An appeal before Christmas for two sailors to help crew a yacht involved in a race in the Caribbean prompted an ‘overwhelming response’ said yacht owner and skipper Neil Medley, and now he has made another appeal, for four sailors to help him sail the yacht across the Atlantic and Mediterranean to Turkey.
Mr Medley – who lives in Castletown, having moved there from Ilkley, West Yorkshire – said there was interest in the Caribbean Challenge from two sailors from Douglas Bay Yacht Club, ‘but they didn’t join us for the event as a couple from Ilkley, Yorkshire were best suited’.
On January 12, the yachts set sail from St Lucia on the inaugural Caribbean Challenge.
The event was over 14 days with timed daily stages stopping off at different bays, ports and islands.
Initially, heading north and rounding Martinique the challenge turned south taking in St Vincent’s, the Grenadines and Grenada before completing the challenge at Marigot’s Bay back on St Lucia.
Mr Medley’s yacht, a Jeanneau 57 called Sail in the Med, won the challenge by 12 hours and 36 minutes ahead of second place and over a day ahead of third.
The second leg was crucial and rested on a steward’s decision, which was upheld in Mr Medley’s favour.
He explained: ‘We had just over a 30 minute lead after the first leg where we moored at Martinique for two days.
‘The second leg left the rules open for interpretation as we were supposed to leave the next day when the route was announced. We had left at midday on the first leg, so the assumption was the same. However we left at 12.01am and a few hours later a second yacht followed our lead. The rest waited until midday.
‘Our interpretation was upheld after a steward’s enquiry, and hence that lead was maintained.’
In March, the yacht is to be sailed across the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to Gocek, Turkey, where she will be available to be hired for charter in the surrounding area.
Mr Medley is on the look out for sailors to crew the yacht on the next crossing from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean.
The leg across the Atlantic is expected to take around seven to 14 days, depending on weather, and requires sailors with experience.
The crew could be changed at Gibraltar before the onward journey to Turkey, which will also take in Southern Italy and the Greek islands and last around 10 days; for this leg less experience is necessary as Mr Medley said he has sailed the route solo on several occasions.
All on board expenses are met (those generated on shore are not); sailors must pay for their own return flights.
To enquire email Talvongar@mail.com