Life on Board - Life of Reilly II - The rest of the story!

One of our Race Committee members, Derek Mason was a crew member on Life of Reilly II.  He did manage to send a fabulous sunrise shot and a couple of posts - but was hoping to file several more updates on the race.  However, he lost his internet connection sooner than expected.  Now that he's back in Prospect, N.S., here is his summary of a week to remember! 

Derek with skipper Peter Blunden on Life of Reilly II

Hey, I'm back. Been away for the week on the Route Halifax Saint-Pierre Ocean Race and have some stuff to share.

I effectively, lived without internet for a week and survived, funny huh? Lost it off Cape Breton and would only get updates when we were out sailing off the coast of Saint-Pierre. My phone and iPad would populate when I wasn't looking. It's not that the Island doesn't have internet, it was just difficult to acquire what was set up for the sailors. Too many people sharing the same connection. I kept a few logs to keep my mind up to date during the trip since I couldn't post daily.

The Route Halifax Saint-Pierre race starts in early July in Halifax harbour and finishes 2-3 days in Saint-Pierre. It's a sponsored event hosted by the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron and the Saint-Pierre Yacht Club.

The race was an amazing trip. It's not just about racing to Saint-Pierre to win honours, (we did capture 4th in our division for the ocean race and the Grand Prix with our canvas enclosure up) it's about a glorious 2.5 day trip to a wonderful place with amazing people.

I only knew 2 of our 6 crew when we left. Actually only met Dirk de Haan as we left the dock to start the race. By the time the week was over, and I had to leave, I had 5 great comrades with bonds for a life time.

We were, Peter Blunden (skipper), Richard Dube (navigator and cook), Dirk de Haan (driver and main trim), Mark Jollymore (driver and trim), Tom Vokey (trim and driver) and myself (trim, photographer, inshore tactics).

The hearts of the Saint-Pierre people are huge and warm. They couldn't do enough for us and we were amazed. They are so gracious. Our host family, Jean-Pierre and José Poirer, were wonderful and I hope to see them again soon.

The weather, although I'm told is always foggy and cold, was warm and clear with moderate winds pushing us downwind to what I now refer to as the little northern Bermuda. Little European streets with brightly coloured houses, both shingle and stucco sided and a rich history dating back to the discovery of North America.

Anyone that has never been, or thinks it's not the place to go, needs to rethink. I'll fly back with my wife and daughter as soon as we can. It will be the leisurely cap to a great trip.

I've dropped in a few pics, 

Enjoy, Derek

While you were sleeping...non-spinnaker race settled

Many of the non-spinnaker division boats raced to the finish line overnight. RNSYS' Jason Coakley and SV Christina Grant crossed the line first at 62 hours, 35 sec. but was overtaken by Genesis, skippered by Gilles Derouet of the Yacht Club de Saint-Pierre when the ratings were calculated.

So the finishing order in provisional results are Genesis in first, Christina Grant, second and Scott MacLeod and Easy Company from RNSYS in third place.  Several yachts are still on the water this morning.

Update:  Saraphie finished and is now in third in the provisional results. (as of 9:00 AM ADT)

RHSP 2012 nearing completion - one division still to come

Competitors continued to arrive at Saint-Pierre all day and three of the four divisions in the race are almost complete.

Following the early results from IRC covered in an earlier post, PHR-1 has top three finishers at the dock.  Number one is Helm's Deep, with skipper Mike Sutton arriving just twenty minutes after the first boat across the finish line.  Second place in PHR-1 is Starfire, skipper Andrew Boswell of BBYC and third place Harrier, RNSYS skipper Evan Petley-Jones.

Four of six PHR-2 boats are now in.  Grant Gordon's Vagrant from the Dartmouth Yacht Club is in the
number one position, followed by two RNSYS boats - Mike Archibald's Glenesk in number two and Judy Robertson and Steve Kempton's Semper Vivens in third position after handicapping.

