A fantastic article in All At Sea Magazine by Trish Baily talking about the Mini Transat race to Guadalupe. Check out this and other articles at www.allatsea.net

Three years ago it was a good idea, a dream , a goal….

Today it is reality……

The RG 650 series mini began the extremely hard road to become eligible as an official `Series Mini´ three years ago – you might say “yes and” …..

To become a `Series Mini ´the project has to meet very strict guidelines, probably the toughest in the world. The first an most important thing of course is to measure within the box rule which we did. So we then embarked probably the hardest thing – to be eligible you have to build 10 full boats – deck and hull. The boat must be ready to accept its fittings , put the mast in and go sailing…….

It truly is a test of patience and determination….. Alongside this one boat has to race 2000 miles in official Classe Mini races.

So the story goes as of August 18 this year our RG 650 #816 will complete the 2000 miles set by the class, last week all the paperwork went in to be officially documented and Hull #10 will be glued together in the last week of September.

The team at RG 650 are set to be eligible for their first race in the series division; this means we will be able to race against other series boats instead of lining up against Prototype mini`s which can weigh up to 300 kg lighter and have canting keels, can be made from Carbon Fibre to name a few performance criterias that sets the two divisions apart.

The most amazing thing about the RG 650 story is that the will race its first ever race in `Series´division in none other than the Mt Everest of mini races – The Mini Transat 2013.

This year the race goes from Douarnenez (North of France) to Lanzarote (Canary Islands) and from there to Guadelope (Carribean)……It is 4000 miles of solo sailing on a 6.5mt racing yacht with no computers, chart plotters , internet or even HF radios. The boats can have a GPS, VHF Radio and of course very strict safety requirements.

It is very tough – probably the toughest in the world becuase of the size of the boats…….

The RG 650 will be the first ever project from the Southern Hemisphere to make `Series´ although based in Valencia Spain, the designer is from Argentina, the boats are built in Argentina and the project manager is Australian……. It is a French dominated class but the world is closing in them. They are no doubtedly the best mini sailors in the world but the class is attracting more international interest and the RG 650 is proof – did I mention the skipper of the boat is Australian………..

That right Richard Hewson who last year took out a record 12 of the 15 legs of the Clipper around the world race is chasing his next dream of winning the Mini Transat Race…..

We are delighted to have an Austalian racing on what has turned out to be a huge success and has turned some heads within the class……….

You can follow the rest of the campaign at www.RG650europe.com , www.hewsonracing.com or keep up to date on the RG 650 series min facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RG650seriesmini?ref=tn_tnmn

Just another day in the yard

An early morning high tide made for an early start for this years JP Morgan Round the Island Race, a race that attracts thousands of boats and competitors in one of the first races of the UK season around the Isle of Wight.

I was invited back to sail the boat I sailed around the world for this famous race, where I would be leading a group of enthusiastic JP Morgan employees on a corporate race. We trained hard on the Friday and had a very enjoyable day in the sun with light winds tacking and gybing around the Solent before returning to Cowes for our final race preparations and some dinner.

At 0300 I woke the crew with some motivational music (Eye of the Tiger) and we began to set the boat up for the race start at 0500. It was still pitch black outside and the wind was reasonably strong. The predicted wind was a very light force 3 to 4, and I briefed my crew on the weather forecast and warned them that we stood a good chance of drifting around the back of the island so not to expect to be finished until very late i the day.

Much to my surprise the forecast was wrong, and as we timed our run to the start line with full sail flying, we hit the line with only seconds to spare and powered down the Solent amongst the fleet leaders. Soon to vanish out of site were Mike Slade’s ICAP Leopard and Ben Ainslie in his JP Morgan Cat, but as the sun rose, we looked astern to see over one thousand yachts behind us which proved to be an incredible sight.

Rounding the forecasted force 3-4 was more like 5-6 and some brilliant gusts created havoc on the fleet who were flying spinnakers while trying to avoid rocks, wrecks and one hundred or so other yachts. There were some spectacular broaches around the needles. We were sailing quite conservatively as we sailed through this rough passage and lost a few places on the other boats who cut inside the wreck, but with tactics and good sailing we regained the lead in our class half way down the back of the island.

A few broaches of our own close to the cliffs forced us to put in a reef to steady the boat. I was constantly expecting the wind to drop off completely at any given time, but too my delight it just kept coming, by mid morning we were already leading our class up the Solent towards the finish. We were making very good time for a RTI race and I predicted that records would be set by the front runners and was not surprised to find that Ben Ainslie had smashed the 12 year old race record by more than 16 minutes when he finished at 08:02, rounding the island in only two hours and 52 minutes and 15 seconds. Not far behind Ainslie was Mike Slades ICAP Leopard who beat her own record shaving nine minutes and 45 seconds off her own time.

