On a bright Saturday morning when most of us are still in bed (ok, ok, it was still dark at 4am) the intrepid band of yacht brokers from Boatshed Cowes on the Isle of Wight took up the challenge to sail around the island to raise money for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, the Isle of Wight’s only facility for end of life care. The event was organised by the East Cowes Sailing Club, in co-operation with the Westerly Owners association. The field, which numbered around 45, was split into various groups, the smaller craft sailing a shorter route in the Solent with the sports yachts, the Westerly’s and the larger cruisers sailing and setting off at varying intervals for the full-monty starting line at East Cowes.

The Boatshed Cowes entry was organised by Frank Gelder, the founder of Boatshed Cowes who sadly retired from the Boatshed Group but still a vibrant and active campaigner of Boatshed in his new retired life. We definitely can say the old computer rooster is not ready for his pipe and slippers just yet! His yacht, a Hunter Legend 335 was the appointed vessel and both Jon Roberts and George Couzens who now run Boatshed Cowes were among the crew, wide awake and raring to go, particularly after lots of coffee for all.

Imagine the picture - the weather was beautiful with the sun shining, waves nonexistent and the crew of 7, desperately puffing into the sail to get some wind (nature was not our best friend on the race day) and then we hit the start line - just! A number of near misses at the start occurred as we drifted slowly out of Cowes before getting a breeze (or was it Frank on the mobile chatting to the wife who couldn’t get the camera working) which set us on our way to Yarmouth. So it was Spinnaker up and see what this Hunter was about. As we all know they are usually bilge or fin keeled and renowned for their cruising stability and generous accommodation. However, Frank being Frank, had managed to find a rare wing keel version which felt very different and very responsive likely due to the enormous rudder that looked like it had been on the Titanic and being able to carry more sail than the average model.

We sailed - yes, it was a challenge - deeper in the Solent channel- secret weapon, good currents - and made our way through the fleet with relative ease. The wind being unpredictable and the tide certainly assisting ensured the crew went into pirate mode with many a shout from Captain Pugwash at the wheel asking what Roger the cabin boy was doing! Arrrrgh !!

Yarmouth behind us, the needles were next in our sights. Unsurprisingly the wind was still uncertain however we continued on our merry way with some unique ideas of how to go faster. George Couzens thought if we ate our way through the food we would lighten the load and set out to prove it. He is not called ‘hollow legs’ Couzens without good reason!

Rounding the needles the inevitable happened. What little breeze we had was stolen. To start with around 5 boats laid there motionless doing a very good impression of dead ducks, drifting to the occasion waft of one of the Westerly’s cooking bacon - much to the annoyance of Mr Couzens as he’d run out of sausage rolls. Slowly the rest of the fleet caught us up and we all bobbed about for some time but happily the wind picked back up, this time with some gusto and took us past St Catherine’s Point. The speed merchants disappeared into the distance and from that statement you know it wasn’t us and along with two competitors in our group, a 50ft Beneteau and a 34ft Oceanis, we tacked our way around the southern part of the island.

All was going well until we hit Shanklin Bay – thankfully not literally - where once again we lost the wind. Everyone tried to find it with some going inshore, others much further out. The motley crew stayed in the middle – obviously risk takers - leaning on Jon Roberts huge experience in many past races but sadly with no wind and the tide not far off turning, we weren’t going anywhere. There was a bonus though – neither was anyone else.

The radio crackled into life and we heard boat after boat announce they were retiring from the race. We were sure this had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that at 19.00hrs the East Cowes Sailing Club had organised a Bar-B-Q, two live bands and a bar! By this time we had to restrain Mr Couzens as you can imagine. The fleet was slowly being diminished by the conditions and eventually we heard over the radio that the organisers had reduced the course and the new finish line was just short of Bembridge Ledge. Oh no! New problem! The tide about to change we weren’t sure if we could make that!! Ever felt someone was out to get you??

Ingenuity has never been slow with Boatshed Cowes and a quick check of the windex we noticed the very light wind had turned and was now coming from south westerly. There is a god! As we were carrying a 6oz Spinnaker, up it went with man against the boom. We started edging forward, George Couzens at the helm and GPS – see, men can multitask! Jon Roberts coaxing every knot out of the sails with his partner Suzi Twyman on the sheets, oh and Frank Gelder legs over the bow with Jon’s son Matthew talking tactics. Well we think it was tactics we couldn’t hear because of Franks singing!

We had lost the Oceanis that was stuck in Shanklin Bay and the 50ft Beneteau was well in our sights. However, they noticed our ploy and attempted to get their chute up but it flailed in the light wind. Someone was on our side!! Just as we hit the finish, we pulled ahead of them much to the cheering of the crew – no, ours not theirs! - we had done it!! So engine on and power back to East Cowes Marina – well, as much power with 18hp you can get.

12 hrs 36 minutes after the start we had finished. Our round the island race had become a nearly round the island marathon. As we moored up, Suzi shouted out to us ‘are we supposed to have water in the cabin?’ which generated the fastest moves we’d seen all day. Jon, engine off, George diving below and then back up, Jon with bung, George shoving bung in the hole, water stopped. Phew! The exhaust plugged and the sea cocks off, we found we had a sheared exhaust elbow! More expense! However it was a good run out for the boat and a good prelude for the Round the Island race on the 19th where once again the intrepid crew from Boatshed Cowes plus a couple of new seadogs will set out again. Absolutely sure you will be sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for that review!

Yes, I know you are wondering. We raised over £350 for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, came 8th overall and 1st in our class. Not a bad first outing and it won’t be the last.