THE JUSTIN CHISHOLM COLUMN - MARCH 2005

Introducing an new occassional column from Justin Chisholm, of the UK's Team Barbarians, who brings us a sailors eye view of life on the IMCA circuit: One of my better decisions….It is human nature to dwell on the poor decisions we make during our lives and we rarely take the time to congratulate ourselves on our smarter choices. At the end of 2003 I showed excellent judgement when I accepted an offer to join a Melges 24 crew. Like most people I had long been an admirer of the boat’s seductive looks and glamorous regatta programme and so grabbed the opportunity with both hands. As I look back over my first full season and forward to the coming 2005 campaign I am struck by how fortunate I was not to pass up that chance.

Rookie
Being honest I have not always felt so positive about my decision. My first regatta, SNIM in Marseille was a baptism of fire. The French race committees take no prisoners. Sixty boats, 25 knots, big seas and four races a day. By the end of the regatta my body and my confidence had taken a severe beating. My primary problem was the apparent loss of any inherent sense of balance I may once have possessed. I lumbered around the boat like a bull elephant with its back legs roped. In fact more than once during a tack I actually did manage to wrap the jib sheet around both legs and fall, pathetic and whimpering, to the cockpit floor.

The deck was like a war zone to me. My backside was covered in bruises the perfect shape of Harken cleats and my abdomen bore a permanent imprint of the hiking pads. The hostile environment also extended outside of the boat. In this fleet no quarter is asked or given – even in huge seas and high winds. At times seemed like the rest of the fleet were out to get us. In reality it is nothing personal. Port tackers who cross your bow with inches to spare don’t even waste a glance in your direction. On the Melges racetrack the tactical picture is constantly changing. This is where 3D chess meets Formula One. Boats that seconds ago looked to not be a threat can surge back into play on only a few degrees of windshift. With boat speeds so evenly matched a single successful cross on the first beat can mean the difference between glory or obscurity at the windward mark. For experienced crew judging the speed and distance of your competitors whilst hanging upside down from the guardrail needs to be an innate skill.

In contrast to the pain and suffering on the beats, the runs in Marseille were pure delight. 25 knots and big waves are surely what the Melges 24 was designed for. Hurtling downwind on the edge of control amongst such a huge fleet was the Melges adrenaline rush I had dreamt of. But even when travelling at full tilt, tactics are still to the fore and if the wind shifts and you need to gybe then the fact that you are about to make the jump to hyperspace is irrelevant – you’re gybing and you are gybing now. Crews crammed in the back few feet of the cockpit, four feet of bow completely clear of the water, boats on opposite gybes converge at closing speeds over thirty knots. No place here for the faint hearted – this is death or glory. That’s what gets talked about in the bar afterwards, the stuff you remember after the regatta, not the pain, not the trepidation, just the natural high. No other keelboat delivers that sort of exhilaration It’s what makes the Melges 24 class legendary and keeps us all coming back for more.

Vive la Difference
Happily I was invited back for more and during a busy season have been fortunate to race at Melges regattas in the UK, Europe and the US. I have noticed some subtle differences between European and US events. At Key West this year the race committee catering for a 58 boat fleet managed to start all races without a single general recall. Not even the threat of the dreaded Black Flag. All early starters were announced on the radio within seconds of the start gun by the midline and pin-end boats. It can’t be easy to accomplish but it does eliminate the frustration of the multiple false starts which we commonly experience in Europe. Incidentally the KW Committee even managed to get it right when they got it wrong. We filed a protest when we were recorded as OCS on a start we knew we were well behind the line. The protest committee were sceptical and when our bow number could be clearly heard on the OOD’s tape things looked bleak. Fortunately for us it turned out we were listening to the J105 start sequence! Reinstatement for us and presumably disappointment for our J sistership.

Another difference between the US and Europe regattas becomes apparent when it comes to craning out at the end of the regatta. The European approach often deteriorates into a heated free for all of bumping and barging as boats vie to be nearest the crane. Contrastingly at a recent US event as crews struggled manfully to adhere to the rota in a docking area half the size required there were no raised voices. Despite the tangible tension the only comment we heard was a sardonic “Well this is a less than ideal situation.”

March sees two significant Melges events – Miami’s SORC and Marseille’s SNIM. Both regattas will no doubt engender large fleets and tight competition. Those lucky enough to be attending both will have an excellent opportunity to compare and contrast the US and European regatta styles along with enjoying great weather, racing and parties. Further confirmation if any were needed what an excellent choice we all made when we joined the Melges 24 fleet.

Justin Chisholm is a member of the UK based Team Barbarians Melges 24 crew and can be contacted at E-mail Justin Chisholm