At 11:06 we crossed the line as the first yacht in our division taking ot the prize for the first JP Morgan corporate crew, and finishing over two minutes ahead of the next yacht in our division. By midday we were packed up and along side and enjoying the festivities of the regatta after another fantastic RTI race.

It is now official. The letter we have all been waiting for from Class Mini in Lorient France has arrived informing Richard Hewson that he is now officially qualified to race in the 2013 Mini Transat Race.

"This is a dream come true, and one I have been working hard to achieve since 2007. It has been a long hard (but very fun) road to this point and I am very happy that the qualification has been accepted"

After nearly 5000nm of sailing in the Mini 816 since September last year including over 1500nm of racing, 1500nm of qualification passage, and over 2000nm of training and delivery the qualifiaction is well deserved.

"My plans now are to refit the boat in Palma and try to raise the funds to get the boat to France and race in the French Mini Fastnett which I am already entered in prior to making final preperations and group training ahead of the 2013 Transatantic race".

Richard is supported Nico, Brett and the team from RG650 and Katabatic Sailing who have lent him the boat for the season and by Australian clothing manufacturer Zhik, and UK manufacturer Spinlock for clothing and safety equipment and he is determined to start the 2013 and get good results at all costs.

"While I will stop at nothing to compete in the 2013 Mini Transat, the difference between gaining a sponsor or not will be the difference in winning the race. The boat has proven itself to be faster than any other series class on the water in all conditions expected for the MIni Transat, and I will be training hard to explore every possiblity of making the boat go faster".

Check out my recent photos and video’s on Facebook and join the hewsonracing facebook page. You can also check out some cool video’s of Richa.rd sailing the RG on Youtube, and even download his Mini Transat sponsorship proposal from the hewsonracing.com website.

Date Monday 13 May 2013 Location SE Mallorca

Light winds make frustrating sailing as Richard Hewson and the RG650 try to round the SE tip of Mallorca and set course for Palma. It was hoped that the Qualification passage would be finished in 10 days, we are now up to day 12, out of coffee, and nearly out of water.

0001 No wind, drifting towards Pt Saltas SE Mallorca – at least we are drifting the right way!
0630 Position 39 16N 003 09E Only 30nm from Palma. No wind. Log for yesterday records only 20nm made.. so we may be in Palma by Wednesday. I have a call asking if I would like to visit friends for dinner to celebrate me finishing my qualification passage yesterday.. I inform them I am still 30nm to go!
0930 Wind from SW and very light.. but its still wind! Hoisted full main, solent and code 0.
1000 Wind veered. Code 0 down. Tacking very close to the shore into the bay of Palma as this is the only place there seems to be wind. So shallow I can make out the rocks and weed on the bottom. Water is crystal clear.. very beautiful, nice day for swimming!
1030 Position 39 20N 003 05E Passed close to Pt Salinas Lt. Slight breeze and now fetching to Palma. Code 0 up.
1300 Positoin 39 20N 2 30E Rounding the bluff sailing close to the cliffs. Code 0 down, LWS up. Shorts and T-shirt for the first time since I left Palma. Sterio on, constant moderate breeze. This is champaign sailing and worth every bit bad weather and light winds we have had over the past week. It is very very good to be alive!
1500 Position 39 33N Crossed the finish line as we belted along at 8-9 kts in steady wind with the LWS up. MINI QUALIFICATION PASSAGE COMPLETE!!! I drop the Light Weight Spinnaker in triumph as we pass the breakwater and sail into Palma Harbor. I give myself a loud cheer, and then reach my way across the harbor towards Real Club Nautico.
1540 Sails down and tied up at Real Club Nautico Palma, my home for the next few months while I prepair for the 2013 Mini Transat Race.. I am now Qualified!

Date Sunday 12 May 2013 Position Manorca

After an intense day of winds from the Mistral Richard Hewson and the RG650 bob around between the islands of Manorca and Mallorca. It was hoped the 1300nm passage would only take 10 days, but we are now on day 11 and conditions are not very favorable.

