2014 Jester Challenge!

[Chris]

http://www.jesterinfo.org/
Paul Mead first to complete the Challenge in a S&S She 316 Independence II of Charsian. At 30.7 LOA the largest boat in the fleet of 11. 6 of the boats are 25' or less and 5 of them are 26' to 30.7.
This challenge is definitely on my bucket list... Looks like 2016 at this point... maybe another yank will beat me to being the first in a long time(?) to participate.

[Frank]

What a great link!! Lots of memeries there for anyone reading sailng rags a long time ago.

[CharlieJ]

http://www.jesterinfo.org/
Paul Mead first to complete the Challenge in a S&S She 316 Independence II of Charsian. At 30.7 LOA the largest boat in the fleet of 11. 6 of the boats are 25' or less and 5 of them are 26' to 30.7.
This challenge is definitely on my bucket list... Looks like 2016 at this point... maybe another yank will beat me to being the first in a long time(?) to participate.

Rather sad though, that the Jester Challenge HAD to be implemented. Jester, which was one of the original five OSTAR boats, and had sailed a good many more, was denied entry in the OSTAR as being "to small"

This after some 12 or 13 single hand trans Atlantic crossings.

[Chris]

"This after some 12 or 13 single hand trans Atlantic crossings."
The very irony that fuels the in your face quality of the lack of rules and bureaucracy I suppose. Very refreshing and creates access to distance "races" for more sailors.
On the whole the Jester seems to embody much of the sailing ethos of SailFar   :D

[Captain Smollett]

Jester seems to embody much of the sailing ethos of SailFar   :D

Except for the whole "it's a race" thing.   ;D ;D ;D 

Just teasin'.  There has been a lot of sailfar philosophy on display in the Jester and those who sail it.  Lots of quotable quotes, too.   ;)

[CharlieJ]

Jester is/was a fascinating vessel. I say is/was because the one in existence now is an almost exact replica, built just after 1988. She was originally built in 1953. If you are at all interested, here's a link to the history.

Mike Richey completed his last ocean sail in her when he was 80 yrs old by the way

http://www.jesterinfo.org/jester.html

[CharlieJ]

Jester seems to embody much of the sailing ethos of SailFar   :D

Except for the whole "it's a race" thing.   ;D ;D ;D 

But they HAVE strayed far from Hasler's  original intent, which was, in this quote from the article on Jester-

"The problem he believed (and this was the late fifties) was that all the effort in the design of small seagoing craft was being put into producing boats that did well under the ocean racing rules of measurement. It was this line of thought that induced him to propose in 1957 a single-handed transatlantic race from east to west, against the prevailing winds and currents, as a stimulus to the development of suitable sailing craft for short-handed long distance sailing"

Now they are reverting back to "Racing" rules. Which is what makes the jester challenge a kewl deal  :D

[Chris]

Yes Charlie I agree and happily different from original intent since as it is now the participating boats are pretty much like many of the boats here...reworked back-bay oldies helmed by independant minded, dedicated working-stiff sailors  :) :) :)
BTW where does the development of the mini-transats fit into this bit of history?