So,
what is in store for Vandal Ocean Racing this year?
We
are working up to the Round Britain and Ireland Race 2014,
starting on 8th June 2014. In
2006 we came 1st in Class 2 which was 13th overall and in
2010, having built a new boat specifically for the race, we
came 3rd in Class 2 but 10th overall. In 2014 Leslie will
be racing with Ewan Stirling, an experienced single-handed
offshore racer who is also from Shetland.
The
yacht 'Vandal', which was designed specifically for this race,
is now up to speed and they understand how to get the best
out of her. This knowledge will allow them to contend the
2014 race extremely keenly and they are very optimistic of
an even more successful outcome.
In
the last three years they have clocked 10,000 miles and taken
part in a number of serious races:
-
the Cold-handed Cup series, Lelystad, Holland - 4th overall
-
50 mile double-handed race, Lelystad, Holland - 5th out of
126 entries.
Leslie
and Ewan will work "Vandal" up to full racing form during
2013 and early 2014 with entries into:
-
the "Sailmakeren", Bergen-Floro-Bergen, Norway in May 2013
-
the 1000 mile double-handed Bergen Race in June 2013
-
the Cold-handed Cup series, Lelystad, Holland during winter
2013/2014
14
April 2011 - Cold
Handed Cup
Vandal
completed two weekends of the Cold Handed Cup in Lelystad
in the Nederlands on 5/6 March and 26/27 March 2011. 2nd place
and 1st place over the first weekend and 2nd place and 3rd
place over the second weekend put them in 4th place overall
for the five weekend Cup. They now look forward to the 50
mile doublehanded race on 30 April also in Lelystad as a warm
up for the 1000 mile doublehanded race which starts on the
16 June.
30
March 2011 - what is in store for Vandal Ocean Racing .........
50
mile Doublehanded Race on 30 April 2011:
Lelystad,
Nederlands
Leslie
will race with Dick Koopman in Vandal in this Open Class race.
See www.50mijl.nl
for details.
1000
mile Doublehanded Race starting on the 16 June 2011:
Scheveningen
- Bergen - Lerwick
Leslie
has announced his entry in the 1000-Mile Doublehanded Race.
Leslie lives and works in the Shetland Isles and Vandal is
currently in the Netherlands, so Vandal will be sailing him
home... In the 1st leg of the 1000-Mile naval designer Dick
Koopmans (he designed the VQ32) will be his co-skipper, in
the 2nd and 3rd leg Ewan Stirling from Shetland will join
Leslie. See www.1000mile.org
for details of this race.
500
mile qualifier:
Following
the 1000mile, Leslie and Ewan will complete a 500 mile qualifier
for the 2012 TwoSTAR by sailing from Shetland to Bergen and
back in a figure of eight without landing in Norway.
Cowes
Week from 6 - 13 August 2011:
Leslie
and Ewan will be campaigning 'Velocity Girl', another VQ32,
with her owner Richard Lett at Cowes Week.
Two
handed Transatlantic Race, 3 June 2012:
The
Royal Western Yacht Club are delighted to announce the relaunch
of the Two Handed Transatlantic Race, which will start on
Sunday 3rd June 2012 from Plymouth and finish in Newport,
Rhode Island. The race, also sometimes known as TWOSTAR, will
be open to boats between 27 and 60 ft and there will also
be a separate class for Class 40’s. Leslie and Ewan will be
on the start line with Vandal.
Archipelago
Raid, August 2013:
Sweden
- Take a bunch of small beach cats, each with a skipper and
navigator, and set them off on a six day, 500 mile sailboat
race without telling them exactly where they're going. Part
sailing race, part orienteering rally, and part multi-day
endurance test, one of the wildest and difficult sailing challenges
in the world is known simply as the Archipelago Raid, and
it takes place in one of the most picturesque venues the world
has to offer. See www.archipelagoraid.com
for this fascinating race in 18' catamarans that Leslie and
Ewan aim to compete in.
28
October 2010
"Thank
you for helping us raise over £10,000 for Leukaemia
& Lymphoma Research. We have handed over £10400.
Marvellous!"
Thank you all very much.
Leslie
Irvine & Andrew Wood
12
September 2010
£9430
- fantastic! Only £570 to go. Please help us reach our
target by contacting Leslie on info@vandaloceanracing.com
with your donation.
19
August 2010
Three
Shetlanders (Andrew Halcrow, Jim Nicolson, Jim Fraser) joined
Leslie for the final leg from Scalloway, around Muckle Flugga
and down to Lerwick on 19 August. They had secured their berth
by making a substantial donation to Leukaemia and Lymphoma
Research which is a huge boost to our current total.
12
July 2010 @ 2045
***
LAST LEG TO LERWICK TO BE AUCTIONED ***
YOU
CAN SECURE A BERTH TO FOULA, ROUND MUCKLE FLUGGA AND DOWN
TO LERWICK - read below
Streamline
arrived in Scalloway on the west coast of Shetland in the
early evening on Saturday. Home at last but still one last
leg to complete the double circumnavigation. Leslie has decided
to auction up to 3 berths on Streamline for this last leg
to Lerwick, to include Foula and rounding Muckle Flugga.