One fascinating detail of this year's race - two of the PHR-2 boats have the best times on the results board once the rating system kicks in.   Grant Gordon's corrected time in his Morgan 366 Vagrant is just under two minutes faster than the corrected time of the line honors winner, Saint-Pierre en Bessin.  And Mike Archibald's Tartan 3700, Glenesk is also faster, by about 25 sec. on corrected time.

None of the non-spinnaker division boats has arrived in Saint-Pierre as of the 2100 hr transponder check in.

Watch the results page (look on the left hand side menu) here on the RHSP website for the 2012 official results as calculated by RHSP director, Richard Hinterhoeller.

IRC results complete now

The IRC division results are complete now. You'll find them here on our race webpage under results. Final order after handicapping in that division is:

1. Saint-Pierre en Bessin, Luc Coquelin 
2. Dawn Treader, Lawrence Cohen 
3. Bella J, Ray Rhinelander
4. Defiant, Jean Trottier

The only other boat already at the dock is Helm's Deep, Mike Sutton's Soto 40 from RNSYS. His crossing was 43:20:31, approximately twenty minutes behind Saint-Pierre en Bessin. It has been corrected to 54:23:39 by the rating system. Sutton's team was racing in PHR-1 and sits in first place in that division at this point.

Victory!

Here's a moment of victory captured by Saint-Pierre photographer Jean-Christophe L'Espagnol early this morning as the Top 50 Saint-Pierre en Bessin's skipper Luc Coquelin enjoyed his first place finish...leading the whole fleet and winning the IRC division.

Arrivée ce matin à Saint-Pierre du voilier Saint-Pierre en Bessin, premier de la course. Luc Coquelin fait le signe de la victoire ! © Jean-Christophe L'Espagnol - Ville de Saint-Pierre - Route Halifax — Saint-Pierre

Wonderful pictures of the winner!

Saint-Pierre photographer Jean-Christophe L'Espagnol was out on the water this morning to capture the sights of IRC-winner Saint-Pierre en Bessin and skipper Luc Coquelin arriving at the French island.  You'll find a gallery of his shots on this website, which is being updated by the Saint-Pierre race committee.

Copy and paste the link into a new browser window to see the full page:
http://www.chezvoo.net/rhsp2012#!__rhsp2012

First across the line! Congratulations Saint-Pierre en Bessin.

RHSP 2012 is coming to a climax this morning with the first boats crossing the finish line in Saint-Pierre.  Line honors go to Saint-Pierre en Bessin in the IRC class, completing the race in just under 43 hours.  Helm's Deep was next into port, first to complete the race in the PHR-1 division.  The rest are on their way.  Look at the tab for "Race Results" on this website.  Race Director Richard Hinterhoeller is updating with the latest information including corrected times as the boats arrive.

Latest results - 2 Saint-Pierre boats lead their Divisions at 1800 ADT

Just checking in on the Race Tracker at 1800 ADT... and here's what I found:  Two Saint-Pierre boats are leading in their divisions:  Saint-Pierre en Bessin in IRC and Ososoy in PHRF-2,  Saraphie from RNSYS in Non-spinnaker and Starfire from BBYC in PHRF-2.  You'll find all the other details on the Yellowbrick tracker page!

http://yb.tl/halifax2012

Life on Board - Life of Reilly II

One of our Race Committee members, Derek Mason is a crew member on Life of Reilly II.  Watch for his updates on the race.

Received at 5:30 am Mon., July 9, 2012.

Photo credit: derekmasonphotography.com

Coming up on dawn. What a beautiful night. We were south of our competitors and came up to the pack at midnight. Steady at 6-7 knot average boat speed with a half moon that rose around 11 pm. Here's a photo of the sunset and our dawn. Should be off Canso by now. Steady 14 knots of wind from the NW. Absolutely clear view beyond the horizon and can see "Easy Company" and "Christina Grant". Onward past Cape Breton.

