After a frustrating start to my season so far, having to retire from Leg one of the ICOM Cup Meditérranée and then putting in a less than average performance in the Solo Arrimer, the pressure was on to have a good race in the 340 mile Solo Concarneau.

The Solo Concarneau was our last race in preparation for the big one, La Solitaire du Figaro, starting June 2nd. As always the race threw up a lot of challenges and did not come easy. Despite this,  I managed to bag myself a pretty pleasing result.

After a good start, I rounded the first windward mark in the top five boats and made the decision to head direct for our next mark of the course, rather than sailing a bit higher under kite and heading offshore in search of a bit more breeze. It was the wrong call, and I soon went from being top five to bottom five after getting rolled by pretty much the entire fleet in the space of two hours… Ouch!

My first onboard issue occurred on the way through the Raz de Sein. Just after passing through the main overfalls, my autopilot ram failed. It would engage, but not move after, locking itself in position. Having gone through all of my ‘what if’ electronic failures with roommate and fellow competitor Sam Goodchild just a few weeks before, I opened up the file on my computer desktop I had made, giving me a step by step run down of how to change over the ram to my spare. In the heat of the moment, it was really good to have this document, as it gave clear steps of what to do. I lashed the tiller, still with the kite up, turned the electronics off, pilot power off, crawled to the back of the boat, changed over plugs, demounted ram one and lashed it to the side out the way, unlashed ram two and mounted it to the rudder stock, crawled back forwards, pilot switch on, electronics back on and bingo! I had a functioning pilot once more.

I lost about 200 meters during the process, but at least I was back in the game after a fairly major problem. It is still unclear what exactly failed, but I demounted the pilot this morning and have handed it into the experts to take a look at. Their first thoughts were that something in the motor has failed, perhaps the cabling or fuse, but either way, she is getting a thorough service!

Back to the race… About an hour after I got going again, I started hearing the sounds of pins dropping on the deck – a scary sound! After a nervous few looks up at the rig to check she was still there, I managed to locate the bolts on the deck. I didn’t recognise them though and couldn’t think where they were coming from. I then saw that the gooseneck (the piece which connects the boom and the mast) was at an odd angle and realised quickly that they were unscrewing themselves and if I didn’t do something quickly, the whole gooseneck would rip itself off the mast. Another close shave.

Fabien Delahaye had the same problem in the Transat AG2R earlier this year. It seems to be a recurring problem with the new masts. I remember seeing the photo of how Fabien lashed his gooseneck after it fully ripped off, so got a sail tie and had a go at lashing it back in position. Luckily we only had 8 knots of wind at the time, which made the whole process much easier! I then re-screwed some of the bolts back in, albeit with an allen key that was too small! Doh!

I managed to get the bolts most of the way in, but not fully tight. After a bit more lashing and taping of the bolts to stop them falling out again and I was good to go. I spent the rest of the race in denial that that whole episode had even happened, especially when rounding Ile de Yeu in 25+ knots in big seas, going from upwind to power reaching. The consequences of the boom going then would have been catastrophic, potentially rig down type catastrophic, which would not only have crippled my season, and Solitaire entry, but also me financially knowing how much excess I have to pay should that happen! Post race I’ve been told that retiring then would probably have been the most prudent decision, knowing what could have gone wrong. But to be honest I am very glad I didn’t, as it all worked out alright in the end.

After a few more electrical annoyances, no AIS to view the other boats and my NKE GPS stopping working as well, I then had a smoother race after that. As light broke on the first morning, I made some good tactical choices and managed to just sail fast a lot of the time. I got back in with the leading pack and managed to hold my own with them, despite a lot of them all having their new Solitaire sails on for this race, which felt noticeable at times.

It was awesome to be trading places with Mich Desj and other top guys too throughout the race. It was the first time I have managed to stay with the front pack for the entirety of the race, which has given me a little breakthrough mentally knowing that if I sail well, I can stick with them for three days now. This is a big psychological boost with the Solitaire just around the corner. So all I have to do now then is sail well, right?!