Any local sailor wishing to sail a boat like Streamline is
asked to make a donation to Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research
and the three highest donations will secure a berth on Streamline
for the last leg (dates to be decided). So, contact Leslie
on info@vandaloceanracing.com
with your bid for a great sail on Streamline.
9
July 2010 @ 1600
Streamline
left Tobermory at 1330 yesterday to round Ardnamurchan Point,
obviously happy that the wind and swell had subsided enough
to allow safe passage onwards towards Shetland. A brief stop
in Kyle of Lochalsh for (another) curry before setting off
for the final push for home. At 0830 this morning a text message
said they were sailing in 10kn of wind with the spinnaker.
7
July 2010 @ 1200
Streamline
arrived in Tobermory, Scotland at 1700 yesterday after a fast
21.5hr run from Bangor, Ireland.
They set off into the tail end of a force 8 gale, gusting
40kn which slowly abated to a steady 24kn. They carried the
tide through the Sound of Jura and ran up the Sound of Mull,
picking up a mooring in Tobermory near the lifeboat. Once
ashore it was curry and beers.
Streamline
has had three fast runs from Newlyn, near Penzance to Rosslare
in 28 hrs, on to Bangor in 24 hrs and on to Tobermory in 21.5
hrs - good sailing.
They
are holed up in Tobermory until tomorrow evening while another
gale passes through. Ardnamurchan Point is round the corner
which is not a place to be in bad weather. The plan is to
head out to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides and then take
a long run across to Shetland unless the weather is good,
in which case they will just keep going, around Muckle Flugga
and back to Lerwick - two complete circumnavigations.
5
July 2010 @ 2145
"We
have a problem - the flapjack is finished. Eaten too much
with the Dutch coffee. We left Rosslare at 1330 (on 4th),
nice sunny day alls well" was the text from Streamline
yesterday. So not too many problems then!
The wind remained gusty but the gale receded and they have
now had a 24hr stopover in Bangor.
They
popped in to see John & Pat Driscoll who live outside
Bangor but keep their yacht in Skeld in Shetland. It was good
to see them and many thanks for feeding the boys and sending
them on their way.
www.shipais.com
now puts then just north of Larne making 6kn towards the North
Channel. They are at the beginning of the north-going tide
and hope to make it as far as Croabh Haven or Tobermory (if
they don't miss the tide in the Sound of Luing) before another
southerly F8 gale is due tomorrow evening. Rain is expected
around 0100 tomorrow morning but for now they have a lovely
flat calm evening broken only by the sound of their engine.
3
July 2010 @ 1730
"Irish
Sea Gale force 8 soon" has persuaded Leslie to pop into
Rosslare for tonight to let the wind pass through. They've
had a pretty lumpy passage into the Irish Sea with an average
of 13kn of wind. The plan is to take the first north-going
tide tomorrow and head up to Bangor keeping in the lee of
Ireland.
2
July 2010 @ 2300
"We're
away in a peerie while" was the message from Leslie at
0900 this morning. Robbie Bruce and John Wallace from Orkney
have arrived to join Streamline for the journey home. The
weather forecast is not good so they will first head up the
Irish Sea, bound for Bangor in Northern Ireland, where they
expect to arrive sometime Sunday evening. The forecast is
for SW 15 - 20kn rising to 27kn (top end of F6) as they pass
Dublin - dramatically different conditions to the south coast.
www.shipais.com
put Streamline 20Nm north of the Longships Light off
Lands End making 7.2kn in a NNE direction at 1830 this evening.
1
July 2010 @ 0830
Photos
and videos now starting to come through. We will post them
as we receive them.
The
one above from Woody, taken on 29 June, "soaking wet
and happy to have finished". Double celebrations - the
end of the race and Leslie's XXth birthday.
30
June 2010 @ 0900
Streamline
left Plymouth bound for Penzance at 1700 yesterday. Thanks
to the crew of Comedy of Errors for providing a musical fanfare
as Streamline left the marina! At 0144 www.shipais.com
showed 'Vandal' (Streamline's registered name) to be due east
of The Lizard making 7.1kn WSW. A mobile call this morning
confirmed that they arrived in Newlyn at 0400.
The
RB&I tracker still has them snugly in Plymouth. Unfortunately
the Yellowbrick had to be returned but you can still follow
their return journey to Shetland on www.shipais.com,
searching for Vandal, not Streamline. Leslie
will be leaving Penzance on Friday morning bound for the Scillies.
BBC
SW have interviewed Leslie and Woody, interested in the links
between Shetland and Cornwall. Streamline has been flying
the Shetland flag (white cross on a blue ground) and the Cornish
flag (white cross on a black ground). We will post the links
to the interview video shortly.
Do
continue to follow Streamline on the last quarter of her double
circumnavigation - the story doesn't end here........