0630 Position 40 13N 3 57E Wind picked up from the south. Very light. After spending the morning doing circles we now can just make course for the NE tip of Mallorca. I have now run out of coffee and chocolate, and on my last three bottles of water.
0900 Position 40 14N 3 56E Light winds filling in from the North, scary storm clouds loom. Looks like a front but barometer is still rising. Full main and MWS. I scan the VHF for a weather forecast but hear nothing.
1100 Position 40 03N 03 44E Gybe to try to get further away from the land and the mountains of Mallorca. MWS and full main struggling to cope with light and variable winds. Without the full length bowsprit I am not sure if the LWS will fly. Winds shifting up to 40 deg 2-8kts. Everything is out to dry from dwon below, though sky still overcast.
1140 Falling asleep at helm. So sun = no solar = No power for pilot
1400 Wind shifted to SE – right where we want to go. Full main and solent up MWS down
1500 POsition 3955N 003 33E Wind now from North! Solent down, LWS up.. holds ok with shorter pole.
1750 Wind from south, LWS down, solent up
1800 No wind
2030 Wind from north, hoisted LWS
2359 No wind.. stuck like glue to the water!

Date Friday 10 May 2013 Position South France

We sail close hauled throughout the night in a nice breeze. The day drifting off Cosica has cost us a lot of time, and it dosnt look like we will be breaking any records. Strong headwinds are forecasted later in the day along the coast of France until we can round Ille de Porguralles. Once clear of the French coast we will enter a building Mistral and could expect some very strong winds. I check over the boat at every opportunity and secure everything down below as Im expecting a rough 48 hours.

0430 Position 43 21N 007 41E The RG650 sails herself beautifully in low groove for a few hours allowing me to rest before the big day ahead.
It is now getting quite choppy, and the boat tosses around unconfortably. Its a bit like being a rodeo bull rider at times as we smash into the chop.
0540 Position 43 21N 007 31E Sunrise – Sun obscured by cloud
1000 Position 43 19n 006 59E Wind is steady but its still choppy. Overcast sky not good for charging batteries and its quite cold on deck.
1200 Wind building
1600 Position 43 05N 006 30E Wind builds through afternoon, 2 reefs in the mainsail and 2 reefs in the solent. The wind becomes a bit shifty, as we round the corner from the Bay of St Tropez and head towards Ille de Porguralles. Im not sure what side of the channel seems best. There are lighter winds to the north, but I get lifted more to the south. In these strong winds it is a mission to tack as everything down below must be re-stacked tothe windward side or we just slide sideways. My taking angles in these strong winds and choppy conditions are very poor as the RG650 punches to windwards. Mini 650’s are defiantly not designed to sail to windward! Due to the strong winds there is only a couple of other yachts out in the bay. A 40ft cat is close by, so we race each other tack for tack until he has had enough and turns for shelter.
1900 Posiiton 43 02N 006 16E Water water everywhere. We are getting a lot of water over the deck and the wind is very gusty. I have rounded the north western corner of Ille de Porguralles, the last mark of the qualification course. As the sun sets the GPS sat reception is disturbed, poor dilution of precision and so I can not take a photo of the GPS as required by Classe Mini. I take out my emergency hand held GPS and take a photo of that instead.. camera battery go’s flat.. its not my day! I do a bit of filming with the GoPro to hopefully prove my location and rounding.

1930 Cold front and wind increases to an estimated 35kts. 3 reefs in main 2 in solent. Pilot tripped – No rudder indicator. GPS working intermitantly, I fear water damage. I try to call Brett from Katabatic Sailing for a weather update but we are already out of phone range. I go below to find the problem with the pilot, and find a loose connection in the bottom of the processor. I come up on deck to find a large ferry 1nm away and closing fast on collision course. I try to radio the ferry with no responce. I alter my course and sail hard on the wind when the ferry is 300m away, and sail only 50m clear of his stern. Too close for comfort. I ease the sails and alter couse to the SW then go below to re-set the pilot, investigate the GPS and make some coffee.
1945 Position 42 54N 006 04E I come up on deck to find the running backsatay loose. I figure the jammer may have come undone, but then find the deck fitting that holds the backstay in place has broken. This is a week area in this boat and has subsiquently been strengthened for the other RG650’s in the building process, but that dosnt help me now. I secure the running backstay to the spinnaker block to avoid loosing the mast then poke some spectra through the hole in the deck and crawl down to the back quarter of the boat and fit a 8mm bolt through the spectra to form a bolt to hold the backstay in place and increase surface area on the deck. I go on deck and in the roaring wind I secure the running backstay to its new fitting. A quick check of the mast shows no sign of bending or damage. I will give the rig a full inspection in the morning.
2020 Change some wiring for the instruments and get them working again. This will be a job high on my priority list when I return to Palma and re-fit the boat.
2030 Position 42 48N 006 01E Weather reports sent by Brett reports expected gusts to 57kts from NNE but barometer and wind steady so Im not too stressed. I estimate the gusts up to 40kts, and replace the solent with the tiny fluro orange storm jib. Boat speed up to 15kts surfing down waves.. rough, wet but lots of fun!