In the end I came home 9^th out of 30 boats, finishing top Brit for the third time in my Figaro career and 30 minutes behind the leader after 50 hours of racing. Right now the Solitaire du Figaro is just around the corner and my boat is coming out the water this afternoon for a repair to the prop skeg and also for a bit of branding to go on the hull next week too. A big welcome to my new Supporters Club members Kaywana Hall, it’s great to have you with us. More sponsorship announcements will be made soon!

Right now, the big focus of this week is making the boat as reliable as I can with the budget I have, prioritizing as always, will be key! A week tomorrow I will be looking to take my boat down to Bordeaux for the start of the Solitaire du Figaro 2013. The race is coming around fast, but mentally I am in great shape and can’t wait to get out there now. A small teaser video of what it is like can be watched here, I get excited about the race everytime I do! Click here.

I’ll be sure to keep you updated with all of my goings on in the coming weeks.

Henry

It’s now just 3 weeks until I hope to be delivering my boat down to Bordeaux for the start of the Solitaire du Figaro 2013. With the last warm up race of the season the ‘Solo Concarneau’ to squeeze in before then as well, time really is ‘of the essence’. I am currently sat on the ferry on my way back to the UK and my home town of Dartmouth to catch up with the sponsors who have got me this far before the madness of the Solitaire takes over. I also crucially have 2 meetings with potential sponsors as well which I am sure will prove pivotal to my season.

If there is one thing this year has taught me, it’s that there is always a deadline to work towards. So far, I have JUST managed to scrape each big milestone by a whisker, with a bit of luck, and a lot of hard work!

The first deadline I successfully made was applying to, and being accepted by, Pole Finistére Course au Large (the best and most prestigious training center in the world for offshore sailing) which I completed on the last day of applications, regardless of the very minimal financial support I had in place at the time. After moving to France on the 5^th of January with nothing more than a borrowed car packed full of sailing kit, I arrived in Port la Foret with just over 2 weeks to get myself sorted before the first slot of training began, on a 3 month trial period with the Pole. I managed to strike a deal with an owner to train on his boat for free in return for working on her before hand to get her ready to go in the water, missing just one day of training in the process.

A month later I was then given another big deadline to put down a deposit on the boat for the season as someone (none other than Mich Desj) was interested and ready to pay hard cash! Two days before the deadline a sponsor came on board enabling me to pay the first installment of the charter fee. Numerous times since then I have been down to my last ₤1,000 wondering if this might be it, my whole campaign living on a constant knife edge!

More recently the dreaded deadlines have included things like finding the money in time to be able to buy a few new sails, which I have again JUST managed to do through a recent deal which we hope to announce shortly. In truth I was actually a week too late for the deadline with my old sail maker North, and have therefore had to change sail makers in order to get some new sails for this year. The Figaro is so competitive, new sails are an absolute necessity, and this new deal has allowed me to get 3 new sails out of the 5 we use which is absolutely fantastic, I will borrow 2 older sails from my friends at the Artemis Offshore Academy. I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit of a risk changing the biggest variable in Figaro sailing, sails, so late in the game, but such is life!

Right now my biggest deadline is the looming second installment of the charter fee which needs to be paid before the start of the Solitaire. I have been in discussions about this for a long time with an exciting and expanding business in the South West but it is still not a done deal. We hope to get a deal finalised today before it goes to the board for final agreement. Fingers crossed.

Despite the constant worry in the back of my mind as to whether I will actually get to the start line of the Solitaire this year or not, and the constant need to meet the next looming deadline on the horizon, I have actually loved every minute of this crazy adventure! It is a LOT of hard work, but I absolutely love running my own campaign and the independence and the freedom it brings, being able to develop my own relationships with businesses, organisations and people – despite the sleepless nights! If I actually pull this off, I think it will be just as rewarding as actually finishing the Solitaire itself!