29
June 2010 @ 0830
CONGRATULATIONS
TO STREAMLINE AS THEY COMPLETE THE ROUND BRITAIN AND IRELAND
RACE 2010
HAPPY
BIRTHDAY LESLIE!
Mobile
phone call from a very tired Leslie this morning. The horn
of the Royal Western Yacht Club finish line sounded as they
crossed the finish line at 01:44:45 this morning under spinnaker
in 10kn of wind and heavy rain. It felt good to have finished
and relief that the last long few days were over. They have
enjoyed the race and have been very pleased with Streamline's
performance.
Since
yesterday evening they had up to 14kn of wind and seemed to
be perpetually sail changing from jib to Code 0 to spinnaker
to jib and back to spinnaker. Streamline slowly pulled away
from Vijaya around Start Point and crossed the finish line
2h 34m 46s ahead of them. Unfortunately not quite enough to
stay ahead on handicap. Vijaya takes 2nd place to Elixir and
Streamline takes 3rd by only 1h 13m after 2000 miles of racing!
This last leg has been one of fickle winds and strong tidal
gates which allows yachts behind to catch up with those who
have been slowed up ahead. Everyone bunches up and benefits
those with a lower handicap. We will have to wait for a few
more finishers to finalise Streamline's position in the overall
IRC.
The
camaraderie of the race has been particularly strong. One
man and a horn welcomed Streamline into Plymouth in the wee
hours so Leslie and Woody stayed up until 4:19 to welcome
Vijaya home and then both crews rapidly hit their bunks!
The
plan is for Streamline to leave Plymouth today and head down
to Penzance, Woody's home. Leslie's homeward bound crew are
arriving from Orkney on Thursday evening when they will set
sail again for Scilly, the west coast of Ireland, St Kilda
and eventually arrive home in Shetland - two complete circumnavigations
of Britain and Ireland later! You will still be able to track
their progress on AIS - www.shipais.com
- and possibly still on the race website tracker but we will
confirm that shortly.
28
June 2010 @ 1845
We
are so close to raising £5000 for Leukaemia & Lymphoma
Research. Please make it happen before Leslie and Woody arrive
in Plymouth.
Mobile
phone call from Leslie at 1715 with 30 Nm to go to the finish
line. Woody was taking a nap and having a break from the constant
sun. They are both feeling rather sunburnt. They hope to be
headed soon and be able to head back in towards Start Point.
Vijaya is in sight which is bad news really as she has made
up her six hour deficit since Lowestoft and has a lower handicap
than Streamline. The wind has been virtually non-existent
and Leslie and Woody have reverted to rowing just to stem
the tide at times. It apparently hasn't been as demoralising
as the last time they rowed but there were a few moments when
the tide was so strong that they were going backwards. Out
of Lowestoft they were initially managing 9kn until the wind
died and since then it has been a game of catching every available
breath of wind.
Leslie
is hoping to have sufficient wind to get past Start Point
on this favourable tide which would mean a late night finish,
otherwise it will be tomorrow morning before they see the
finish line. They are currently bounding along (compared to
recent speeds!) at 3.1kn just keeping their nose in front
of Vijaya.
27
June 2010 @ 2230
You
can feel the frustration from here! Leslie and Woody are doing
0.2kn against the tide in almost no wind with not much forescast
for tomorrow either. The tracker shows that they have sailed
well south of the rhumb line. Are they seeking wind or trying
to dodge the adverse tide around Portland Bill? Meanwhile
Fastrack VII and Rafiki appear to have anchored in the lee
of Portland Bill and the tidal gate has caused this part of
the fleet to bunch up.
We
will see whether Streamline's decision to sail so far south
pays off over night. It could be a defining moment in their
race.
25
June 2010 @ 2100
At
the start of the last leg Streamline are lying 2nd in Class
2 and 11th overall out of 35 yachts. Elixir continues to be
elusive and is now some 20 hours ahead of Streamline on corrected
time based on her handicap while Greyhound is 2 hours 48 minutes
behind. Vijaya has fallen to 6 hours behind Streamline after
leg 4 when there was only a 30 minute difference in Lerwick.
The other two VQ32's fell foul of wind and tide in the last
leg so Streamline is lying 19 hours ahead of Home of Jazz.
Richard House Hospice crept into Lowestoft just as Streamline
was leaving. The mission for this last leg therefore is to
stay ahead of Greyhound on
corrected time, who crossed the
start line 2 hours 22 minutes before them. Chase them down
boys!
48
hours in Lowestoft with very few jobs to do on the boat has
given Leslie and Woody a relaxing break. Two full nights sleep
with Leslie even sleeping in this morning after Woody. The
stanchion that was bent in Lerwick harbour during the strong
winds has been mended - water was dripping down the back of
the cooker for the last leg but it was easy to contain and
not serious.They've had time to talk to the other crews, have
some decent food other than the freeze dried meals they are
living off during the race. They arrived in Lowestoft with
a litre of drinking water left on board. "That was close"
said Leslie; " One litre too much weight on board"
said Woody! Last night was Happy Hour in The Royal Norfolk
and Suffolk Yacht Club and both Leslie and Woody have made
appearances on the main race website in the bar - see the
photos on the right. This afternoon was spent studying their
weather routing software and preparing for departure - over
the line at 19:16:25 exactly!
