Charging down wind in the RG650 with two reefs in the main and the code 5 flying proud from the pole ahead of the boat in 22kts of wind in the med reaching speeds of over 16kts in a 21 foot boat is one of the best feelings in the world. Rain, flying spray, and cool autum temperates were forgotten about as the boat planed down the face of the steep mediteranian chop.

After a crazy few weeks I finally have time to sit down, have a beautiful italian coffee, escape the rain, and catch up on emails and write some blogs. Even to get to the start line was a challenge for this regatta. Talamone is situated half way up the west italian coast, and is not the easiest place to get to, let alone to organise trasportation of a mini 650 and all the gear required for the regatta. I arrived on Sunday, and was straight away getting stuck into boat preparations. After ten days in Talamone the boat has had a full make over, and has also participated in its first race of the season.

The Talamone race was a chance to test modifications to the boat made over winter and in the previous week before the start. It was also a great opportunity to trial weight configerations and sail combinations while racing against a good compedative fleet of minis that included for the first time ever another RG650 – the new Russian owned 838.

On Saturday the first of April the a fleet of Mini’s lined up off the beautiful Talamone yacht club. The course for this race would be was Talamone yacht club, a short windward work before rounding the top mark and sailng down to the Islands of Grosetto then up to the Giannutri Islands around Elba Island, Capria Islands and then returning to Talamone.

After a few pre start delays the gun went and my co skipper Bret Perry and I put the RG650 into gear, charging up the first leg of the course in the top half of the fleet. We had fantastic speed on the first leg which was proving our modificaitons were working. We rounded the top mark and set the kite and hammered down wind reaching some fantastic speeds in the mid teens. The boat was nicely loaded up, and we were side by side with the other RG650 838. Halfway down the second leg of the race some modifications proved itself too light and the new running backstay system let go with a bang.

Straight away we dropped the kite, and as bret crawled into the back of the boat, removing the emergency buoyancy and a plether of sails and gear stacked in the back we started to re-rope the backstays as many other boats sailed past, and we unfortunatly lost our good position in the fleet. Half an hour later the running backstays were fixed just in time for us to round the second mark of the course and start heading up wind again.

As we worked our way back to windward with nice 15kt winds and we began to catch the fleet again. By the time we were at Giannutri we were again in a good positoin but a poor navigation decision took us too close to the island, where we found gusty winds making the boat hard to control. Again some boats slipped by underneath us, and we were playing catch up as the sun begain to set.

By the time we rounded Giannutri we were again in a good position, and the real fun began. As the wind swung around and picked up we had a fantastic downwing run of around 80 miles with some blistering numbers recorded with boat speed in excess of 14 Knots – extremely quick for a mini.

The tables turned when we reached Capria and we went from planing down wind in beatiful consistant winds to dropping the kite and reefing the main in preparation for the dark clouds at the northern end of the island that indicated the predicted cold front was about to hit. We had just got our reefs in when the first squall hit. This squall smashed us with so much force the boat was knocked down flat with the spreaders touching the water! The weather did not imporve on the other side of the island, and we were forced to drop the solent and hoist the storm jib. Stay tuned for some awesome GoPro footage of 816 smashing our way upwind in some horrific conditions. Thankfully I had my Zhik gear to keep me warm, and Spinlock vests to keep us safe, as the temperature dropped to a freezing 5 degrees and the waves continuously crashed over the boat. The next 65nm were extreemly tough as we saw winds consistantly over 30kts and some large waves making tough going for life onboard a 21 foot boat.

Navigation for the rest of the race was tough and the conditions proved benificial for the locals who hugged the coast with more consistant wind that we experianced further offshore. Due to this being the first race of the season, and our inabilty to hoist our lightweigh kite, I decided to remain further offshore to protect the boat against the unmarked reefs and hazards that can be found closer to shore. Unfortunatly this move allowed a few yachts to take us on the inside, and we finished the race drifting across the line at Talamone in 5th place.

Since the finish I have not had time to rest until now. The mast came straight out of the boat the day after the race to repair a damaged top spreader, and I have also utilsed the opportunity to fit a new autopilot ram, move the electronics and re’calibrate the instruments in preparation for the next race and my 1000nm qualifier. Tomorrow I sail to Genova to prepair for the GP http://www.gpi-mini650.com.

RG 650 816 launched to windward off the start line in the Archiplelago 650 Italy…..

It has been a massive mission to get the boat ready for the first race of the season but I am nearly at the start line of the Archipelago Talamone Mini Regatta.

The boat arrived in Talamone last week on a truck, and flew out of Australia on Saturday ready for a big week of preparation. After a brief hiccup on arrival in Italy where my backpack containing in all my electronics for the season was grabbed from me at a train station, I finally managed to jump trains and hitch lifts to get to the boat in Talamone in true Australian style. Even without cash or ticket nothing was able to stop me from getting to this regatta.

