In May, Will and I spent nearly three hours drifting just outside the Solent. It was Bossy Boots’ first race after her refit and most of the fleet had sailed away from us. We were seriously considering going home.
I tried one more tack. One knot became two, then three. By the following afternoon we were under spinnaker off the French coast, catching boats that had been hours ahead. We finished second in the double-handed class at Deauville. The beer ashore tasted pretty good. Read the Deauville race report.
The winter before, I’d been writing about a new rudder, a new mast and rather more work below the waterline than I’d bargained for. In April I wrote that racing was the next step for Navaia. I had the Fastnet in mind and a fair bit to do before I could put a programme together.
I’ve now got dates in the diary for both boats. We’ll start in the Solent on Bossy Boots. In the autumn, Epiphany takes us from Malta to the Atlantic.
A season on Bossy Boots
I’m looking forward to getting a crew together for the full JOG Coastal Series. We’ll start with a practice weekend on 13–14 March, then sail 12 races over six race weekends, from Easter through to Lymington in October. Early in the season we’ll still be working out who does what in a tack. By the time we get to Poole in September, I want us to be able to see the next manoeuvre coming and know what each of us needs to do. There are two full-season places left as I write. JOG Coastal Series.
For the JOG Offshore Series, it’ll be you and me. There are six weekends to choose from, including racing both ways between Cowes and Deauville, and trips to Alderney, Guernsey and Cherbourg. With two aboard, you’ll have a hand in everything from the sail changes to deciding how we use the tide on the approach. You’ll need some previous yacht sailing experience. JOG Offshore Series.
One lap in July, then the Fastnet
On Saturday 10 July, we’ll race round the Isle of Wight. The start off Cowes is busy enough to make anyone’s heart beat a bit faster. Then there’s the turn at the Needles, a long way round the south side and the tide to think about all the way home. It’s a good first race, and you’re welcome even if you’ve never sailed before. I’ll show you what to do and get you involved from the start. Round the Island Race.
Two weeks later, on 24 July, I’m aiming to take Bossy Boots to the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race. We’ve got training and RORC offshore races to sail together before then. I want us to have stood a few night watches as a crew and know how we work when we’re tired. If we qualify and our entry is accepted, we’ll race from Cowes around Fastnet Rock and on to Cherbourg. It’s 695 nautical miles, and seeing this little Contessa on that start line would mean a lot after the work that went into getting her here. Fastnet campaign details.
Taking Epiphany west again
Epiphany, our Hallberg-Rassy 43, was home for a year when my family and I sailed across the Atlantic and back. I’ve since set her up as a cutter-rigged cruiser-racer. She’s got a flying genoa for light airs upwind, a staysail for when the breeze builds and a full-size Parasail for the long downwind miles. I’m looking forward to seeing how she goes in a fleet.
First comes the Rolex Middle Sea Race on 16 October. We’ll start beneath the walls of Valletta, sail round Sicily and race back to Malta. A month later, on 21 November, the plan is to leave Las Palmas with ARC 2027 and sail to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia, with a small crew. That’s Ocean Reborn. Around 2,700 nautical miles and three weeks at sea, sharing the watches, sailing the boat and taking turns making dinner. Ocean Reborn · ARC 2027.
This year’s ARC fleet is getting ready to go. If you were hoping to be aboard in 2026 and couldn’t make it work, or you find yourself following the tracker and wondering what it would be like, there’s time to prepare for next November. After Saint Lucia, I’m also planning to take Epiphany to Antigua for the RORC Caribbean 600 in February 2028, with the date still provisional. Epiphany’s programme.
If there’s a race or passage you’ve been thinking about, drop me a line. Tell me what you’ve sailed and what you’d like to try. We can talk through where to start and what preparation makes sense. Early booking rates are available until 31 December 2026. See the full 2027 racing programme.
See you on the water,
Matthew
Navaia - Transformation Through Adventure