There
has also been time to study the web statistics. There is an
average of 108 of you following Leslie and Woody every day
so far through this website. They are absolutely delighted
with this amount of support and want to thank you all. They
desperately want to reach their £10000 target for Leukaemia
& Lymphoma Research and so really need your help. If you
or anyone you can persuade can donate even £5 online
through www.justgiving.com/vandaloceanracing
or just drop an envelope with a donation into Lerwick Building
Centre (assuming you are in Shetland!), they would be so grateful.
Streamline
is currently 12 miles south of Lowestoft travelling at 6.8
kn before a NE wind. The shifting sandbanks of the Thames
estuary may keep them awake tonight.
The
finish of the Class 40 yachts in Plymouth was a gripping tactical
battle with Solo coming from behind to take the lead from
Sungard Arena in the last few hours. Congratulations to Solo.
The race is far from over though with the class prizes and
overall IRC still up for grabs.
24
June 2010 @ 1100
Streamline
crossed the line at the end of the fourth leg of the Round
Britain and Ireland Race at 19:16:25 yesterday evening. Congratulations
again boys, still 2nd in Class 2 and leading the three VQ32's,
although we wait with baited breath for Vijaya to declare.
We took a trip to catch up with Leslie and Woody and hear
some of the previously untold stories of their race so far.
Streamline motored into Lowestoft harbour looking very shipshape,
tidy and clean. Leslie and Woody were very upbeat and looked
to have had a decent amount of sleep on this leg with no breakages.
After such a busy stop-over in Lerwick, where Leslie bemoaned
the fact that they didn't even have time for one drink in
the Lerwick Boating Club, what will they do in Lowestoft for
two days? Woody was pleased that they had finished this leg
at a decent hour of the day and not in the middle of the night
again - this means two entire nights sleep - luxury!
The
winds had fallen very light once past Orkney and it was a
tactical race, their weather software proving invaluable.
Two yachts went way out east to find stronger winds with the
majority following the rhumb line except when tacking in the
southerly winds. Sitting having supper at The Royal Norkfolk
& Suffolk Yacaht Club, overlooking the marina, the wind
virtually died to nothing which will have had a significant
effect on the times of the yachts still out there.
We
heard that they had to row nearly all the way to Barra Head
and the blisters on Leslie's hands were testamant as to how
hard this was. Streamline has specialised rowlocks on each
quarter so they can sit on either side of the cockpit and
achieve 2.5kn in smooth water. They overtook at least one
yacht this way.
The
journey around Muckle Flugga (or Muckle Fluffa as one Dutch
yacht calls it!) was exhilerating under spinnaker, giving
Out Stack a wide berth. Once past, they gibed under the stern
of another yacht, raised the gennaker and flew! In rising
wind the trip to Lerwick took a mere 6 hours! In the lee of
Out Skerries, Streamline increased her speed even more in
the calmer water.
Once
in Lerwick it took the entire two days to get Streamline back
to fighting fitness. When Leslie visited Tommie Duncan in
the sailloft there were 35 sails stacked on the table so leg
3 had obviously taken its toll and Tommie was busy 24 hours
a day to send everyone on their way with servicable sails.
Well done Tommie - great service - many teams will be very
grateful to you.
The
camaraderie amongst the competitors was very evident in Lowestoft
as Leslie and Woody were given a very warm welcome from other
competitors and were obviously pleased to meet up with them
all again. The light winds have split the fleet over many
days. The fast Class 40's and Mulithulls are nearly back in
Plymouth while some of the Class 4's have just left Lowestoft
- no wonder the Prize-giving is held in October!
23
June 2010 @ 0040
The
last three days have seen Streamline work her way steadily,
if somewhat slowly, down the east coast of Britain, sticking
close to the rhumb line between Lerwick and Lowestoft. They
started running before northerly winds which
fell light and have now moved to the south. As they approach
Lowestoft in the early hours of this morning, the wind will
slowly turn to the west and north west which should allow
them to sail a little faster. We look forward to welcoming
them into Lowestoft. They are currently about 75Nm north of
Lowestoft. ETA is lunchtime today.
WATCH
THE WEATHER - www.magicseaweed.com
-
click on 'Latest Wind Strength' to see an animation of the wind
strength and direction over the next 7 days.
If
you would like to contact us, please email: info@vandaloceanracing.com
and we will receive your message.
20
June 2010 @ 1400
Streamline
led the VQ32s out of Lerwick at 01:51
this morning at the start of their leg 4 of The Round Britain
and Ireland Race. It was flat calm in Lerwick harbour as the
winds have abated but the seas would still be rough out at
Bressay light and off Sumburgh. Everything aboard Streamline
had been fixed in Lerwick. The boys were still tired but managed
some sleep before leaving. They are currently just west of
the rhumb line between Lerwick and Lowestoft travelling at
7.9kn before a gentle NNW wind which is expected to remain
light for most of this leg.
