Rough seas ahead for Hope House supporter Rob Hancocks
Shropshire businessman Rob Hancocks is on a 12-day boating challenge that circumnavigates mainland Great Britain but just two days in, bad weather means things are not going to plan.
He is one of the organisers of the 2010 Great British Rib Rally, which is a 12-day boating challenge that circumnavigates mainland Great Britain and Ireland. But now, just two days in, bad weather means things are not going to plan...
Day Two today started at 4am, quick coffee in the hotel, the new crew fully kitted up, and doing final checks on the boat at 5.20am.
Final safety and weather briefing at 6am, where the decision was taken to quickly push for Baltimore on the West coast of Ireland rather than the safe shorter leg running to Kinsale.
The run from Falmouth to Lands End went well with all RIBs staying in close contact with their agreed buddy boats, but the seas and wind were stiffening initially to around Force 3.
It wasn't the most comfortable sea to travel in, considering we ideally needed to maintain 30knots to reach land before the approaching weather system hit, but in fact the system arrived sooner than expected, picking up to Force 4 to 5, with the occasional 6 gusting.
Around 60 nautical miles out into the Atlantic after three hours, one of the guest crew became increasingly upset with the position, condition and time left to go, so we decided the safest option for the crew with heavily deteriorating seas ahead was to head back to Falmouth.
We reached land after three hours, and as the evening went on, several crews were still unaccounted for, and one crew member from another RIB had been taken off with back injuries.
At the time of writing this blog (22:27), two of the four boats have now arrived and the final two are not far behind. Of the RIBs successfully getting across to Ireland, several have taken shelter in various ports and harbours along the South coast.
We're expecting a phone briefing tomorrow but the weather is getting worse, and if after discussion with the organisers and considering all upcoming weather reports, we decide it's not safe to rejoin the other RIBs with guests onboard, then with huge sadness we will formally retire from the rally.
We are fully aware of the great lengths all of our supporters, sponsors and leg participants have gone to, both logistically and financially, but the final decision must be based primarily on safety of all crew, both the full-time helm and throttle and the guests in seats three and four.
We entered this event with two prime objectives - to raise as much money for Hope House and the Great Western Air Ambulance as possible, and to have a safe great time.
At the end of a long day, all are now accounted for and safely ashore.