Thankfully my new sponsors Zhik had a box full of awesome gear waiting for me in Talamone, so dispite my jacket and other clothing getting stolen I am walking the docks in style. Without a computer it has been a bit hard to stay in touch and plan my race, but thankfully mini´s do not allow computer based navigation software so I am not going to be at a loss in this regatta without my beloved macbook that has been with me around the world a number of times.

This week has been full on. It is not as simple as setting up a dinghy to go sailing. The mast had to go in, electronics sorted and calibrated, charging systems re’built and fixed, mast tuned, and a multitude of problems solved on the boat to get it ready for the start. Making it an extra mission is the crazy work hours they seem to operate in Italy, so its almost a gamble to find if the shops will be open or not.

This is going to be one fun and well deserved race.. stay tuned, and it may also be possible to follow me using
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/es/default.aspx and do a search for RG650.

P.S No photo´s today as my GoPro and brand new camera were stolen along with the rest of my stuff.. Hoefully I can post one tomorrow and show you the new cool Zhik Branding!

With the Vende Globe ending, things in Mini world are about to kick off with a bang. Entries are in for the majority of my races in Europe this season and I have now booked my flights to Milan from Australia where I will hire a car and drive down to Talamone to meet the newly painted RG650 and start tuning her up for the biggest Mini season ever!
The RG650 remains in the care of fellow Australian Brett Perry in Valencia and will soon be packed up and put onto a truck to be shipped to Talamone in Italy where we will do some two boat tuning with some other RG650’s. This will be the first time that I have sailed against another RG650, so it will be great to get some two boat tuning working for some more boat speed and more advanced trimming. This will put us in good stead for the season in France where the first race is still months away.
My intention is to race in the Archipelago Talamone with Bret as a double handed race. This is a relatively short race but will be a good shake down for the season and a great chance to test the improvements that have been made on the boat while also fine tuning the mechanics of the boat such as auto-helm and instruments.
Straight after the Archipelago Talamone I will pack the boat up with two weeks worth of food and set off on my 1000nm qualifier around the Mediterranean. The course is set and I will need to do some celestial navigation and a number of other challenges as I sail around set waypoints to cover over 1000nm of solo non-stop passage. Sailing around for a couple of weeks in the Mediterranean sounds pretty relaxing dosnt it??? Not in at the start of April, when winds can be unpredictable and bitterly cold as they blow down off the snow capped alps. This will be a tough challenge and im sure I will be dreaming of the Canaries and Guadalupe for the majority of the two weeks! Ill have to make sure I have a sunny playlist on the ipod for that one!
If I manage to get around the 1000nm in under two weeks there will be some icing on the cake, as there may be a chance that I will be able to compete in another Italian race before shipping the boat back to France- The Gran Premio d Italia. This is a longer race than the Talamone, and will give me enough miles to qualify for the Mini Transat and some excellent experience on the water racing against Italians best!
Once the boat is packed up after the Italian regatta’s I will put it on a truck for Lorient in France and I will have to head back to Australia to do some work off the Australian coastline to help fund my epic adventure.
For now, I am on countdown for what feels like Christmas.. I cant wait to be thrashing about in the RG650 again – Bring on Mini Season 2013!

Mini’s at the start of the Transat in 2011. Imagine your company name on one of these sails and conducting some enjoyable business on the support boat while watching the start. Richard Hewson is still looking for a major sponsor for the RG650 AUS816. This is an amazing campaign to be involved with, and with over 6 million fans, the ROI for your company is guaranteed to be significant and fun!

Richard Hewson is a professional sailor and mariner and is currently campaigning for the 2013 Mini Transat Campaign. The Mini Transat is a gruelling 4000nm race across the Atlantic Ocean starting from Brittany and racing to Guadeloupe via the Canary Islands.

Richard  is guaranteed to be on the start line for the 2013 Mini Transat, and if Richards previous campaigns are anything to go by, he will be giving 100% with the aim of winning the race against some of the worlds best sailors.

Richards most recent major campaign took him around the world, winning the 2011/12 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Richard has an excellent racing history, including seven Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races, the Fastnet Race, and fantastic results in both inshore and offshore racing. His life revolves around the ocean and this epic race is just another life long ambition that he will ultimately succeed.

To find out more about how you can get involved in Richard’s 2013 MIni Transat Campaign CLICK http://wp.me/a21UGQ-iC and take a look at the sponsorship powerpoint presentation.  If you prefer to view the document in PDF CLICK http://wp.me/a21UGQ-iD.  You can also click on the sponsorship icon at http://www.hewsonracing.com or call +61459467558 for more information.

