Boat Type: J1OD 35 Water Ballast
Sail Number: GBR6788T
Rating: 1.008
have sailed most of my life, starting in a Mirror dinghy.
Offshore sailing is my prefered type of sailing, The first time I realised single handed sailing was definitely for me was when I lost a rudder in a blow off Portland, It was a long night but I managed to sail back to exmouth under my own steam. Shortly after this I first made contact with SORC talking to Peter Olden about single handed sailing. In for a penny in for pound I entered the Azab 2015 Race, this became my first single handed offshore race.
RedEye was bought specifically for the AZAB and with single handed racing in mind. I have designed and built a water ballast system for her, sadly not commisioned in time for the AZAB but is now up and running. It makes a big difference to the boat and in my opinion is essential equipment for a JOD 35 if you intend to race single handed.
Due to my location in the west country, to date I have still not managed to make a SORC race, although have joined them for a number of beers and found them the most helpful and all inclusive sailing club I have ever known.
I am really looking forward to the soloFASTNET race and my first SORC event. Although shorter than the AZAB, it is going to be a harder race. The proximity of land and other competitiors is going to make it very challenging.
Am I expecting a good result? Obviously I will always have an eye on the win, but for me it is The adventure of the race that is my driving force. Just completing the soloFASTNET race will be a win for me.