice of Race Rule 3.1.4 - Telephone contact - and applied a 36 hour time penalty. which would normally be served in a penalty box at sea. However, because of a previous decision not to serve penalties in the Bay of Biscay at this time of the year, the penalty will be added to his finish time. A full account of the findings will be published in the next 24 hours.

The original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in 1968/9 had 9 entrants and only one finisher – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston who became the first to sail solo non-stop round the globe. This race has also had a high attrition rate with five of the original starters still in the hunt. Jean-Luc’s performance has beaten Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s time by 100 days – a remarkable achievement. Four gave up for personal reasons, one suffered steering failure and five were rolled, dismasted and rescued in the Southern Ocean, including British yachtswoman Susie Goodall. Another set a jury rig and successfully made it to Cape Town unaided, and two more were forced by circumstances to stop in Australia.

Jean-Luc van den Heede safely berthed his Rustler 36 Matmut in the Vendee Marina in Les Sables-d’Olonne shortly after 1100 hrs today to confirm him in first place in convincing style in the Golden Jubilee Golden Globe Race writes W M Nixon. Much is being made of the fact that he has bested Robin Knox-Johnston’s pioneering time with Suhaili 50 years ago by a clear 100 days, but in truth, such comparisons are an over-simplification of two very different yet outstandingly significant achievements.

By getting efficiently to port this morning, Van den Heede has kept himself safely ahead of the next complex of rapidly approaching classic Bay of Biscay superstorms, which are forecast to be so extreme that second-placed Mark Slats of The Netherlands – who was more than 350 miles astern of van den Heede when the latter finished – is currently heading for shelter in La Coruna in northwest Spain after controversial communication with his shore team.

Second-placed Golden Globe Race skipper Mark Slats tonight is facing a time penalty for a breach of satellite communication rules, and direct outside assistance from his Dutch team manager Dick Koopmans writes Barry Pickthall.

Slats is facing a dilemma: To run ahead of an approaching north-westerly storm and hope to reach the finish line off Les Sables d’Olonne on Thursday evening before it strikes the Vendee coast – a lee shore; lie hove-to outside the Bay of Biscay until the storm has passed, or seek a refuge, which is allowed under the race rules, provided he does not step ashore or communicate with the outside world other than via VHF or HF radio.

At 10:30, Race HQ received a communication from Dick Koopmans, Mark Slats' team manager, asking for the Race finish line to be moved 50 miles offshore. This was denied.

11:59, Race HQ responded to Koopmans saying that Race Chairman Don McIntyre had sent a weather warning to Slats and that Mark and subsequently called via his safety sat phone to discuss the weather scenario. Slats advised that he was receiving weather forecasts onboard and was aware of the approaching storm. The email advised Koopmans that Slats was not slowing down and continuing towards the finish line. It added. "But if you want a message passed on the weather, we are happy to do that. Just email here.”

12:21 Koopmans replied by e.mail saying that “I spoke to Geerit Hiemsta, one of our leading meteorologists in Holland…In his opinion it is completely unsafe to sail into the Bay of Biscay. He suggests to stay outside and finish in La Coruna or Brest, but not in Les Sables d’Olonne. This is also the (unofficial) opinion of the Dutch Coastguard and Falmouth Coastguard.

I am very unhappy with your advice and consider to call Mark on his Iridium phone, whatever the consequences may be.”

13:16, Race Chairman Don McIntyre responded: “Just a reminder, we never give directives to entrants. We give opinions and the final choice is up to entrants. Mark is receiving weather reports on his radio….

I would strongly suggest that you do NOT call Mark. I have offered to message him any advice you wish to send him in relation to safety avoiding the storm. I am awaiting for that advice. All decisions are the responsibility of the skipper. …I am now officially asking you for your advice on the safest route for him to take if you wish to be involved with efforts to send him to the safest place. I will then pass him that from you.”

13:28: message from GGR HQ to Mark. “Dick advice: head to la Corunna or Brest to miss the storm.”

13:33 Email from Koopmans to GGR: ”Ignoring authorities like Coastguard and top meteorologist. I do not trust the Race Committee on their knowledge in the situation. I think safety is now more important than rules.
I will send Mark messages to his Iridium phones from now on.

Advice from Mr Hiemstra – ‘Have a helicopter ready’

13:34. Email from Koopmans to GGR: Do not speak to Mark in my name.”

