Credit: Sailing Shots by Maria Muina
Stepping back onto the Wally Cento Tilakkhana II in Palma felt like reuniting with an old friend - one who had clearly been making the most of the off-season. She had come through a thorough winter refit and was gleaming, with a number of tweaks and changes made by the shore team who had clearly been busy during the quieter months.
Joining the boat in Palma also meant getting the race crew back together, and that is always one of the real joys of the start of a new season. There is a wonderful energy when familiar faces from last season come together again, full of stories and enthusiasm, and this year that energy was amplified by the arrival of some new faces too. It is always exciting to welcome new people into the team as they bring fresh perspectives and ideas.
We had a solid block of training time planned before throwing ourselves into any racing, and that time was invaluable. It gave us the opportunity to thoroughly check over all the changes made during the refit and make sure everything was working as intended. More importantly, it gave us the chance to integrate the new crew into the team and start building the trust and communication that is the foundation of any high-performing race crew. One of the key challenges this season is that we are sailing with slightly fewer bodies on deck. We have dropped from a crew of 26 down to 22, a decision made to gain a rating advantage, but the reality of doing the same job with fewer hands takes some careful refinement. Training time allowed us to work through exactly that.
We also had some new sails to play with, which is always a good excuse to push the boat a little. Assessing how they would fit into our existing sail wardrobe and understanding how they might help us improve on last season's performance kept us busy and engaged on the water. The sun was warm, the water was cold, as the Mediterranean tends to be in the early part of the season, and the sailing was fun.
Credit: Sailing Shots by María Muiña
The first event of the season was the offshore race La Larga, a 296-mile course that departed at lunchtime on Saturday. For us, the finish came just before 1900hrs on the Sunday evening and not a moment too soon, as the last of the breeze was fading fast. The course took us out around some of the islands to the south of Palma before heading across to Formentera and Ibiza, with a handful of island marks to round along the way. Much of that leg was completed in the dark, which meant we never got to appreciate what we are reliably informed is some truly stunning scenery. Instead, we were entirely focused on chasing every breath of wind and managing the tricky shadows cast by the land, where the breeze can disappear without warning and leave you completely becalmed. It required patience and concentration in equal measure.
The conditions were very cold for this time of year, and it was not long before extra layers were being pulled on. Sleep was in short supply, as it tends to be offshore, but the team delivered a clean, well-executed race. We had won our class helped, in no small part, by some of our competitors falling victim to the dying breeze and being unable to keep moving towards the finish.
With barely a moment to draw breath, the turnaround began in earnest. Offshore mode became inshore mode almost overnight as we prepared for the Palma Vela Regatta. It is a different mindset, a different configuration and a different pace, but the crew embraced the transition with real enthusiasm. We joined two other boats in the maxi class and set about getting to grips with the shorter, sharper format.
Over the first two days we had two windward-leeward races each day which were quick, tactical and demanding. The third day brought a 35-mile coastal race, which suited us very well and gave the boat a chance to stretch her legs properly. The final day, however, belonged to the weather. A large and very dramatic thunderstorm rolled into Palma Bay, delivering torrential rain. Racing was suspended and, once the storm had cleared, there was precious little wind left to salvage anything from the day so the race committee made the sensible call to cancel.
In terms of results, we won every race on the water, which is enormously satisfying. However, IRC rating is designed to level the playing field between very different boats, and over four of the five races it was Rose, a Wally 80, who came out on top on corrected time. She is a formidable boat, sailed well and she deserved her overall victory. We finished in second place, which in the grand scheme of things is not a bad result at all, particularly at this stage of the season.
More than anything, this has been a valuable training regatta. The boat is quick, the team is gelling and we are learning all the time. We go to Sorrento at the end of May for the next event feeling better prepared, better connected as a crew, and with a real sense of momentum building. I cannot wait.