Philippe Falle

The Rolex Fastnet Race is rapidly approaching and as it is all systems go in preparation I have to admit that I am entering this one with a certain amount of sadness. After seven glorious years at Sailing Logic my journey with the company has come to an end. The time is right for me to work on personal projects that were not easily compatible with the business structure, direction and constraints of the company that I have loved for so many years.

My enthusiasm and dedication for the racing campaigns I have been involved in has never dwindled and I am putting as much energy into this Fastnet race as I did in the pioneering days, when we won our class in the same race in 2005. Over the years the ethos has never changed; people have come and gone, many having life changing experiences, but most with an enriched quality of life.

I am always hungry for new challenges and, as those who sail with me know only too well, I like pushing myself hard both physically and mentally. It therefore seems fitting that this year has without a doubt been my toughest year yet! At the end of the Round Britain & Ireland Race last year I declared that I would not race my beloved Puma Logic offshore again. I had decided it was time to move on and search for a new project.

When Peter Rutter, the owner of Quokka approached me with the concept of using his pedigree race yacht I jumped at the opportunity with both feet first. I now have to confess there was possibly a slight element of naivety toward the magnitude of the challenge. Don’t get me wrong, sailing Quokka safely around the racetrack in reasonably good time is not to daunting. But history suggests I am not interested in just getting around, I have a hunger and dogmatic desire to win!

Along with Quokka came the new dimension to the structure of my normal campaign in the name of Peter Rutter. Peter is a seasoned offshore racer with too many victories to name and with that comes the inevitable pressures as expectations are raised through the roof, partly by myself and in a different way to my normal style by Peter. This partnership in itself has been a challenge for all of us (the team, Peter and myself). Peter is used to racing with his regular and highly experienced team and I am used to the comfort zone of Puma Logic, which had served us so well for several years.

I very quickly realised that Peter is a perfect gentleman, he is indeed a former Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club. We both knew from our first meeting in a quiet pub in Basingstoke on a dreary winters day, that we shared the same philosophies toward offshore racing. I came away from that first meeting with increased confidence in the knowledge we were going to get on just fine.

However, nothing had really prepared me for the magnitude of the challenge, which on paper seemed like two minor tweaks to what I have been doing for years. All we had was a new boat and an additional component to the team (Peter), now how difficult can that be! Upon stepping onboard Quokka for the first time with an excited and proud team it became obvious, very quickly, just how much of a difference there was. “Wow” exclaimed Mairead “it seems so much…”…. “bigger” interrupted Peter “yes” replied Mairead.

At that moment I realised just how perceptive and observant Peter is. For the next few hours of sailing in the Solent I had a better understanding as to why Peter has become such a successful racing yachtsman and a leading surgeon. I came off the water that day completely enthused and excited about the season ahead. It was obvious that we had a boat that was fast, perfectly prepared and an absolute pleasure to sail.

What was also very evident to the team was how much the campaign could deliver to us, but to achieve that we would need to move our skills set up a notch or two. We could not rely just on the enthusiasm and pure determination to pull in the results, we needed to learn how to sail this boat well and needed to learn quickly. Inches in trim and setup made vast difference and would be the difference between glory and defeat, that became a given almost instantly. With Peter’s expertise, technical ability and attention to detail combined with some of his regular inshore Quokkas to help with the coaching we all knew we had the perfect platform to achieve that. What was not quite so obvious to us was the magnitude of the task ahead.

Over the next few races Quokka proved herself to be extremely quick. She was also like a wild animal that needed taming in the breeze. When going well she demolished the fleet but the technical ability to keep her on her feet was something that we, as a team, did not have. For success we needed to learn and fast! Our concentration levels needed to increase, the general awareness needed a boost, reaction times were poor, the technical understanding felt inadequate and we all thought we my be out of our depth. We had ourselves a race-winning stallion without a jockey with the skill to ride it!

By the end of the Round the Island race I was at rock bottom. I was part of a team that were giving their all, they were putting their hearts into the project and doing everything they could to make it succeed. Don’t get me wrong, we were making huge inroads into bridging the gap, but morale was beginning to suffer and badly. I was at a loss and it is fair to say I was broken.

Drastic measures were needed to get the show back on the road. Peter was a legend in helping me through the difficult time and I in turn was able to contribute sufficiently to turn the situation around. It certainly helps when there is a group of individuals who are so determined as the ‘Offshore Quokkas’ as we have become known as. The effort that was put in by every individual was exemplary. Some were just about ready to give up (possibly including me, if I am totally honest) but we were so far up the mountain it would have been tragic not to reach the summit, that seemed just beyond our reach.

The St Malo Race had to be the turning point for us. We all arrived at Quokka with smiles on our faces and a renewed enthusiasm that came from somewhere. The attitude on the boat felt different, there was a vibrant energy just waiting to be channeled into success. It felt good and we all had the bit between our teeth. I think we all had demons to lay to rest and there was a strong determination to do so. In my mind the result on the water was not the important factor for this race; getting our mojo back was. That would happen if we bonded in a positive way, pulled together and felt like a ‘team.’

The St Malo Race was the turning point and it became mission accomplished. The atmosphere on board as we approached the Needles, dancing Black Eyed Peas ‘I Gotta a Feeling’ was so different. We were a team now and the peak of the mountain felt within our grasp.

So, hear we are, just two days away from what we have worked so hard for. We have climbed a mountain, a massive one that nearly defeated us, and we feel ready for it now. “What is the forecast?” people keep asking me. You know what, I actually don’t care, we will face whatever is thrown at us with determination, respect and most importantly as a ‘TEAM’

This campaign has without a shadow of doubt been my hardest one with Sailing Logic. It nearly broke me but the team around me kept me going, powered by the determination that has defined every offshore campaign I have put together. This is clearly the end of an era for me but the dawn of a new future that will see me get married next year. Sailing Logic will live on, led by Allie who has also dedicated the last seven years to making it what it is today.

Now I am ready to give this Rolex Fastnet Race every ounce of energy I have. The summit of that mountain is so very close and we will be there by this time next week. Win or loose this is my finale and it will be a moment that I am going to savour and remember for a long time, proud of a team that has given their all.