The Jester Azores Challenge
Four weeks ago 1,000 spectator boats watched the start of the single handed Artemis Transat race cross the start line in Plymouth Sound. Yesterday, May 31st saw the start of another single handed Atlantic race, the Jester Azores Challenge – 2008; however in the drizzle and light winds the fifty entrants outnumbered the spectators.
Publicity banners for the Transat still hung limply in Plymouth’s damp city centre and bowlers on the Hoe played on regardless of the weather and the armada of small boats straggling across the start line.
The Jester Challenge is a bi-annual event in which boats of under 30ft compete in a single-handed 'race' to Atlantic destinations. The finish this year is at Praia de Vitoria, Terceira, the third largest of the Azores islands.
The Challenge attempts to recapture the essence of the first single-handed trans-Atlantic race 'invented' by Blondie Hasler in his junk rigged Jester. There are no entry fees, no judges, no inspections, and no real limits. The only stipulation is that all boats taking part should be between 20ft and 30ft loa. The skippers are entirely responsible for the equipment they take based on their own experience. Although this is a race, the only prizes are personal satisfaction, camaraderie and fun.
Among the few spectators to brave the drizzle were members of the The JRA (Junk and Advanced Cruising Rig Association), whose Plymouth Rally had been timed to coincide with the start of the race.
Only four of the entrants however were Junk rigged the most famous being Jester herself skippered by Trevor Leek. The other three Junks were Tim McCloy with the Jester replica China Blue, Roger Taylor on Mingming and Graham Jewitt aboard his Golden Dragon.
Many of the JRA members who had braved the drizzle to cheer on the contestants as they crossed the start line watched from the decks of the magnificent Tai Shan.
Other spectator boats included Robin Blain’s Bunny and the catamaran Pha with its twin masts.
For more information about the Jester Azores Challenge visit: http://www.jesterinfo.org/
Submitted By timminocky on 01 Jun
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Azores arrivals
So far nineteen of the Jester Azores Challenge boats have arrived at Tierciera Island in the Azores.
The first to arrive was Dominique Katan in NEA-KAMENI on Wednesday 11th June. Yea, another French man.
The next to arrive was Paul Feasy and STINGRAY at 22:59GMT 11/06/08.
The multihull ELLA TROUT III arrived early on the morning of the 12th, John Margarson and LUCY arrived in fourth place at 12:45 SBT.
The other boats to finish are in reverse order; INDECISION, MOONBOW, GLAYVA, NIORD , MUMBLE, CULICA, SPRINTER, FASON, PIPEDREAM, ZEELANNA, DOLPHIN of FOWEY, GLAYVA, FASON, PIPPIN, TRIPLE VENTURE and EDITH KATE.
Mike
Jester Challenge
Thanks for the update Mike. Sounds like a fun race.
Do you know what type of sailboats are NEA-KAMENI and STINGRAY? My friend is thinking of doing the next Jester challenge in a folkboat, and I wonder if it will be competitive.
Jester
Dominique Katan’s Nea-Kameni is a 25ft plywood/epoxy yacht, I’m afraid I don’t know the design. Stingray Paul Feasey’s boat is an Iroquois catamaran. Roger Fitzgerald who came in third is on Ella Trout a Dehler 29.
China Blue, which arrived in the Azores today 17th June and Jester herself are both Folkboats.
Many of the other contestants are on boats whose hull shape has been derived from the Folkboat.
My own previous boat was an Invicta 27 which had a Folkboat type hull shape. She was a superb sea boat. And yes we did get as far as the Azores together.
I must mention the Russian Alexei Fedoruk who took 12th place in Fason.
He was awarded the Jester Silver Crown in recognition of his being the first home-built yacht of the fleet to arrive. Fedoruk built her in his landlocked home town of Velikiy Novgorod in 1988. Back then materials were so hard to source that he even had to machine the screws himself.
Alexei departs for Newport RI tomorrow, so was also presented with an Azores flag by his admiring fellow competitors as a memento of his stay in Terceira, and to wish him a safe passage.
Mike
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