I'll send again before we lose signal, hopefully.

LIfe on Board - Life of Reilly II

Derek Mason is crew aboard Life of Reilly II, and a long serving Race Committee member - He'll be filing updates as the race progresses. Here's his first log, filed at 7:08 pm, Sun., July 8th:

Okay. Hello from Life of Reilly II
After a great start in Halifax at noon we are trucking along. Well past Clam Harbour by 6pm with great seas and so-so breezes. We're seeing 6-10 knots wsw and doing well. Our fleet is starting to spread out from the rum line to gain different tactical advantage. My shift is 9-12 pm so I'm grabbing a nap. Hope to give you our next update with pics next log on.

Derek Mason on Life of Reilly II

RHSP 2012 Tracking Link!

They are off to Saint-Pierre!  Follow the progress of each boat on Yellowbrick's tracking page:
http://yb.tl/halifax2012

Events Today

Saturday

-       0800 Sailor’s Breakfast starts at the RNSYS Clubhouse

-       0900-1600 Check-in/Registration open at Commodore’s Room, 2^nd floor, RNSYS Clubhouse

-       1530 BBQ and Bar service opens at Spar Shed

-       1600 Competitors Meeting 
Competitors’ information meeting with the Race Chair, Race Director and weather briefing at RNSYS (Spar Shed)  In case of severe weather and race postponement, a subsequent Skipper’s Brief will be rescheduled (TBA).

Events Today - July 6th

Our events today include:
1400-1800 - Yacht checkin at Commodore's Room, RNSYS


1900 - RHSP Goslings Pool Party - Rum Squall Part Deux!
Buffet dinner and dancing with The Classics at the RNSYS..join us for an evening at the Club to meet the competitors in RHSP 2012.

Petit aperçu de la marina Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron • Jean-Christophe L'Espagnol - Ville de Saint-Pierre • Route Halifax Saint-Pierre • jclespagnol@gmail.com

Crew clothing - Imp. deadline coming up!

It's time to make a decision about some personalized clothing for this year’s race. 

If you want anything customized, your order must be received by June 21st. 

Here are a few suggestions in varying price ranges:

Aigle Jacket – 109.99 plus tax

Golf Shirt – 29.99 plus tax

Ball cap with logo – 14.99 plus tax

Boat Name embroidery - $6.50 per item

 A happy crew - PRICELESS!!

See the full range of clothing and find the order form:

Just click on "Shop for RHSP gear" on the left-hand menu.

Offshore Safety course - June 20th

There is another chance for you and your crew to complete an offshore survival training course before RHSP 2012. 
Heather Conrad tells us there are spaces available on a one-day ISAF-sanctioned course coming up on Wednesday, June 20th in Dartmouth. And if that date won’t work for you, she also says another course can be organized on another day if there are a minimum of six people to take part.

Survival Systems Training
40 Mount Hope Avenue
Dartmouth NS
B2Y 4K9 Canada
Tel: +1 (902) 465 3888

Registrar
Heather Conrad
Tel: (902) 465 3888 x103
Toll-free: 1 800 788 3888
Fax: (902) 466 2929
Email: heatherc@sstl.com

Cost: $345 + tax

ISAF Offshore Personal Survival

This program is designed to develop awareness of responsibilities amongst offshore yacht skippers and crews, to provide them with practical strategies for coping with emergencies at sea, and to familiarize them with safety and emergency equipment, its purpose, deployment, and proper use.

CONTENT
• Care and maintenance of safety equipment
• Storm sails, damage control and repair
• Heavy weather-crew routines, boat handling
• Sea anchors
• MOB prevention and recovery
• Assisting other boats
• Cold water physiology
• SAR protocols and methods
• Vessel abandonment
• Life rafts and PFDs
• Marine fire fighting (fire extinguishers)
• Pyrotechnics and distress signals / EPIRBs
• Communications / VHF / GMDSS

Shipping Container to Saint-Pierre

If you are planning to race to Saint-Pierre, there will be a shipping container available to help you and your crew transport extra gear. The container will be available to ship non-hazardous materials from RNSYS to YCSP, and then back to RNSYS.

