PHOTOS – COWES 2011

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Cowes Week 2011, IRC Class 4 – Mongoose 1st.

BOOM  (click the boom!)

Full week round up to come when we’ve finished celebrating. A massive week for team mongoose – 250 + pints of beer, 70 + rum and anything, seven races, ONLY 14 points – AMAZING.

Thanks to all, the crew of course – the behind the scenes support – Jenny Snowball head chef/mother & Anuty Sally and of corse to our sponsor from afar Patch, thank you.

 

 

 

Cowes week, day something, 2nd

Cheese and rice, wake up, saunter down to the boat… the wind? blowing its tits off, probably the same wind that blew the tits off stiletto (didn’t finish) anyway, just got back from the bar, where we have been since time began, the ca… looked at my mobile and completely forgotten what i was writing.. so. 2nd today, means we have to race tomorrow – not sure if we need to win but thing we need to do something to take the week, probably top three. We can do it, too right. Mongoose Stalking Prey, a little healed over…

GRC x

Thursday morning, a big day today indeed

Team Mongoose are stirring, looking out the window to low visibility, high winds and a pretty wet outlook. Our spirits however are far from damped. Today is a day where we could win IRC 4 Cowes 2011, this is massive. A third first would see us to an unbeatable position…

…until later.

Team Mongoose Stalking Prey

Cowes Week, day five, FIRST AGAIN. BOOM.

Team Mongoose are pretty knackered, so to maximise lashing time, typing time has been slashed. Today as well as winning again, we managed to get some snaps in… so here they are – yes today was awesome, awesome indeed.

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Cowes Week, Day 4, FIRST! massive! BOOM!

Team Mongoose had the pleasure of a lie in. greatly appreciated, as many lemonades were taken down the previous evening. with bright sunshine, predictions were correct it was light.

a good start saw us round the first mark in 4th. coming back down wind saw Mongoose falter, despite the introduction of pork pies (special thanks the the catering manager; C Wood).. next mark a little argument with a J boat, quote of the day ‘read the rule book’ Bovril 2011. The third leg, domination and Mongoose stalked to the front and a tight rounding of the 3rd mark sorted us from the rest of the pack.

with average wind speed of 9 knots and massive wind shifts,  times were difficult, some good gybing from the boys up front we pulled it out of the bag and got the first.

sunshine and banter won through today. special thanks to E Snowball who departs the team today – have a fun time down under.

some people say ‘good things come to those who wait’. Mongoose says ‘Why wait’.

Nike say ‘just do it’. Mongoose says ‘done it’.

if Carlsberg did Cowes week, Mongoose would be there (not drinking lager though).

Until tomorrow – AK47

AK 47 (got a great tan today)

Cowes Week, Day Three, Fourth place (again)

Dear loyal followers,

Day three on the water and Team Mongoose awoke with fresh heads and clear minds after keeping Sunday night low key. The forecast was similar to Saturday with a breeze of 25 knots scheduled for early afternoon. Ambition was high in the knowledge that we had two solid results under the belt; we dominate our fellow First 34.7′s but Hod 35 Zarafa has proved tough competition so far.

Our course was perhaps more straight forward and required less short taking up the mainland shore (respite indeed for us hardy hikers on the rail!). Our start was in the Western Solent towards Yarmouth and four downwind legs had the bow team grinning form ear to ear! A strong hoist / drop gets Messers Kemp & Coggan out of bed in the morning! We hit the start with the vengance that only a true Mongoose knows and were well up with the fleet. However, our top of the podium hopes were dashed as three boats benefited hugley from a wind shift (N – W) that left the ‘Goose back in the traffic. Picadilly circus round some of them marks!  Solid crew team work and sublime downwind trimming from Bovril kept us in the hot stuff and we were well placed as we hurtled downwind towards Prince Consort and the finishing line off the Royal Yacht Squadron. The sun out, the breeze gusty, MSP operating speed at 9 – 10 knots, rail banter sharp the team hit the finish with enthusiasm. Here’s to teamwork and a passionate final leg performance.

So all is still to play for for your favourite safari based sailing team. Bod Dylan once wrote, “the times, they are a changing”… he was talking about the weather for tomorrow is a changing and it looks like it’s going to be light… good for Kennard’s tan! We lie third overall (on countback) and tonight the barbee is on, we will have a few lemonades in the comfort of a job well done. But we look forward to tomorrow with ambition and pugnacity, a first place finish to the week within our grasp.