13:38 Race HQ to Koopmans: “Mark will be penalised for breach of rules. We have NOT been directed by any authority and if you look at your emails, we are awaiting your advice on where to send him. Your actions and comments DO NOT relate in the best interests of Mark’s race and we are both working towards Mark’s Safety. PLEASE place your message through GGR. If you need clarification, please ring. WE ARE STILL WAITING YOUR ADVICE. YOU RISK PENALISING MARK FOR NO REASON AT ALL…YOUR CHOICE. WE HAVE MADE IT CLEAR WE CAN SEND ANY MESSAGE TO HIM. WE ARE STILL WAITING. YOU MUST NOT CONTACT MARK

13:46: Email from Koopmans to Race HQ: “Safety is more important than penalties. You can read all the messages later and decide on penalties.”

Koopmans ignored RACE HQ advise and messaged Slats directly – a direct breach of the Notice of Race.

16: 00 (approx.): Mark phoned Race HQ to discuss the weather and asked permission to call Koopmans for advice, and asked for Koopman’s phone number. GGR agreed as Koopmans would not give GGR the safety information. At a subsequent meeting of the Race Committee, it was decided not to provide the number since a call to Koopmans constituted outside assistance and a further breach of the Notice of Race.

16:12: Mark called Race HQ to say that he had altered course to La Corunna and confirmed that Koopmans had contacted him directly. Slats was advised that he now faced a time penalty.

The Race Committee will meet tomorrow to access the evidence and any time penalty will have to be served at sea before the finish.

In a statement tonight, Don McIntyre said: "There are two issues here. One is safety and we all work in the best interests of Mark Slats. The second is process under the Notice of Race. GGR continues to offer safety weather advice to all competitors. Unfortunately, Slats’ team manager decided not to abide by the Notice of Race."

France’s stellar senior sailor Jean-Luc van den Heede (73) is such an experienced long-distance racer that the last thing he’d welcome is a premature celebration of his expected victory in the Golden Jubilee Golden Globe Race tomorrow morning writes W M Nixon. But in Les Sables-d’Olonne, the tension and excitement of anticipation is building as he brings his retro Rustler 36 Matmut (the “Little Snail” as he calls her) gingerly into the final hundred miles to the finish, knowing both that his rig is suspect after a pitchpole and emergency repairs in the Southern Ocean, and that by tomorrow afternoon another series of ferocious gales will be sweeping into the Bay of Biscay.

During the past week his patience and skill has been sorely tried, as Matmut has been held back by calms – in one eminently forgettable 24 hour period, he did less than 50 miles – and then yesterday he and his little boat were battered by an exceptionally vicious if brief nor’west storm, which he had to run before in order to minimise stresses on mast and rigging.

But by noon today he had safely crossed the Continental shelf without the locally disturbed waters causing too much trouble, and in effect - particularly for someone who has traversed all the world’s oceans – he is now experiencing coastal sailing, with the northwest wind in theory giving him a beam reach. But the airflow is unstable in the extreme, and constant vigilance is essential if the show is going to be brought to a successful conclusion.

Despite the difficult and uneven sailing, van den Heede has managed to maintain a lead of more than 300 miles over second-placed Mark Slats of The Netherlands in another Rustler 36, after increasing the gap in some keen strategic sailing around the Azores. In terms of time, this lead may be increased by tomorrow's approaching storm, for when the intense low at the heart of it goes driving on through into central France, there’s a possibility that Slats may find himself struggling with headwinds in order to reach the finish.

But for now, all eyes are on the Little Snail and her gallant skipper. He started from Les Sables d’Olonne on July 1st with the rest of what was then a fleet, but is now a much-depleted flotilla. However, not all would have reckoned that the first boat would be within sight of the finish before the end of January. After all, fifty years ago, when Robin Knox-Johnston was pioneering the route in Suhaili, at this time stage he had still to round Cape Horn. Matmut may be light years ahead of Suhaili in terms of design development despite her retro pedigree, but there’s no escaping the fact that van den Heede is also a remarkable force in racing terms.

Race tracker here

Veteran French skipper Jean-Luc van den Heede (73) has been giving a strategic sailing masterclass in the final 1500 miles of the Golden Jubilee Golden Globe Race writes W M Nixon. A week ago, after enduring flukey and unfavourable conditions all the way northward from the Equator, his distance from the finish was barely 50 miles less than that of second-placed Mark Slats, although the two boats out in mid-ocean were never within two hundred miles of each other.