The container is expected on site in the RNSYS dockyard from July 1st until the evening of July 4th. A race committee representative will be there to accept gear for shipment on July 3rd and 4th, 2-4 p.m. and again 5-8 p.m. All gear must be loaded prior to 8 p.m. on July 4th.

Contact Andrew Childs at (902) 240-0155 for further assistance.

Note: Gear for shipment should be well packed and contained. Each boat shipping gear must provide a detailed listing of the contents of their shipment. Gear will only be accepted for shipment in the container if accompanied by this information. 

The container is expected to arrive at the YCSP on July 9th. It will be available for gear retrieval during the day from this time until the 15th of July. Those wishing to ship back to RNSYS from St. Pierre may do so, provided the same detailed list of contents is provided to attending staff in St. Pierre. The container is expected to depart St. Pierre on July 16th, and arrive back at RNSYS on or about the 18th of July, once it has cleared Canadian customs.

Competitors are requested to please pick up all their gear ASAP once the container has returned to RNSYS. The container will be at the RNSYS dockyard for about 2 days before being picked up again.

Deadline coming up....

Those of you who have already registered for this year's event have already received a reminder from Race Director Richard Hinterhoeller.  But if you have been holding off, now is the time to act!  June 1^st is an important date.  The entry fee to be received by the RNSYS administrative office prior to that date is $450 (Canadian funds). As of that date, the fee increases to $550.  Just think what you could do with that extra $100 in Saint-Pierre.  Cognac, anyone???

Gear Time!

The best gear helps you go faster - no lie!

That's why your crew is going to want some of the items we've just made available through this website.  Look at the left hand menu and click on "Shop for RHSP gear". You'll find a great selection including Aigle jackets and vests, fleeces, shirts and hats.  You can have our RHSP 2012 logo added as well as your boat's name and crew position if you wish.   There's a form to download and print to make your order.

Advertising Space Available

There are only a few weeks now to the start of the 2012 edition of Route Halifax Saint-Pierre Ocean Race. 

Our 28-page Official Race booklet is in production and will be offered in print. Online advertising with sponsor and partner recognition and links is also available.

There is some great space available that will help you reach a targeted audience of avid sailors from all along the eastern seaboard and other RHSP 2012 followers. If anyone is interested, please contact Peter Blunden at 902-488-7245 or by email to media@routehalifaxsaintpierre.com for ad space, sizing and pricing.

VIP Reception launches 2012 Race Countdown

We held a VIP reception at RNSYS' Saraguay House Fri., April 20, 2012 to launch the race in earnest this year. Guests of honour included Nova Scotia Lieut. Gov. J.J. Grant and Le Maire de Saint Pierre, Madame Karine Claireaux. 

Route Halifax-Saint Pierre 2012 is dedicated to the late Capt. Hal Davies, one of the race founders. His son Stephen spoke about his father's extensive experience as a professional mariner and amateur sailor. The Davies family has donated a new trophy which will be awarded for the first time this year to the best performance by a new entrant.

Race chair speaks at Halifax Boat Show

Race chair Mike Evans spoke about ocean racing at the Halifax International Boat Show on Feb. 25th.

Sea Survival Training - April 21, 22

Skippers planning to take part this summer will know that the ISAF Special Offshore Regulations stipulate that at least 30% but not fewer than two members of a crew, including the skipper shall have undertaken both offshore safety training and first-aid training within the five years before the start of the race. ISAF certificate of competence training will be held at the Shearwater Yacht Club Saturday and Sunday April 21st and 22nd in Dartmouth lead by Sea Survival. If you want more information and to register, you'll find all you need at: http://www.seasurvival.ca/

Save on Flights between Halifax and Saint-Pierre:

Two extra flights have been created by Air Saint-Pierre.