Date Saturday 11 May 2013

Location Gulf of Leon to Manorca

A pitch black night and the RG650 is rocketing down wind with three reefs in the main and a full solent in up to 30kts of wind. Waves roar and crash around us as we race towards Palma in a Mistral. Nearly two weeks ago to the day I hit a sunfish in this area breaking the transom on my boat, I keep a vigilant eye out for flotsam, logs, sunfish and whales as we surf down wind at 15kts.

0000. Estimated position 20nm south of Ille de Porguralles. No GPS, Instruments or pilot. I go below after steering the boat in rough weather for the past four hours to find lots of water! Most of it is coming in through the hole in the deck caused by a backstay malfunction, but a lot of spray is also entering by the companion way. I bail the water out, then close the companionway hatch, locking me out on deck for the rest of the night until winds abate and I have time to check the electronics.

0300 EP 50nm SSW of Ille de Porguralles. Wind abating and backing to the north, no instruments so steering by stars. So tired its hard to focus and my eyes are hazy due to all the salt spray.

0600 EP 70nm SW of Ille de Porguralles. Got instruments and pilot working. Pumping out leaking boat. Put boat on pilot and go below to get a wet few hours sleep.

0712 Just woke up to find water everywhere. Must find where all this water is coming from. GPS still not working

1130 Position 41 34N 004 52E Wind backed and abated. Storm jib down, solent up, boat speed increases from 7 to 9 kts and more than 15kts on good surfs.

1600 Wind abated to an estimated 15kts. We are under powered but its still very choppy. I set up the code 5 and wait for a calm spot for the hoist. There is a lull in the swell, so swing the pole out and start the hoist. When the Code 5 is half way up we surf down a wave and the bowsprit ploughes into the wave ahead which bends it back underneath the boat.. pole now bent.. when will I learn.. this is the third time this has happened to me!

1610 Investigate the damage. Lucky the way I have designed the new pole allows me to easily end for end it. I take the pole off the bow, and start making modifications Within a couple of hours I have the pole back on, the tack, downhaul and guys lashed to the other end and the entire assembly serviceable again. The pole is now 300mm shorter, but it still allows me to fly spinnakers for the rest of the passage so I hoist the Code 5

1930 Position 40 38N 004 18E. Pole repairs holding with the code 5, and wind has abated even more so I hoist the MWS and increase to full main. Now we are regularly surfing at 13-15kts, so much fun!

2100 Position 40 13N 004 18E The lights of Manorca light the horizon just as the wind dropps off to the point where I am now struggling to fill the spinnaker. Only hours ago I was making such good speed I thought I would be in Palma by Sunday morning. Now things are not looking too good. So much for strong winds forecasted all the way to Palma!

2130 Zero wind. I drop the sails and decide to get some rest as the boat drifts towards Manorca.

Date Thursday 9 May 2013

Position North Cosica to the South Coast of France

0800 Position 43 04N 00917E YAWN!!! Woke up at 0800 after 12 hours of sleep to find still no wind. My body feels stiff after eight days of hard sailing, and I feel tired but healed and brilliant after having so much sleep! There is still no wind so I make a coffee and put on some tunes – Frank Turner is a good choice for the morning and I sing along! Nothing to do now but relax, and check over the boat until the wind comes back.

Throughout the night I have drifted east nearly 5nm, if I were able to anchor I would have made more ground towards my destination than trying to sail!

1000 Position 43 05N 009 16E Wind! Hoist full main and Light Weight Spinnaker. I gybe to make ground towards the French coast where I expect to find more wind.

1050 Position 43 06N 009 13E A fisherman came alongside and asked if I was ok. Cosica authorities were concerned as my small boat had not moved for 14 hours. 1 week now since I set off from Palma.

1416 Position 43 09N 008 54E. Wind veers to North and I peel to the Code 0. The boat nicely balanced so I turn off the pilot to save power and let the RG650 sail herself. I sit below to keep out of the sun, often returning to the deck to check for shipping and hazards. Making some good ground to the west now at 7-8kts

1606 Position 48 10N 008 45E Wind backed to WSW. Hoist solent and drop code 0 then tack towards France.

1930 Position 43 16N 008 30E Slow progress now in light and variable winds make for frustrating sailing. If autopilot had power I would read a book and sleep but instead I have to helm for 20hrs a day. Wind is WSW 0-6kts and up and down like a Yo Yo.

2030 Wind now more steady, boat sailing herself again