This was because van den Heede was making every effort to get himself northwest towards the slowly approaching more favourable winds. In the end he made so much westing that he passed through the western passage of the Azores, and soon found himself making excellent speeds in the right direction well north of the islands, despite his boat’s damaged rig.

Meanwhile, it was Slats who was now drawing the short straw in terms of the developing wind situation. His position well to the southeast meant he was on the wrong side of the new weather setup which was favouring van den Heede, and in the end he passed the Azores to the eastward, hard on the wind.

Van den Heede is only 700 miles from the finish, right on line for Les Sables d’Olonne in the Bay of Biscay on port tack in northwest to north winds, and making 6.8 knots in his “Little Snail”, as he has nick-named his Rustler 36 Malmut.

But Slats in his sister-ship is close northeast of the Azores, hard on the wind at only 5 knots on starboard tack, and all of 1020 miles from the finish. It’s looking good for van den Heede. Yet we mustn’t forget that he’s racing with that roughly-repaired rig, even if - despite it - he was making 7.9 knots in the right direction north of the Azores.

Race tracker here: https://goldengloberace.com/livetracker/

French race leader Jean-Luc Van Den Heede served out his 18-hour penalty (for improper use of his satellite phone on 09.11.2018) on Saturday and is now clear to race the remaining 2,150 miles to the finish at Les Sables d'Olonne. He expects to arrive there on 26th January.

But will he still be first?

While Jean-Luc was serving his 'time-out' in the penalty box south of the 20°N parallel, 2nd placed Dutchman Mark Slats was powering northwards through the SE Trades at more than 5 knots and by 08:00 UTC today, had closed the difference in 'distance to finish' to within 417 miles. Worse for Jean-Luc, the NE Trade winds have disappeared and he is likely to be facing the frustration of calms until Wednesday at least, while Slats continues to make strong gains.

The two skippers are racing identical Rustler 36 designs, but Matmut carries a smaller rig and mast damage, which Jean-Luc does not want to overpress. Ophen Maverick has the benefit of a larger sail plan, but after 25,000 miles, she beginning to show signs of wear which could lead to breakages. These final 2 weeks promise to provide a nerve-racking finale.

Third placed Estonian skipper Uku Randmaa and his Rustler 36 One and All, survived last week's South Atlantic storm unscathed, and now finds himself drifting in a hole, making only 1 knot on Sunday, so has used the time to dive overboard and give the hull another clean. The forecast suggests that the winds will not return until later today – and then from the north! His climb up towards the Equator will not any easier than it was for the two leaders but at least temperatures are warming by the day.

Surprisingly, Istvan Kopar, who rounded Cape Horn on December 1, has made most progress of all during the past 5 days, but now head winds have become his new reality and Puffin's VMG has dropped to 2.8knots today.

Also surprising is the 5.1knots recorded by Tapio Lehtinen's Finnish entry Asteria. She is covered in barnacle growth, which is sapping her speed at an ever-increasing rate. Last week, GGR HQ lifted the restriction of the NO-GO ZONE south of the 42°S Parallel in the South Pacific as a safety measure for Lehtinen to escape the worst of a Southern Ocean storm running up behind, and Tapio has been running before strong NE wind towards Cape Horn ever since.

What would Christmas be like without sailing? Such a state of deprivation just doesn’t bear thinking about writes W M Nixon. But thanks to the wonders of modern communication - which at other times can be too much of a good thing - your Irish sailor who finds Christmas is becoming over-powering can hide away and dial up the already busy entry list for next summer’s Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, or follow the racetrackers for the Golden Globe or the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race, and there he or she is – gone…….

Marvellous. You don’t even need to go sailing to get sailing at Christmas. There’s the ongoing drama of the Golden Globe to take you away. In it, the wonderful senior sailor Jean-Luc van den Heede (who looks for all the world like Willie Nelson’s much healthier brother, and sails every bit as well as Brother Willie sings) is hanging onto his lead despite his rig being in shreds, and in recent days has even managed to hold his distance ahead of the very determined Dutchman Mark Slats.

Separated at birth…..? Singer Willie Nelson and sailor Jean-Luc van den Heede 

Slats doesn’t look like any iconic singer that we know of, but we’re open to suggestions, for our knowledge of the Dutch music scene is limited, and this is the season of goodwill. That said, we’re all rooting for Willie (sorry, for Jean-Luc), for the man has sailing talent and courage to spare.

For the rest of us, if the complete lower shroud mast fitting started cutting its way down through the alloy extrusion of the mast itself, then it would be a matter of getting to port pronto under power, putting professional riggers on the job, and maybe even getting m’learned friends to write a letter to the manufacturers.