On Monday, July 9th, PJ1222 departs Halifax at 16h30 / arrives Saint-Pierre 18h45.
There is a special return flight on Sunday July 15, PJ1221 departs Saint-Pierre 9h30 / arrives Halifax 10h00.

As part of Air Saint-Pierre sponsorship, the airline will offer 20% off tickets on these flights and all regular flights for participants in the race and support people.  When reserving the passenger must say the ticket is for a team member, family or sponsor and give the name of the boat. All that info will be necessary to get the reduced fare.

The 20% will be taken off at time of purchase from the regular price and all asking for it must identify themselves at time of reservation.

The tickets must be purchased directly from Air Saint-Pierre at the locations listed below.

Les deux vols supplémentaires ont été programmés:- le lundi 9 juillet PJ1222 départ YHZ 16h30 / arrivée FSP 18h45
- vol retour le dimanche 15 juillet PJ1221 départ FSP 9h30 / arrivée YHZ 10h00.

Dans le cadre du sponsoring, Air Saint-Pierre accorde une réduction de 20% à tous les participants du RHSP voyageant sur ces deux vols ainsi que sur les vols réguliers s’ils le désirent.
Lors de la réservation, les participants à la RHSP doivent s’identifier en tant que tel et impérativement, pour les équipages, membres de familles ou autre sponsors, indiquer le nom du bateau pour lequel ils viennent. Ce nom sera obligatoirement enregistré dans le dossier de réservation pour contrôle.

Je rappelle que les 20% sont appliqués à l’émission du billet aussi, toute personne se déplaçant au titre de la RHSP doit le notifier lors de la réservation.
Les billets doivent être impérativement achetés aux comptoirs Air Saint-Pierre aux adresses suivantes

HALIFAX halifax@airsaintpierre.com Tél (902) 873 3566Fax (902) 873 3567
St JOHN’S stjohns@airsainrpierre.com  Tél (709) 726 9700 ou 1-877-277-7765 Fax (709) 726 9701 SAINT-PIERRE  contact@airsaintpierre.com
ou gbartlet gbartlett@airsaintpierre.com  Tél 508 41 00 00 Fax 508 41 00 02

Meet our Race Chair, learn about Ocean Racing!

We'll be at the Halifax International Boat Show! Race Chair Mike Evans can answer any questions you have. He'll be at the Nova Scotia Yachting Association booth or you can hear him speak at a seminar on Ocean Racing. That's at the Halifax International Boat Show, Exhibition Park, Halifax.  The show runs from Feb. 23-26th.  Mike will be on site on Saturday, Feb. 25th. 

Sail World post

Hi,
See our news spreading far and wide.  Check out news about Route Halifax Saint-Pierre 2012 on the Sail World website.  Just click here.

Info Session at RNSYS a success

Lively event last night at RNSYS - thanks to all for coming. We know of at least one more entry to the race as a result! Stay tuned for more news and we'll no doubt see you all at the Halifax International Boat Show, Exhibition Park, Halifax on Feb. 23-26th.

TGIF Information Session - Fri., Jan. 27th

Join event chair Mike Evans and others from the Race Committee to find out more about Route Halifax Saint-Pierre 2012. Learn how you can get ready to participate in the most exciting ocean race in the region this year!  Join us between 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, 376 Purcell's Cove Road, Halifax.

The Dawn Watch on Cello - July 12, 2010

Were you there too? Skipper Mike Whitehouse shares the dawn watch on Cello on July 12, 2010. One competitor is a mile to starboard, another one mile to leeward.  The fleet is racing the last 50 km. to the finish in Saint-Pierre.   Mike and "Cello" will be back again this year.  If you are thinking about joining the Race, you'll find all the information you need on this site.