I know I have given it everything I’ve got either way and I am remaining confident that all will come good in the end, I’ve made it this far! My meetings back in the UK over the next 2 days are going to be make or break for my campaign for sure, but I hope that come Tuesday night when I sit here on the return ferry back to France, they will have been fruitful enough to finally give me the green light to take on La Solitaire du Figaro 2013!

Wish me luck,

H

I am currently writing this on route to Charleston, America where I am taking a busman’s holiday to compete with Torquay based ‘Red Sailing Team’ at Charleston Race Week. On reflection there were a lot of positives to take from my first race of the season the Solo Arrimer on my new boat, where I ended up 18^th overall (and 3^rd on the unofficial foreigners podium!).

One positive to my whole campaign recently has been the acquisition of my new ‘Official Clothing Partner’ for 2013 and beyond, Zhik – pronounced ‘Zi-K’ if you’re english or ‘Zee-K’ if you’re French. Getting the deal done before the start of this race was a bit of a rush, but when I arrived in Les Sables d’Olonne a box of fresh sailing kit was waiting for me which was very exciting!

So race wise, I came home in 18th, a ten position progression from last year where I finished 28^th. During the race I saw the most wind I have ever seen while at sea – a hefty 52 knots! It was amazing to be racing in that stuff, I was side by side with five boats, all of us sending it and pushing the boats to the max. With every single wave we charged over, rolling white water poured over the decks. The Figaro turns boys into men, fact. Nights like that toughen you up a notch or two without a doubt. Just safely getting a boat through those conditions on your own is a big job and with the element of competition in the mix as well, you can see why they call Port La Fôret (where I train in Brittany) the valley of fools! I love it though, and everyone else competing does too. The weary but crazed eyes of all the skippers as we tucked into soup and crepes after the finish said it all. We all knew we had experienced something pretty cool during this race, something that not everyone will ever get to experience. We had made it through, all with a story to tell, and some with a result to show for their work as well.

Back to the war stories, twice while driving I got washed off the helm by a wave breaking over the back of the boat and both times I ended up to leeward in a sprawled mess by the life raft, feeling lucky to just be alive and still on board! After that I changed to being properly attached to the boat, rather than just looping my lifeline over the winch, which came off! So when the second wave unseated me I was stopped half way by my harness and fell into the tiller, a slightly more painful experience, but I appreciated the bruises compared to the thought of going over the side to the pretty much guaranteed death that would have awaited me in the Atlantic! It was the first time that I’ve ever been wary of the potential for being washed over the side on a Figaro, rather than just falling over. It was also the first time I considered not pushing the boat to it’s limits, I say considered, I just carried on as normal of course! It’s not often that serious Henry has anything to say, but during the 52 knot squall and after a succession of three enormous waves of solid white water shooting back at me from the bow I remember thinking, “Wow you’ve got a lot on here buddy, keep it together!”

I also had issues with a part of my ballast system. The gullatine, which stops the water we fill from the sea and put on the high side falling to leeward, was broken, so the water was doing exactly that. So rather than helping performance, it was actually doing the complete opposite. It took me a while to realise this at first and at one point I had both tanks, both windward and leeward, full! I eventually realised and started pumping the water constantly from the leeward tank to the windward one. This put the pump under a lot of pressure though and I wasn’t keen on breaking that too. I thought about demounting the pipe and blocking something in it to stop it falling to leeward, but after sailing for about three to four hours without any ballast at all and a reef in the main, I tried again a few more times and got it holding to windward so just left it down for the rest of the race, filling and emptying each side individually rather than transferring between the two. It meant I lost a lot of time, which was frustrating, but everyone has problems and dealing with them (and noticing them for that matter!), while maintaining performance is one of the many many things the good guys do so well. I was talking to Fréd Duthill after the race, he had no pilot for it and for all his sail changes he lashed a rope to the tiller, round the winch and took it on the bow with him, pulling to bear away, easing to head up, all in 30/40 knots! I’m not going to claim that I would have won had my ballast worked, but for sure I would have gone a bit better, which is encouraging. An extra 220kg on the high side in 40 knots would have been nice!