19
June 2010 @ 1400
Streamline
is lying 2nd in Class 2 and 11th overall at the beginning
of leg 4. They need to make up 7hrs 11 mins on Elixir for
1st place and stay ahead of Vijaya who is 30 mins behind them
in 3rd. 2hrs 17mins separates them from the other VQ32s 'Home
of Jazz' in 4th and 'Richard House Hospice' in 5th who is
only 11 mins behind 'Home of Jazz'. All to play for as they
head south, being so close after 3 legs of this race.
There
has been no play time in Lerwick for Leslie and Woody although,
being at home, they did manage some decent sleep last night.
Arriving in the Albert Dock, which had become a lee shore
in the strong northerly winds, they suffered some stanchion
damage so moved up to Gremista Marina for a bit of peace.
Huge
thanks go to the Streamline Shipping Group who have been fantastic.
They collected a new mainsheet car from Hampshire, took it
to the airport and flew it to Lerwick where it arrived this
morning. This will allow Streamline to leave Lerwick fighting
fit for the next leg.
The
replacement carbon bowsprit was transported to Shetland from
Barra aboard 'Wolfie's Toy' so it arrived in good time for
new fittings to be attached. Again, many thanks to 'Wolfie's
Toy', John Henderson at Ocean Kinetics and Fred Gibson at
Shetland Composites, all who have pulled out the stops exactly
when needed.
Woody
is now in Leslie's garage putting the finishing touches to
some sail repairs and they will soon be ready for the off
at 01:50:30 tomorrow morning.
We
wish them well for the next long leg down to Lowestoft. These
strong winds are due to abate and then the problem could be
calms.
18
June 2010 @ 1400
Streamline
crossed the finish line of leg 3 of The Round Britain and
Ireland Race at 01:50:30 this morning bringin their time at
sea in the race to 7 days, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 30 seconds.
Based on their time corrected for handicap,
they retain 2nd place in Class 2. Overall place will not be
known until more yachts declare in Lerwick.
Streamline
is tucked away in Gremista Marina, away from the busy Albert
Dock which is a lee shore in these northerly winds.
Leslie
and Woody report being "absolutely exhausted" after
this leg.
They
encountered thick fog out at St Kilda, only being to see the
breaking sea on the base of the west coast of Soay.
The
race to round Muckle Flugga before the strong northerly winds
set in and the sail down the eastern side of Shetland were
testing. "120 degress off the wind, flying the gennaker
in 35kn wind, doing 11.5kn, we were only making 4.5kn over
the ground against the beginning of the foul tide at Muckle
Flugga", says Leslie. They held fast speeds, which require
a lot of concentration, down to the south of Bressay when,
during some near broaches, the mainsheet car hammered against
the end of the track and flew apart, ball bearings everywhere!
A mile from the finish line, they made a temporary lashing
to the track, losing only 10 minutes to this unlucky breakage.
Sleep
is low on the priority list as Streamline needs some TLC.
The carbon bowsprit needs a bit more attention and a jib needs
a sailmaker and, of course, a new mainsheet car is needed.
48 hours passes very quickly. More later ......
17
June 2010 @ 2000
Muckle
Flugga and Skaw are now behind them and Streamline is powering
her way down the east coast of Shetland in a fair bit of wind.
Raewyn had a call about 15 minutes ago with an ETA in Lerwick
of around 0300 - they do like arriving in harbour in the middle
of the night! Leslie and Woody were upbeat and the lure of
home for Leslie was strong. Sail changes were about to take
place as they try to shake Richard House Hospice from their
tail. Out Skerries and Noss have to be left to starboard and
Lerwick Harbour has to be entered through the Sooth Mooth.
16
June 2010 @ 2330
Leslie
and Woody are half way on the long haul from St Kilda to Muckle
Flugga. At 2330 they were making 7.3kn amongst the front runners
of a group of yachts who will be racing hard through the night
in front of moderate SW winds. As we approach mid-summer solstice
there will be hardly any darkness at these latitudes. The
key question is whether they will round Muckle Flugga before
the winds turn to the north tomorrow evening. If they can
make it round the northernmost point of Britain before the
wind shift, life will be a lot easier than beating up the
west coast of Shetland in rising wind strength. The tracker
shows some of the yachts, including Streamline, moving north
of the rhumb line in preparation for this wind shift. There
will be some important strategic decisions in the next few
hours.
15
June 2010 2300
Apologies
for the lack of new photos and video - the internet connection
in Barra was too slow to upload video and photos from leg
2. We will catch up with this when Streamline arrives in Lerwick.
Mobile phone coverage was very patchy too so Leslie was feeding
a coin-operated machine which meant updates were brief.
