An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 33 Excuse to Lose to my crew one more time, I think they would have killed me! We also had a hugely important rig settings technical session with Mark Mansfield, which was to prove invaluable as I wanted no ambiguity about what setting we were on for what wind condition, and I would work closely with my sole designated rig adjustor on this. We brought military principles to our sailing, too, with well-rehearsed SOPs and clear communications that stood to us throughout the week. On the morning of the first day's racing, 11 July, the sound of scuba bubbles popping as crewmember Lt Wietse Buwalda scrubbed the hull provided the soundtrack as I observed our navi- gator reviewing the laminated, underlined and highlighted sailing instructions. I felt we had done everything we could to prepare for the first day – a daunting 24-hour race around Fastnet Rock. I have been offshore racing for 20 years and can honestly say that the short Fastnet run of the Beaufort Cup is one of the most enjoyable I have ever raced. It is the perfect length, stunningly scenic and hugely tactical, with tidal and wind influences to test the very best and has the potential to be one of the great lures for international teams in future years. At twilight, after ten hours of racing, eight boats rounded Fastnet right beside one another. It was spectacular – or as Prof would say, 'tremendous'. Winning that race possibly came down to a single decision by our navigator, Comdt Ian Travers, to gybe out of Glandore Bay when be- calmed. That said, I believe two factors came into play. One, our crew had a hot meal of high-energy army ration packs inside us at one in the morning when we made that manoeuvre, so the crew was firing on all cylinders: the gybes were good and kite peels went seamlessly. Secondly, our navigator had run seven weather routing predictions, all but one of which told him to go offshore on the way back, so he knew what he was doing even if I didn't. We were awarded the impressive Sans Souci Cup at that evening's gala dinner in the Naval Base on Haulbowline. Honour- able mention must go to the Royal Engineers, who were unluckily becalmed but, in the true spirit of military grit and determina- tion, hung in to finish seven hours behind us, within two minutes of the deadline, and then, with no rest, donned their mess dress uniforms to be the life and soul of the party that night. This was only the beginning of the Beaufort Cup. The next day saw tighter, inshore racing, where we produced two firsts and a second, with a solid performance from everyone on the team. Thursday was the harbour race and, as luck would have it, we dropped our course card over the side six minutes before the start. In the commotion, we ended up dead last on the start. But I have to say, what followed was one of the most tense but most enjoyable races of my life, as our naviga- tor, Capt Mick Liddy, who had replaced Comdt Travers after the offshore, and tactician, Peter Bayly, picked clear lanes through the fleet and had us in the right air the entire way as we sailed from almost last to first place ahead of every other J109. That race, which was to become the last of the event due to fog on the final day, confirmed everything I have always believed about yacht racing: put a team around you that you trust, and then trust them; let them do their job. I had one policy for the event in general: watch the tell-tales, keep the boat moving fast, and turn the wheel as little as pos- sible. I trusted the team to do everything else. At the prize giving I announced that, while the majority of our winnings would go to Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, as a mark of respect to the fantastic competition provided by the RNLI crew on True Penance (there were only seconds between us in most races) we would donate €1,000 to the RNLI. Commenting on our victory, Commodore of the Defence Forc- es Sailing Club, Col Peter Richardson, said: "I believe the Beaufort Cup can, and will, grow to be the top services regatta in the world, attracting hundreds of international competitors, strengthening international and national bonds, and showcasing the fantastic sailing grounds that Cork has to offer. "Every military recognises the benefits of offshore sailing for lead- ership and teambuilding; there are no places to hide on a boat in bad weather. As an island nation, we must embrace this resource." I would like to thank the entire Defence Forces team for their efforts in our Beaufort Cup challenge; Kieran O'Connell and the Volvo Cork Week race office for a great event; our sponsors Axiom Private Clients, Spanish Point Technologies, Helly Hansen and CH Marine; and everyone in the DoD and DF who helped make it happen. Currently, teams from France, Italy, Spain and the US have already committed to the Beaufort Cup in 2018, and the Defence Forces will be there to defend it. The crew of the Joker 2 comprised Comdt Barry Byrne, Lt Marcus Ryan, Peter Bayly, Capt Michael Liddy, Brian Phelan, Armn Gary Phelan, Sgt Patrick McGrath, Lt Wietse Buwalda, Flt Sgt Adrian Mulligan, and Comdt Ian Travers. Defence Forces COS Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM presenting the Beaufort Cup to Comdt Barry Byrne and the crew of Joker 2.

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