This year’s UK Solent 6.50 mini transat race, sponsored by Fuel Cell Systems, proved to be as challenging and dramatic as ever with difficult weather hampering sailing conditions, beach landings and even a helicopter airlift for one yacht!

Tom Sperrey, CEO of Fuel Cell Systems said: “Tidal gates and ever changing weather conditions made this year’s course particularly difficult, putting the sailors through their paces. The lightweight, compact design of our fuel cells provided several of the ocean-going race yachts, including the winner, with a constant source of silent-running primary power throughout the gruelling four-day race.”

He continued: “Once again the reliability of our fuel cells have proved themselves under extreme racing conditions. This is why we’re seeing a growing trend by many offshore racing sailors switching to fuel cells as their primary source of power.”

The race

This year’s race was, for the first time, sailed by both single and double-handed competitors and attracted 11 entries from four nationalities.

On Sunday 5th May, after a short delay, the FCS-sponsored UK Solent 650 mini transat got under way with a short beat to a laid mark. With 12 knots of breeze and brilliant sunshine. FRA692 Yannick Le Clech had a near perfect start and lead to the first mark, with the rest following in quick succession.

By Newtown the extra power of the Proto was beginning to show as GBR794 Jake Jefferis powered through to take the lead. Once the eastern end of the Isle of Wight was reached, the speeds slowed as the boats started a beat against the tide around the back of the island. By dusk the boats were off St Catherine’s Point and a little bit of separation was starting to develop, with the solo series boats, lead by GBR743 Pip Hare, the double handed series by GBR438 Nikki Curwen/Lizzy Foreman and Jake still leading the Protos.

In the small hours of the morning, as the first boats rounded the mark off Poole, the wind died and the fog came in. With some of the boats kedging and some opting to drift around in the hope of finding wind, GBR583 Thomas Webb was the first to find wind and break away from the pack only to go too far out into the tide and throw it all away. Followed by Nikki, Tom elected to tack back into the pack but Nikki kept going.

By mid morning a little bit of breeze was developing and reasonable progress was made towards Portland in the fog with the tide under the fleet, Pip and Jake just making Portland on a favourable tide as the fog cleared allowing them to stretch a lead of a few miles.

By now Nikki had re-joined at the back of the fleet. Start point again saw the leaders making the best of wind and tide to further stretch out from the tail enders. At Start point AUS785 Katrina Ham decided to retire; she had been suffering from a chest infection at the start and felt she was going badly downhill and sensibly decided to pull into Plymouth. Meanwhile, at the front the wind was building and once round Wolf Rock the leaders found themselves beating into 20+ knots of wind. Jake was first on the water in the Proto, with Yannick and Pip battling for first in series solo close behind, followed by Thomas in the double handed, these four having a sizable lead over the rest.

Shortly after Wolf Rock, mid fleet FRA566 Francois Lamy radioed to say he was retiring and headed for Newlyn.

Once around the lizard it was a straight-line dash for Plymouth with the two series boats slowly over catching the Proto. However, Jake was too low on the layline anyway and had to tack to make it round Rame Head. Meanwhile in the race office we had no idea whether Pip would prevail or Yannick as Yannick’s tracker was only occasionally updating.

First to radio in was Pip who eventually finished at 03:23 on Wednesday morning to take line honours and first series solo. Just a few minutes Yannick radioed to say he was approaching the entrance, but a minute or so later we heard one word come out of the radio – MAYDAY!

Repeated calls back to Yannick met with no response so we immediately phoned the coastguard and dispatched one of the RIBs we had on standby to see if they could find him. As soon as Marine Traffic AIS service updated it was obvious what had happened. He had missed the entrance and gone up the beach! But by this time it was out of our hands and the RNLI had launched the main lifeboat and the inshore lifeboat.

Next to finish was Jake to win the solo Proto, followed an hour later by Thomas to win the two-handed. Next came Nikki closely followed by CAN655 Diane Reid and finally GBR241 Giles Grant.

Later that day, Francois also made it to Plymouth and a finish time was recorded for him. However, the jury later decided that his original intention to retire and use of outside assistance did not entitle him to re-join and his result was left as retired.

The rescue

The following day a first attempt was made to refloat Yannick’s boat. This was later boycotted when a RIB was rolled upside down and destroyed in the large surf that was still running.

A week later FRA692 was eventually airlifted off the beach by helicopter and returned to Yannick with remarkably little damage; a couple of chips to the gel and a few scratches were all that there was to show for her time on the beach!

Fuel Cell Systems

Visitors to the race can learn more about why boat owners are increasingly turning to fuel cells as a preferred choice of on-board power for marine applications.

Full article on Yachts and Yacting

Organised by Lymington Town Sailing Club, this iconic 21-ft mini transat race will receive a welcome boost from title sponsors – FCS.

