Oyster Regatta Palma - Preparing for the start

by Mike Owen on 2 Oct 2014 Some had arrived days before, crew mustering and practising drills ahead of the Oyster Regatta Palma start. Others arrived just in time post haste from challenging deliveries frustrated by weather set against them. But come this registration day, Palma delivered as the thunderclouds withdrew to leave the sun shining down on the fleet of 26 boats from 11 nations gathered for the Oyster Regatta Palma 2014. And at the quayside around the host Real Club Nautico de Palma (RCNP), boats were tidied and shined ready for the afternoon’s Concours d’Elegance, and glasses clinked among friends catching up.

Ahead of the four days of racing, as ever at this 10th edition of the Palma regatta, the fleet mix fascinates with every level of skill and experience on parade: first time racers, world trophy holders, always a test for the organisers as well as the sailors to ensure safety and a good time for all. And time after time that’s what’s achieved at the Oyster regattas… along with the chance, of course, to see what happens when you really do rise to the challenge!

Serial attendees include the ever green, or should that be deep space blue, Oyster 82 Starry Night of the Caribbean which has missed not one regatta, and similarly John Marshall on Rock Oyster, a name long seen on an Oyster 56 but now on the transom of his newly bought 655, formerly Anabasis. Two newer siblings, the 885/02 Karibu and Sir Frank Chapman’s /03 Clare, may not have that same depth of regatta history but they have sailed every one time has allowed, their two differently configured and featured rigs, and ultimate aims, leading to an interesting test in handicapping. Sharing that same section of the quay is newcomer Reina, the first Oyster 825 off the line, ready to race after a busy, high mileage first season.

With this Oyster’s 34th own brand regatta, one boat that sailed the inaugural Oyster event in Antigua in 2001, and now back at a regatta for the first time since, having sailed perhaps more miles than any other single Oyster between any two such regattas, is Dennis and Janet Knight’s Oyster 435 Shilling of Hamble. They sailed away in 1999 and all these years on they’ve covered more than 50,000 miles, sampled almost all our oceans and still the boat’s not been home. Here socially only, not racing, Janet proudly still sports a unique carved whale’s tooth oyster pendant the pair scooped at their first and last Oyster regatta. Shilling will be heading home next year, the boat’s done them fantastically they say '… and the word really is your Oyster, but take your time!'

Since those early regattas there’s been much change, of course. The fleet and boats are bigger and a step up in technology enables so much more, but still when you bite the challenge, the bug can bite back, as Rory and Susie McGrath on Oyster 53 Spindrift discovered after their first ever regatta at Palma last year. 'We enjoyed it so much we’re back… and we’re serious,' says Rory, 'we’ve even got new sails!' They like many also have a few extra, eager, helping hands!

Other newcomers include Neil and Sue Speed aboard their recently acquired Oyster 45 Yo Ho Ho of Sark, a boat well known to the Oyster family having cruised extensively both hot and cold climes in former ownership, and now ready for new adventures.

Among the brand new is Tinus Slabber’s 625/12a Alpha Eden Island which sits in the single biggest boat grouping in the fleet, there being an impressive eight 625s including regatta regulars 625/03 and /05 Guardian Angel and Lady Mariposa, the latter with skipper Dan Hardy reporting new sails, too, this time. Simon Pillar’s 625/04 Tiger slides in between the two to show her stripes, challenging also Vamos /06, Flying Spirit /07, Great Bear V /08 and Delicia /09 who sailed her first regatta in Antigua earlier this year.

In the fleet, incredibly, the Dubois drawn 100 Penelope and Yo Ho Ho of Sark from Holman and Pye are the only two boats racing not built to Rob Humphreys designs. That’s 24 of 26 boats and nine designs. As Oyster CEO David Tydeman said at the evening’s Welcome cocktail party on the terrace at the Es Baluard Museu d’art Modern with its spectacular illuminated night time view of the harbour, bay and hillside castle: 'This, the 34th of our Oyster Regattas, really is a tribute to Rob who we started working with in 1998, and the 675 we’ve just announced is the 18th design in this great working partnership our Oyster design team has with Rob.'

'18th?' joshed one guest, 'Better head for the 19th,' joshed one guest as glasses refilled.

So, prepared and now partied, day two dawns to bring the first day’s racing, with hopefully the better changed weather system continuing today’s sun and building breeze. The forecast indicates a fair gradient wind from the NNE. Will it stay, will it go? The three racing classes divided by boat size – Class III Oyster 45 to 575, Class II 625 to 655, and Class I 82 to 100 – will be the ones to know and the ones to rise to the challenge!