But when it happened to Jean-Luc after a massive knockdown of his Rustler 36 Malmut, he was in the middle of nowhere, yet somehow this 73-year-old guy got himself up the mast in the midst of the very rolling ocean and did enough between the shroud tangs and the lower spreader sockets to stop the shrouds cutting any further south.

Mark Slats’ Rustler 36 Maverick looking decidedly purposeful. Despite two knockdowns in the storm which dismasted Gregor McGuckin and Abilash Tomy, Maverick’s rig is still intact and he is remorselessly hunting down the damaged Golden Globe leader Malmut

It did mean that he could no longer drive his Rustler 36 Malmut as hard as he would have liked, as the mast at times has been giving a passable impression of a piece of spaghetti. So in going on round Cape Horn and such things, he was forced to be sailing with three reefs in when one or two would normally have been all that was required.

Thus an astonishing lead of well over a thousand miles on second-placed Slats has been steadily whittled away, but as of today (Friday) van den Heede is through the 3,900 mile barrier to the finish and 707 miles ahead of Slats. But with some very difficult conditions to be negotiated with this dodgy rig before he gets beck to Les Sables d’Olonne, his problems will be prodigious, for there’ll almost certainly be rugged windward work in the Northeast Trades, and the cobbled-together rig setup emphatically dislikes slugging to windward.

If he does get back under his own steam, there’ll be some party, and this item here from Facebook shows that Jean-Luc isn’t shy of giving it a bit of a lash with the old vocal cords himself. It may not be comparable with Willie Nelson giving his defining rendition of The City of New Orleans, but then we doubt if Willie could get up a mast and carry out the repair which has carried Malmut over thousands of miles.

Meanwhile, the Southern Ocean is now becoming quite cluttered with abandoned Golden Globe racers, and all of them mastless. Gregor McGuckin’s Biscay 36 Hanley Energy Endurance is the most salvageable at the moment, as she has drifted to within 1,250 miles of Western Australia.

Although any salvor would have to think about a new rig in due course, at least there’s the bonus of the special Glendalough whiskey which - all being well - is still safe in its barrel down below decks, as the pre-race foredeck location at Dun Laoghaire, Falmouth and Les Sables was for display purposes only. Ultimately, the idea was to bottle it at race’s end as a collector’s item, with each bottle selling for ginormous amounts. It could happen yet.

Attention all whiskey enthusiasts in Western Australia…..this unique barrel of Glendalough is stowed below aboard Hanley Energy Endurance only 1250 miles away from Perth. Photo: W M Nixon

IRISH INTEREST IN SYDNEY-HOBART

When we think of what the Glendalough barrel and the boats have been through since this Golden Jubilee Suhaili circumnavigation re-enactment began on July 1st, it does rather put the claims about the Rolex Sydney-Hobart being one of the most rugged in the world into perspective. But for sailors who aren’t superhuman, the 628-mile annual classic can be quite enough to be going along with – a view which is supported by the many Volvo Ocean Race veterans who will be on various boats of significance when the race to Hobart gets going on December 26th.

Among them is ex-Pat Gordon Maguire, very much an Australian sailor these days, but he cut his sailing teeth in Howth. He did his fair share and more of successful Volvo racing, but next Wednesday the number one item on the agenda is getting the best performance out of Matt Allen Botin 52 Ichi Ban, with which the Allen-Maguire team took the Tattersalls Cup – the overall IRC winner – in 2017’s race. If they manage it again this time round, it will only be the third time in the race’s history that it has been won back-to-back.

Matt Allen’s Botin 52 Ichi Ban, with Gordon Maguire on the strength for his 21st race to Hobart, is looking for another overall IRC win for the Tattersalls Cup in next week’s Rolex Sydney-Hobart race

A potent yet simple racing machine – tiller-steering enthusiasts see their dreams fulfilled aboard Ichi Ban

Inevitably much interest focuses on the half-dozen hundred footers, with the Mark Richards-skippered Wild Oats XI increasingly fancied, as it doesn’t look as though there’ll always be enough wind around to get the best out of the big fat girls such as Jim Cooney’s Comanche and Christian Beck’s Infotrack.

There’s Irish interest in both of them, as Jim Cooney maintains family links with Ballivor in County Meath and Justin Slattery is in his crew, while Infotrack we knew well when she wasn’t quite looking her best – she was then called Rambler 100, and was more than somewhat inverted at the Fastnet Rock in August 2011.