Race organiser, Keith Willis said: “I am thrilled that Fuel Cell Systems has stepped forward to support this race. The British mini scene is growing stronger and it is vital we are able to carry on running successful races and attracting more sailors to our events.”

The Solent 650 will be the first of two official class mini races run from the UK this May. Starting in the Solent, the race will send these tiny ocean-going race yachts around the Isle of Wight, down to Wolf rock off Lands End and cross the finishing line in Plymouth.

A strategically and physically demanding course with tidal gates and ever changing weather conditions, the course will be the second longest of the class mini solo coastal races and will feed into the double-handed mini Fastnet Race which departs from Plymouth on 12^th May 2013.

This year will be the first edition of the race to be sailed by both single and double-handed competitors and has attracted entries from four nationalities.

Tom Sperrey, managing director of FCS said: “We are very proud to become the title sponsors for the Solent 650. Fuel cell technology is becoming ever more commonplace in the sailing world, providing a clean, quiet and efficient way of generating energy for on-board marine applications.

“We’re seeing a growing trend by many offshore racing sailors switching to fuel cells as their primary source of power, having recognised and experienced first-hand the advantages fuel cell technology brings to the yachting community. Boat owners are attracted by the lightweight, compact design that offers silent running and zero harmful emissions.”

He continued: “The mini class presents one of the toughest environments for both man and machine to operate in and our fuel cells have been tried and tested on this class of racing yacht under extreme conditions. We are happy to give something back to an event such as this, and in particular to this class of racing which has endorsed our product so well.”

The racing fleet will assemble in Lymington from Friday 3^rd May and The Fuel Cell Systems Solent 650 race will start on 5^th May 2013 at 13:00 hrs.

There will be expert advice available and demonstrations of fuel cell technology at the event with an opportunity to purchase a range of fuel cells from FCS at discounted prices.

http://www.ecobuild.co.uk/

On the stand we’ll have a 3kW fuel cell module and also be talking about a new 1kW Fuel Cell with built in Electrolyser and Hydrogen Storage.

Come and visit us on stand S945

Visitors to the show can learn more about why boat owners are increasingly turning to fuel cells as a preferred choice of on-board power for marine applications.

FCS will be exhibiting on Stand D042 from 14^th – 23^rd September 2012. Visitors to the stand will be given an insight into how fuel cell technology works through a live demonstration of a working Comfort Fuel Cell System so that they can experience the real benefits of this new technology.

Lightweight, compact and silent

Fuel cells are becoming increasingly popular with boat owners because of their lightweight, compact, environmentally friendly and virtually silent design. They provide a number of advantages over traditional sources of power for ancillary equipment such as diesel-powered engines as Chief Technology Officer Tom Chicken for FCS explains, “The feedback from boat owners has been overwhelmingly positive. Fuel cells provide an alternative and reliable source of power. They offer a cleaner and quieter source of on-board power generation and are smaller and lighter than batteries.”

Positive feedback for fuel cells

“I sailed through extreme weather, broached several times, laid the boat flat on its side, and sailed through gusts of 40 knots, which knocked the solar panel off the back of the boat, but the fuel cell carried on going. At the start of my race I would nervously keep checking to see if it was running. Eventually I forgot it was there.”

- Professional racing sailor Pip Hare during the 4,300 mile Mini Transat race.

“It’s absolutely crucial that we carry a reliable source of power and, as we found out last year in our world record row across the Atlantic, [in an ocean rowing boat] fuel cell technology is much more dependable than solar or wind.”

- Skipper of Team Hallin David Hosking, owner of Hallin Marine.

“I’m able to re-charge a flat battery within about four hours whilst at sea. I feel much more confident about my on-board power and know that my electrical equipment will continue to run.”

- Amateur sailor Phil Clough owner of ‘Triohe’ a Farrier F9-AXR.

Fuel Cell Systems will be exhibiting for the first time at the Southampton Boat Show in September. We will be on stand D042 in the Windward Hall. Please, drop by and say hello and have a look at the fuel cells running on the stand.

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“We would not have broken the world record for the fastest ever crossing of the Atlantic under oars without the fuel cell. It worked excellently and never required any servicing. The fuel cell provided us with guaranteed power for all the key electrical systems onboard, something the solar panels were unable to do.”

http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/news-events/news-archive/2012/june/efoy-comfort-fuel-cell-powers-boat-in-twostar-transatlantic-race

Working with our parent company, UPS Systems and Air Liquide, Fuel Cell Systems are able to provide a range of fuel cells

for hire. This unique initiative allows you to try this new technology without the up front capital costs.

You can find out full details by clicking here.

Fuel Cell Systems will once again be exhibiting at this years Tullett Prebon London Boat Show. This year we will have the new EFOY Comfort range on the stand for you to have a look at along with several other fuel cells. Please come and visit us on stand C133.