The
route from Barra was south around Berneray at the southern
tip of the Outer Hebrides and then NW around Soay, the westernmost
island of the St Kilda group. Boats are reporting a distinct
lack of birds on the cliffs there compared to the previous
race when the cliffs were teeming with gannets and puffins.
An RSPB warden has given an explanation on the race blog which
makes for interesting reading.
At
this time, the tracker shows that Streamline has rounded St
Kilda on the tail of Greyhound and is now heading 040 degrees
at 6.6kn before a WSW wind.
14
June 2010 2245
Streamline
is now race ready again with a new bowsprit, masthead work
done to prevent the jib halyard heading up the mast agian
and fittings attached to the spare spinnaker pole. Her home
port of Lerwick beckons which is sure to increase her speed.
She will be over the start line at exactly 02:39:59 in the
morning, chasing down Elixir as they head out westwards to
leave St Kilda to starboard. Muckle Flugga must also be left
to starboard on this leg. On arrival in Lerwick, Streamline
will have circumnavigated Britain and Ireland once - only
once more to go!
After
leg 2 Streamline lies in 2nd place in Class 2 and 11th place
overall. She is also 1st out of the three VQ32's. Well done
Leslie & Woody. Go for it in the next leg and we look
forward to tracking your progress once again.
13
June 2010 @1430
Streamline
arrived in Barra in the early hours of this morning at 02:39:59
after 4 days, 14 hours, 24 minutes, 59 seconds at sea, completing
a tough second leg of the Round Britain and Ireland Race 2010.
Congratulations. When asked how it had been, the reply was
"not too bad, just wet".
A
brief summary of the leg for now, more later with some photos;
on the 10th June at 0300 Leslie's text read "3am just
broke the bow sprit off in a 32kt gust bugger"! Wind
speeds were around 20kn but a larger gust exerted a sideways
force on the bow sprit which gave way. A call to Stuart in
Aberdeen and a new bow sprit was on the way to Barra with
the Race Officials - huge thanks to all those who have helped.
The next incident was the jib halyard up the mast and an attempt
to retrieve it - more later. A 3 hr calm on Saturday morning
meant low speeds of 1.5kn - frustrating. Then, without warning,
9Nm out of Barra, the spinnaker pole flew apart "like
weetabix", says Leslie, so they flew the spinnaker at
9kn with no pole and just hung on! With no mooring space,
Streamline had to anchor over near the Vatersay causeway.
When asked if they'd manage to catch up on any sleep since
arriving, Leslie replied "we only have a little aluminium
anchor which isn't conducive to good sleep. Give me two 60lb
anchors and then I'll sleep well."
No
news from the boys but the tracker puts Streamline off NW
Ireland, having maintained speeds of between 6 & 7kn up
the west coast. Check out the race website to read the latest
news about some of the other yachts.
10
June 2010 @ 0900
The
race now has a brand new website which is much easier to use
- www.rbandi.com
- many thanks to YellowBrick.
Streamline
is 4Nm south of Dursey Island, travelling at 9.1kn, heading
for the SW corner of Ireland. Leslie reported gusts of 32
knots (F7) at 0300. They remain ahead of the other two VQ32's,
with whom they are having their own private race, and are
chasing the leading Class 2 yacht, Elixir.
9
June 2010 @
2100
A
new video is just in from on board at the start of leg 1.
Streamline
will leave the pontoon at 0000 to head out for the start line
for leg 2. "We will be over the line at exactly 00:47:56",
says Leslie "All we have to do now is put our thermals
on and tidy up down below". This leg from Kinsale to
Barra around the west coast of Ireland should take about 3
days.
9
June 2010 @ 1700
Woody
has sent a link to an interview with BBC Radio Cornwall before
the start - listen here
- you'll need to scroll half way down the article.
They
are experiencing thunder and lightning in Kinsale right now,
hoping it passes through before the start of leg 2. There
is a 48 hour obligatory stop-over in each port, so they are
allowed to set sail after 00:47:56 tomorrow morning! It looks
like it'll be strong beating conditions into northerly winds
up the west coast of Ireland which Leslie and Woody excel
at. Good luck from all of us.
9
June 2010 @ 0900
The
results are out - Streamline lies 2nd in Class 2 with a corrected
time of 1day 13 hours 38minutes 43seconds from Plymouth to
Kinsale. That puts them 10th overall. Well done boys. Good
onboard photo from the start and alongside in Kinsale.
8 June 2010 @ 1130
Leslie
and Woody arrived in Kinsale, Southern Ireland on Streamline
at 00:47:56 this morning, completing the first leg of the
Shetland Round Britain and Ireland Race. They had a good start,
accompanied alongside by the BBC SW film unit rib, and progressively
worked their way through the Class 2 fleet. 0630 yesterday
saw them rounding Bishop Rock and hoisting the spinnaker which
they flew the rest of the way to Ireland in 22 - 32kn of wind.
The wind died near the Irish coast and they ghosted along
for an hour or so until, with 300m to the finish, they decided
to row! We will post their position after the first leg as
soon as it is announced. 5 hours of well-earned sleep has
set them up for two days of general clearing up and more preparations,
including close scrutiny of the weather, for the next leg
to Barra in the Outer Hebrides. View BBC photos here.
