choice paid off – as Trinnian proved by
heading out to sea and parking up in
the dead patch – and the pursuit of the
leading monohulls could begin. A fresh
breeze was filling in from the south west
and the front runners could be seen
heeling at greater angles; promising
for the many boats stuck in the shifting
patches just off Rame Head.
The light winds meant Drama Queen
was playing more into her cruising side,
with a 4-5 knot average in the 6 knots
of breeze, but the motion was in the
right direction and slowly the stream
of monohulls rolled past the stern.
Backlash II and Trinnian were closer
to the shore, but not far away, and
disappearing into the following fog. By
the afternoon, the fog was clearing and
the wind began to build from the south
west, bringing with it chilly, shifting
gusts. The 40ft trimaran Pandemonium
was now 1 mile to weather of Drama
Queen, with Backlash II and Trinnian out
of sight. Pandemonium corner bashed
to the extreme and headed a few miles
out to sea to make Falmouth on three
The crew sailing upwind
tacks, but seemed to overshoot the
finish line and had to bear away a few
degrees to make it. Drama Queen stuck
masts and last night's kebab trays whipping round the cockpit, and the smell of a
to the coast and headed right into
full breakfast being cooked in the galley. The Drama Queen boys sat back in the
Dodmans Point hoping for a lift off the
luxury surroundings of the saloon and enjoyed the preparations for the day ahead.
tide which appeared to be slack.
It was apparent from the boats on the start line that today’s competition had
By the time Antony’s Head was in
bought their game to the table, especially the speedy Firebirds, barely visible
sight only the fastest monohulls and
through the spray ball that shrouded the lower half of the rigs. Another good start
Pandemonium were ahead. Squeaking
for Drama Queen, with the kite flying for a line smashing start downwind to the
through the Black Rock finish line after
Helford River marker before rounding, in a mass of monohulls and Firebirds, and
exactly 8 hours of racing, 15 minutes
heading up towards Fowey on a tight 2-sail reach.
behind Pandemonium, Drama Queen
had completed her début into monohull
The windward board came up, the sails cranked and Drama Queen built
racing and, unbeknownst to her crew,
momentum, surging through the gust and showing she had legs. Hangovers were
had also secured her first top step
forgotten as Drama Queen's crew pushed her as hard as they dared, screaming
podium finish, with a lead of 45 minutes
past the monohulls, often at 18 kns and flying a hull; not bad for a boat with a fully
after corrected time.
stocked fridge and cockpit garden furniture aboard. The entire multihull fleet was
flying; the Pandemonium crew gave a lesson in spectacular sailing as they shot
After mooring in the marina the crew
past everyone in clouds of spray at over 20 kns, and the Firebirds made it look
took full advantage of the wonderful
easy, even with reefs in.
weather with a trip to Royal Cornwall
Yacht Club for the results, then on to
By Dodman Point only the Class 40 mono was ahead and only by yards. She too
the public houses of Falmouth to enjoy
was soon dispatched. It was an impressive dash into Fowey, with Trinnian catching
the odd celebratory beverage, and then
up fast, only soured by a frustrating entry to the river mouth, with unpredictable
headlong into the groggy morning that
winds in the tight, high-sided river mouth costing us the vital 1 minute 10 seconds
followed.
that would have clinched another first place. We had to make do with coming
second.
Day 2.  Falmouth – Fowey
The Falmouth Firebirds returned home after completing the leg, again flying along
Blurry eyes were standard in the
in roils of spray.
morning, but at least it was obvious that
Sunday was going to be more exciting.
Moored on the floating pontoons, the crews took full advantage of the sun and
20 knots of breeze roused the crew,
socialised to a respectable level, followed by the standard afternoon nap, then
who woke to the sound of whistling
onto the Royal Fowey Yacht Club for prize giving.
»
  JUNE 2009 : MULTIHULL REVIEW  29
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