It is now confirmed that my application for a derogation place for DCQ Foreigner for the 2013 Mini Transat has been selected by the Board of Directors of the Classe Mini. The list of competitors is on the website http://www.classemini.com

Now this has been confirmed now I can get my campaign under full swing, this means the purchase of my new boat, flights to be booked, and the entry fee for the Mini Transat 2013 to be paid and sponsorship acquired.

This news is very exciting and given I continue to maintain good results in the qualification races and complete my 1000nm qualifier in the Atlantic it guarantees me a place in the 2013 Transat.

Sponsorship is still my main focus at the moment and will determine if I can afford a boat that will win the race or I have to settle for something older and more affordable, either way, expect hewsonracing to be on the start for the 2013 Mini Transat in a boat that can be named by YOU.

For information about how to sponsor me in the 2013 Mini Transat, please visit http://www.hewsonracing.com, click on the sponsorship icon and download the Mini Transat Sponsorship powerpoint, or please feel free to contact me at hewsonracing@gmail.com or call me on +61459467558

Richard Hewson

 

More details and forum at www.RG650europe.com

The Global Ocean Race (GOR), one of sailing’s greatest challenges, is to receive a major boost for its third round-the-world event for Class40 yachts, now scheduled to start in September 2014. – This is brilliant news for Richard Hewson and hewsonracing, as it means that there will be absolutly no conflict between the Mini Transat and GOR!

“I have recieved little feedback so far from possible sponsors for the GOR, so the delayed start gives me more time to prepair for the GOR and also allows me to focus on the 2013 Mini Transat. Full focus will now be given to the 2013 Mini Transat, while sponsorship proposals are still open for my Global Ocean Race in 2014” Says Richard (Check out the sponsorship proposals at www.hewsonracing.com)
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Organisers of the Class40 Association-endorsed race announced today that in order to raise its profile and bring it the attention the event deserves, they have taken three important steps:

• Brought in a team of experts in media, ocean racing promotion and marketing
• Expanded the number of classes in the race, so that entries can now be single-handed, two-handed or fully-crewed
• Delayed the start by one year to take full advantage of the new arrangements

Meanwhile, they have agreed a number of sponsorship deals for the event and can already confirm a strong entry interest from at least eight solid Class40 projects.

“We have successfully completed two Class40 round-the-world races,” said Josh Hall, the GOR Race Director and CEO, “but we believe it is time for the race to fully evolve. To that end, we have created a new management structure bringing in some of the most experienced people in media, sponsorship and the marketing of a truly global yacht racing event. To permit our new team the appropriate timeframe to realise the planned levels of media and funding, we have decided to delay the race until 2014.”

Hall says that the new team’s aim is to make round-the-world ocean racing more accessible. “Our boats cost a fraction of those in the other major ocean races, opening up the thrill and adventure of sailing at speed through the Southern Ocean to a whole new generation of skippers and crew,” explains Hall. “In times of recession, I believe this will attract both aspiring ocean sailors and fully-experienced yachtsmen. Our boats now regularly average the speeds that Maxi Yachts in the Whitbread were doing just over a decade ago. It offers the best of sailing on a budget that many more can afford. Crucially, it also allows sponsors, who have been leaving the sport due to the massive costs, to return.”

Central to the new organisation will be a Steering Board, created to boost the organisation that supports the event. Members include a top TV producer who has overseen Olympic coverage for the BBC among others; a former CEO of three major broadcasting organisations; a leading public relations professional; a specialist in sponsorship fund raising and management and a commercial director with extensive international experience. Four of the five have already been contracted and each has considerable experience in ocean racing promotion, marketing and media coverage. The names of the Board and full details of the changes will be released in the New Year.

“These appointments bring one of the sport’s most experienced and successful teams to the GOR and justify our delaying the start of the race,” added Hall.

From the skippers planning to race, the overall reaction has been supportive. “For the Celox Sailing Team, the rescheduling is a welcome opportunity for further training and refinement and we are delighted to hear of the new weight brought into the organisation,” said Akilaria Class40 Gust Buster skipper, Gottfried Possl.

Richard Hewson is very excited with the announcement as not only will it give team hewsonracing (insert sponsors name here) but it will also enable all the boats to receive even better media coverage and hence increase the ROI for sponsors of the race.

“The main aim for hewsonracing is to give sponsors maximum return for their investment, and with a team of professionals marketing the race, combined with the sponsors own promotion the PR value of the sponsorship will be priceless”.

For information on how to sponsor Richard Hewson in the Mini Transat or GOR follow the links on the sponsorship page of hewsonracing, download the powerpoint, and contact Richard for a personal presentation on +61459467558 or hewsonracing@gmail.com