The Jester Challenge 2006

Well we made it. I passed the Castle Hill Light at 1350[UTC] on 18
July 2007. Approximately 410 days, 2 hours and 50 minutes since the
start of JC06. I think this might make me third on the podium.
Except for the last 200 miles when I had next to no wind I ssemed to
go from Low to Low with only a day in between. Even in sectors which
according to the Routing Chart should never have anything above F7, I
was encountering F9s. I was knocked down twice in a three hour period
trying to sail under bare poles in an F10 NE, when I had crossed the
top of a low. The first knock down was a bit of a disaster as I had
just taken my top stormboard out to check on everything, when I was
knocked down - ending up with about 2 feet of water in the cabin. I
also lost my wind indicator from the top of my mast, broke my
Babystay, flattened my Spray Hood and ended up with a Raincatcher
Radar Reflector looking like a flower as it was bent out of shape.
Except for the missing wind indicator everything was more or less
repairable. About 100 miles out of Newport I encountered very dense
sea fog and unfortunatley no wind for a day and a half. I was caught
in something called teh Great South Ship's Channel just south of
Nantucket. Every hour or so I could hear a ship's fog horn going
past. I was replying on my foghorn, but it sounded very puny in
relation to the ships' blasts. Still I think my two radar reflectors
are fairly effective [A Dutch ship, the NV Power, passed me one
evening and told me they had had me on radar for an hour].
Because of the time it has taken me to get here, I will probably only
stay a few days to resupply and head straight back.

I have tried to contact Robin Wallace from the Newport Yacht Club but
have been unable to get an answer form either of his phone numbers.

All the best,

John Apps
'Glayva'