Some say it is important to credit a homme du jour, a man of the match, a “Most Valuable Player”… today that award goes to team work and the tenacious attitude of this team. Great mates all for sure but backing one another up, helping each other out and working as one is surely the way we will win this week!!

Andre Stalking Prey reporting from the mast, out.

ps – a few photos from day 1 (sorry for the delay)

Mongoose smells the action on day 1

A pretty regular view of the Solent on race day

Cowes Week, day two, second place

Hello wind, you were only away for one day but you’ve come back with a vengeance, but before the race came last night. As mentioned in the previous blog it was Mr Edward Snowball’s 21st so what better way to celebrate it than trying to drink Infernos(a pop up club in one of the Marinas) dry of rum and coke, rum and ting, rum and anything… So Team Mongoose hit the D-Floor and a trickle of party goers headed homewards from 2am onwards.

So back to today, wind steady around 22 gusting up to 30 knots which gave the Solent a lumpy and later in the day choppy aspect. Sail choice was the main discussion, number 2 jib or number 3 – the decision was however made for us when the number 2 decided to rip 2 minutes and 10 seconds before the start – Team Mongoose leapt into action getting the no. 3 plugged in and hoisted with 15 seconds to spare – this did however mean we we’re five lengths off the line giving us a lot to do to catch up with the leaders.

Heads down, hangovers being blown away Mongoose went like a train (quoting competitors) to round the windward mark in about second or third – kite up and 11knts on boat speed, here we go. Probably not the smoothest run (a few broaches – where the boat is overpowered and basically goes on it’s side and you just hold on and try and regain control) but we powered on. Long hard beats and fast on the edge down wind legs – 4hrs and 27 seconds later we crossed the line – tired and wondering if we really needed all that rum – FYI of course we did, it’s Cowes Week.

So a good result keeping us in the hunt for the elusive Cowes Week Class win, we now have fix points after two days – with the boat in number 1 position holding four. A thank you to Tanqueray gin who from their RIB handed us two bags with gin, lime and tonic on our way in… next time some glasses as well!

In other news – tankers come and go from Southampton racing or no racing – don’t do this!

Cowes Week, Day 1, Fourth Place, 58 beers so far…

TEAM MONGOOSE arrived in Cowes last night (Friday) and a splinter group went and made sure all beer tents were present and correct…. Hello Saturday, an important day for two reasons, the first race and Mr Edward Snowball’s 21st birthday – hats off to that man.

The weather? overcast with a chance of rain, the wind? not much (a respite from 42knts in the IRC Nationals – 3rd in class by the way) not the best start on the RYS line the Mongoose has seen, as one fellow competitor put it ‘you were buried’. When Mongoose is Stalking Prey, Mongoose does not give up, a great short tack beat up the shore line (six yachts ran aground) and a brilliant lay of the first mark to round it in 3rd, and then take the downwind leading the class… then the weed came, all over our keel to be exact – slowing us down by about 1knt – the only way to get rid of it to go backwards – basically the equivalent of a hand break turn – weed gone – Mongoose back up to speed but not soon enough to claw back on the clear leaders – Stiletto (see blog post – ‘your bird has no tits’) so no more errors, plain sailing into 4th, not bad considering, and it is only the first day.

Mongoose tidy up, then straight to the beer tent. This blog is being written with a glass of champagne in hand, Mr AK and Ging no.1 in tow – tonight Infernos will feel the wrath of team Mongoose… and tomorrow’s race? Well we’ll see.

AK 47 is back … Mongoose `stalking Prey 24/7

Another year has flown by. Winter, spring, IRCs have all come and gone. Some of us have missed these with commitments engulfing that of the sail. Others have gone through blustering gales, spinnaker headaches and the usual broken something.

Now the real fun begins. In time honored tradition the shackles are once again of for Cowes Week. The booze is in, the boats are ready and the people of Cowes are quaking with their high council bill!

MONGOOSE is back on the lash, with some new stash, STALKING PREY like no other. This is what Team MONGOOSE does 24/7.

Look out for us in Cowes Week...!

Written by Capt. AK 47.