P

The boat of many identities. The JK100 Infotrack has had several different names over the years, and looks decidedly different these days in Australia (above) than when last seen in Irish waters near the Fastnet Rock in August 2011 (below)

Other Irish interest focuses on the attractive Sydney 47 Wot’s Next, as Brian O’Sullivan of Tralee (overall winner of the 2013 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race and June 2013 Afloat.ie “Sailor of the Month”) is in the crew. Wot’s Next is as Australian as the kangaroo - the Sydney 47 marque was designed by Murray Burns and Dovell in 2004, and they’re built in state-of-the-art style by Sydney Yachts, which was spun out of the late Ian Bashford’s raceboat building company. The word is the Sydney Yachts inheritors build just slightly more ruggedly than Bashford aimed for. He was so obsessed (and quite rightly so) with keeping weight out of the ends, that it’s said you could almost push your finger through the transoms of his all-conquering J/35s. Maybe so, but they did the business - they were winners every which way.

The attractive Sydney 47 Wot’s Next will have former Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race overall winner Brian O’Sullivan of Tralee in her crew for the Sydney-Hobart Race
The accommodation style in the totally Australian Sydney 47 is very much ahead of the curve

ENTRIES ROLL IN FOR VDLR 2019

Christmas is a time for mixed feelings this year for the organisers of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, for this week they lost one of their founding fathers with the sad death of Owen McNally. Afloat.ie will carry an appreciation of Owen in the near future, and he of all people would have been delighted with the healthy uptake there has been in early entries for 2019’s staging of Ireland’s ultimate sailfest, whose dates are July 11th to 14th.

Already they’re pushing towards the hundred mark, with early entries in 22 of the 39 classes for which racing will be scheduled, and notably strong input from outside Dublin Bay.

You may recall that Half Ton Classics Champion Dave Cullen with Checkmate admitted - after he’d won the title in Belgium - that he always like to have things done well in time, so doubtless Checkmate has already been prepared for next season by Alan Power at Malahide. Meanwhile, she’s firmly on the list for Dun Laoghaire next July, as too are the two HYC-owned J/24s which - in a sign of the times - are to be campaigned by Under 18 crews.

In the depths of the economic recession, they were sailed by Under 25 crews, but in these boomtime days, it seems that any capable 24-year-old is expected to have secured his or her own boat by some means or other, but Under 18s deserve a helping hand.

Either way, getting the entry in early is not only efficient and evidence of good management, but it acts as a very positive signs for existing or potential crew, and it’s of interest to note that from the home fleet at Dun Laoghaire, those signed up include the Goodbody clan with their successful J/109 White Mischief, and the Dublin Bay 2018 First 31.7 champion Camira (Peter Beamish & Andrew Jones

The Dublin Bay First 31.7 champion Camira (Peter Beamish & Andrew Jones) is already signed up for next summer’s Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O’Brien

The crew of Hong Kong registered cargo ship MV Tian Fu has successfully rescued the distressed British yachtswoman Susie Goodall 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn.

Susie sent the text: 07 Dec 15:14 UTC: ON THE SHIP!!! Position: 45' 10.711 S 121' 40.157 W

The ship is now bound for Modran, Argentina and expected to reach port on 22/23rd December.

After a tense 50 hour vigil, HM Coastguard received the welcome news that Susie Goodall, British Skipper of ‘DHL Starlight’ has been safely rescued by the MV ‘Tian Fu’ just before 3.30pm today (7 December).

The dramatic rescue operation unfolded just after 10.30am on Wednesday 5 December when HM Coastguard’s MCC (Mission Control Centre) in Fareham (Hampshire UK) picked up an EPIRB distress alert from Susie’s vessel ‘DHL Starlight’, some 2,200nm off the coast of Chile whilst competing in the Golden Globe Yacht Race.

Keeping in constant contact via sat phone communications Susie was able to inform Golden Globe Yacht Race HQ that the vessel “pitch polled” (rolled end over end) and was dismasted during severe weather of 7m seas and high winds.

MRCC Chile (the Chilean Coastguard) led the search and rescue operation and immediately called upon two nearby vessels to divert their course and go to Susie’s aid.

During the tense wait, Falmouth Coastguard Operations Centre and the National Maritime Operations Centre in Fareham also kept a vigil over Susie’s situation and was in regular liaison with the Chilean authorities and Golden Globe Race HQ.