7
June 2010 @ 2200
The
RWYC website tracker is proving the best way to follow progress
in the race. The Race Management blog is good too - use the
web links above. At 2200, Leslie & Woody were about 12Nm
SE of Kinsale travelling at 5.1 kn. It looks like a midnight
arrival. We look forward to hearing more from them tomorrow.
6
June 2010 @ 2100
STREAMLINE
OVER THE START LINE - the race begins! 56 yachts crossed the
start line at 1200 today. At 1954, ShipAIS and the RWYC tracker
had 'Streamline' 5Nm SE of the Lizard doing 6.1kn in a SW
direction. The AIS is obviously working well which
will allow you all to follow their progress whenever you go
online - just use the web links above.
5
June 2010
STREAMLINE
ON THE START LINE
After
all the hard work, Streamline is ready for the start. Last
minute preparations are complete and Leslie and Woody are
looking forward to leaving the land behind and going sailing!
We wish them a good start and fair winds.
27
May 2010
QUARTER
OF THE WAY TO OUR £10000 TARGET
Today
we reached 25% of our £10000 target for Leukaemia &
Lymphoma Research. This means a lot to us - a big thank you
to all who have donated online so far or pledged some money
on our sponsor forms. If you have not yet done so, please
consider giving generously yourself or persuade others to
do so. We are determined to do all we can to ensure we reach
our big target.
9
May 2010
STREAMLINE
ARRIVES IN FALMOUTH AT 0230
Streamline
clocked 17.75kn along the south coast during a very fast trip
from Dover to Falmouth. Leslie was on deck with Woody trying
to sleep - a near impossibility at that speed. Streamline
will now remain on a mooring in Falmouth harbour until the
start of the race on 6th June while Leslie returns to Shetland
and Woody to Cornwall.
7
May 2010
STREAMLINE
TURNS THE CORNER
The
northerly winds have given Leslie & Woody a fast run down
the east coast of Britain. The AIS had them off Dover at 1300
today after a 3 hour stop to re-fuel both Streamline and stores.
They have had a lumpy cold night off Lowestoft and Leslie's
main problem was cold toes in his sleeping bag! The days,
however, have been getting warmer as they sail south and the
water temperature is now 2.5° warmer than in Shetland.
They are on track to arrive in Falmouth on Saturday.
5
May 2010
STREAMLINE
TAKES ADVANTAGE OF NORTHERLY WINDS
The
wind direction couldn't be better; the temperature certainly
could! Arctic air is driving Streamline south - slowly - as
light winds are experienced off the Firth of Forth.
3
May 2010
STREAMLINE
TO LEAVE ABERDEEN TOMORROW FOR FALMOUTH
A steady stream of people came to visit Streamline alongside
in Aberdeen Harbour. Many thanks to Streamline Shipping Group
for helping out in numerous ways and to everyone who has donated
to Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to date - we have raised
15% of our £10000 target so far. We leave Aberdeen tomorrow
for Falmouth and will be at sea for a few days so do follow
us on www.shipais.com
3
May 2010
OPEN
DAY IN ABERDEEN
Streamline
will be alongside Commercial Quay and open to visitors all
day today. We look forward to seeing you.
As
we are in Aberdeen to raise the profile of Leukaemia &
Lymphoma Research, we will have sponsor forms and a collecting
tin on board.
1
May 2010
COASTGUARD
HELICOPTER 'OSCAR CHARLIE' FILMS STREAMLINE
Family
and friends gave Leslie and Woody a warm send off from Gremista
Marina yesterday. Coastguard helicopter 'Oscar Charlie' accompanied
Streamline out of Lerwick Harbour, filming their departure
from the sky.
25hrs
from Lerwick to Aberdeen in front of chilly northerly winds.
Great downwind sailing. Good to be underway. All systems working
well.
When
Leslie Irvine takes part in the Shetland Round Britain and
Ireland Race this summer he will end up circumnavigating the
country not once, but twice.
Mark
and Lou from Tay-CAD paid a visit to Streamline before the
off to see how their vinyls looked on her hull. Many thanks
to them for their sponsorship. We think the vinyls look fantastic.
29
April 2010
DEPARTURE
DAY DRAWS NEAR
Back
in the water again today and a few trips up the mast for Woody.
A
weather window should allow Streamline to leave Lerwick for
Aberdeen on Saturday. She is due to arrive in Aberdeen Harbour
sometime on Sunday and we would love to see as many people
as possible there.
28
April 2010
STREAMLINE'S
CO-SKIPPER ARRIVES IN SHETLAND
Andrew
Wood arrived in Shetland last Sunday for a week of intensive
fitting out. After a bracing sail, Streamline was gutted and
then totally re-wired. All the navigation equipment and the
Automatic Identification System were fitted and tested. Today
she was lifted out in a near gale and took shelter behind
the ice factory in Lerwick Harbour for a wash and for the
rest of her transfers to be applied.