The MV ‘Tian Fu’ – a Hong Kong flagged vessel – reached Susie’s vessel at approx. 1.15pm (UTC) today (7 December) and Susie reported via Satphone text ‘ON THE SHIP!!!’ about 3.30pm. This news was confirmed by Golden Globe Race HQ and MRCC Chile a few minutes later.

She was reported to be in good spirits and uninjured, despite her ordeal.

The MV ‘Tian Fu’ is continuing its journey to Punta Arenas where Susie will disembark.

Ian Guy, Duty Controller for HM Coastguard said: “This was a very demanding long range rescue which was made even more complex because it was taking place 2,000nm off Cape Horn. During this period, Susie was at the mercy of 7m seas and severe weather and it’s a credit to her that she remained in good spirits during this tense wait. Whilst this was happening, HM Coastguard remained in continuous contact with MRCC Chile and Golden Globe Race HQ.

“In this weather and at this range, it was vital that we provided as much assistance as possible to the lead agency MRCC Chile, and we maintained a watchful eye over the situation for updates via satellite phone. Our priority is to protect life at sea and we will always do everything possible to provide assistance for a mariner in need. In the event we can't get there ourselves, we do our best to identify someone who can which is exactly what we did in this case. Only two vessels responded to the Mayday Relay broadcast that was issued - largely as a result of the remote area the incident was in - and in the end Susie was rescued by the MV 'Tian Fu' who had diverted its course to provide assistance. Although this must have been harrowing for Susie, this is a superb example of international co-operation and we would like to thank Golden Globe Race HQ, MRCC Chile, MV 'Tian Fu', MV 'Talimen', and all those who have played their part in bringing this rescue to a textbook and safe conclusion.”

Don McIntyre, Golden Globe Race Chairman and Race Founder said: “While that first phone call from HM Coastguard is always a bit of a shock, it is great to now look back at a very professional operation by an international team led by MRCC Chile and the Master and crew of the MV 'Tian Fu' ending with a successful outcome, Susie Goodall safely winched aboard ship. We will always be grateful for the efforts of all in this challenging situation.”

British yachtswoman Susie Goodall remains safe and secure aboard her yacht DHL Starlight after being pitchpoled and dismasted in the Southern Ocean some 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn yesterday.

Overnight, Chilean rescue authorities have tasked another ship, the 38,000 ton Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier MV Tian Fu bound from China to Modran, Argentina, to go to her aid and it is due to reach her position at 05:00 UTC Friday.

Conditions have moderated overnight but seas remain challenging, making life onboard very uncomfortable.

Susie remains in regular contact with Race HQ and will spend today preparing for evacuation tomorrow. The flooding is now under control, and today she will endeavour to coax DHL Starlight's engine to run again in case she is required to manoeuvre her yacht alongside the ship. She will also ensure that the yacht's liferaft is ready to deploy.

It will still be dark when the MV Tian Fu reaches the scene and the rescue operation is unlikely to commence before daylight. It will be for her Captain to decide the best method to transfer Goodall from yacht to ship. This could entail launching the ship's own man-overboard vessel, or lowering a cargo net or ladder over the side for her to climb up from the yacht or her liferaft.

Timeline of text messages received from Susie Goodall before and after being dismasted:

05 Dec 08:29 UTC: TAKING A HAMMERING! WONDERING WHAT ON EARTH I'M DOING OUT HERE Position: 45' 33.054 S 122' 37.061 W

05 Dec 12:33 UTC; DISMASTED.HULL OK. NO FORM OF JURY RIG, TOTAL LOSS Position: 45' 27.787 S 122' 23.537 W

05 Dec 12:57 UTC: INTERIOR TOTAL WRECK, LIFERAFT OK, Position: 45' 27.284 S 122' 22.985

05 Dec 13:23 UTC: NASTY HEAD BANG AS BOAT PITCHPOLED. UNBELIEVABLY ROLY NOW Position: 45' 26.735 S 122' 22.490 W

05 Dec 13:24 UTC: TOTALLY & UTTERLY GUTTED! Position: 45' 26.702 S 122' 22.460 W

05 Dec 23:04 UTC: THIS MOTION IS JUST HORRIBLE! CLINGING ON IN MY BUNK. Position: 45' 25.629 S 122' 13.763 W

06 Dec 02:51 UTC: IN NEED OF A GOOD CUPPA TEA! BUT SADLY NO COOKER Position: 45' 24.506 S 122' 05.482 W