Ewan
Stirling and Leslie took Streamline out for a cold blast today
to test out her new sails. The snow is finally retreating
but the temperature remains low. The spinnaker, resplendent
with the logo, should be here next weekend. Many thanks to
Ewan who has been a huge help to Leslie over the winter.
1
March 2010
SHETLAND
WEATHER
Shetland
remains in the grip of an icy winter. The surface of the sea
has frozen as far out as the breakwater and the seals have
to break through for air. The mast has been stepped and we
wait for the sails to be delivered from the sailmakers
next week but it's not great weather for sailing......
12
February 2010
SHETLAND
TIMES ARTICLE
"Irvine
in good company as yacht race attracts 50 hopeful skippers
Fifty
yachts have entered this year’s Shetland Round Britain & Ireland
Race, sponsored by Shetland Islands Council, one of the largest
fleets for many years. Local interest will mainly centre on
Lerwick businessman Leslie Irvine, who will be sailing the
Streamline, sponsored by the company of the same name, with
co-skipper Andrew Wood from Penzance."
'James
Roberts, Director and Phil Bremner, Operatons Director of
Streamline Shipping Group visited Lerwick today to see the
progress that had been made with 'Streamline'. Leslie was
pleased to be able to show them the work carried out over
the winter.
20
January 2010
STREAMLINE
EMERGES FROM THE SHED
'Streamline'
came out of the shed today after her winter refit looking
fantastic and sporting her vinyls. She is now waiting for
good weather to step the mast.
7
January 2010
COLD
WORK ASHORE IN LERWICK
'Streamline'
came out of the water and into the shed in Gremista Marina,
Lerwick on 14 November. Leslie and Tammie Duncan have been
working in freezing conditions sanding and smoothing the keel,
re-positioning deck gear, fitting grab rails on deck and down
below and applying a new coat of non-slip to the deck. The
freezing conditions mean that glues are not going off quickly
and fingers are working slowly. The bow sprit is still to
go on. The carbon oars and roller gear for the Code Zero should
be here soon. The vinyls will be applied to the hull in mid-January
and the race sails should be ready in Holland by the end of
January. The spinnaker has already gone off to Wet & Wild
to have the Streamline logo applied ready for the RB&I
race. Many thanks to Tammie for all his help, advice and hard
work.
27
October 2009
STREAMLINE
SPONSORSHIP
Many
thanks to Streamline Shipping Group who come onboard as lead
sponsor in difficult economic times. 'Vandal' will be renamed
'Streamline' during the 2010 Round Britain and Ireland race
in recognition of this generous partnership and company name
and logo will be applied as vinyls on the hull. Read the press
release here.
14th
June 2009
VANDAL
ARRIVES HOME WITH THE 1000-MILE DOUBLEHANDED RACE
Scheveningen,
Holland - Bergen, Norway - Lerwick, Shetland
Leslie
and Andrew set off in this most challenging race of the northernmost
North Sea. This rugged competition combines long-distance
sailing with serious competitive racing. Sharing 1st place
after the two legs to Bergen and Lerwick, Vandal turned round
and headed back to Shetland during leg 3 due to light winds
and time restrictions, settling for 2nd place overall.
Saturday
7th March 2009
VANDAL
FIRST TIME UNDER SAIL
After
completing the rigging and preparing the boat, Vandal has
sailed her first miles today. She will go to Lelystad to complete
all the installations. Leslie will have a lot of work to do
on the boat before Vandal leaves for Lewick early this summer.
February
2009
TAYCAD
SPONSORSHIP
Shetland
graphic designers and printers, Tay-CAD, will be supplying
the vinyls for 'Streamline'. www.tay-cad.com
February
2009
ZWAAN
SAILS SPONSORSHIP
Zwaan
Sails of Lelystad, Holland, will make all the sails for 'Streamline'.
www.zwaansails.nl
January
2009
MUSTO
SPONSORSHIP
Musto
came onboard by offering us a great deal on all our clothing
for the Round Britain and Ireland race, for which we are very
grateful. www.musto.com
Saturday
10th November 2007
THIRD
VQ32 BUILD STARTS
The
building of the third VQ32 has started and immediately it
is going full speed ahead. The building frames for both the
hull and the deck were placed last week. The building of the
hull in corecell is almost finished. In the picture you can
see that the hull is much smoother than the first boat, by
using smaller seized foam strokes at the curves of the hull.
This will surely save a lot of filler. It is good to see that
improvements can be realised immediately.
'Vandal'
has been renamed 'Streamline' for the race, in recognition
of sponsorship by Streamline Shipping, so lookout for 'Streamline'
when viewing the official race website - www.rwyc.org/RBI
We
are not just circumnavigating Britain and Ireland once during
the race, but TWICE in order to take 'Streamline' to
the start and back home to Shetland after the race. This should
enable us to raise even more money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma
Research.
LATEST
NEWS: 14 MAY 2013