Anyway in other news, the sponsor hunt is still ongoing. The objective at the moment is acquiring the best set of sails I can for the Solitaire du Figaro, which is now under six weeks away! At the moment I have until 5 o’clock on the 19^th April to place an order for a new set in order for them to be ready in time for the start of the race, as they are made to order. Time is running out on that, i.e. five days… Option two is to buy demo sails (what sail makers use to sell sails to the guys who can afford them!) They are around 40% cheaper, but have quite a bit of wear on them. There is also option three, which is buying sails off the guys with the big budgets who buy multiple sets of sails, test them all and decide which one they are going to race with. Although, these sets are not always technically ‘For Sale’.

Life is good though, things are going well and I am excited to be heading to a warm country for a week in the sun and sailing as part of a team again after my very cold shower in the Bay of Biscay the other night by myself!

Bye for now,

H

Henry will join the Zhik Race Team for 2013, and act as a brand ambassador, product tester and provide development input for Zhik’s growing range of keelboat wet weather gear. With it’s roots firmly in performance sailing, and already famous for it’s neoprene dinghy products, Zhik have turned their attention to providing high performance clothing for sailors of bigger boats.

Henry will wear the ISOTAK range of offshore clothing – that has already seen action in the Vendée Globe, worn by fellow Race Team sailor Arnaud Boissières.

Henry’s season with Zhik kicks off in just a few days time as he races the Solo Arrimer (350nm Solo race from Les Sables d’Olonne – home of the Vendée Globe) followed by the Solo Concarneau, as build up to the main event of the year – the Solitaire du Figaro. Henry will be looking to improve on his Rookie year position (31st) from last year, as he climbs the steep learning curve of short handed sailing. Sailing his 2nd Solitaire at the age of 22 is still very ‘young’ for a Figaro sailor, and he’ll be competing against sailors on their 14th or 15th Solitaire, including Vendée Globe veterans who return to the Solitaire to test themselves against the young guns.

Henry said : I am really happy to cement an association that started a few years ago whilst I was sailing a J80. It’s great to see how the clothing has developed quickly into comfortable practical sailing gear, and I hope to be able to help champion the brand with my sailing both here in France, but importantly at home after the Solitaire has finished. We have a big domestic programme planned starting after the Solitaire ends in June, including racing at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, and the Rolex Fastnet Race. Good protective clothing is important to a solo sailor, who can quickly get fatigued and suffer a huge performance drop if cold or damp. Just like us, the gear must be able to perform in many circumstances, from a windy round the buoys race, to a long slog across Biscay. I’m confident that I’ll be the most comfortable sailor in the fleet. Ashore Zhik’s range of Hoodies, Tees and shorts suit me perfectly, I’ve never been a jacket and tie man!

Simon Payne, Zhik European Sales Manager, commented: It’s great to be involved with Henry’s campaign to be a top solo sailor, we’ve always tried to identify talent from an early stage. The journey to the top of the solo sailing world is long, I hope we can turn this season into an enduring relationship and clothe Henry as he climbs to the podium. I’m looking forward to getting to know Henry better, he’s got a good reputation as a bit of a personality, which suits the Zhik brand perfectly! We’ll be doing some sailing with Henry after the Solitaire, in order to more closely study the needs of a short handed sailor, we know that many cruising sailors sail short handed, and are constantly looking out for performance sailing clothing that makes their world more comfortable.

Zhik will join Henry’s Figaro campaign as Official Clothing Partner, and will kick off their association by taking the naming rights for the next race in the calendar. Henry will race ZHIK – MADE FOR WATER in the Solo Arrimer which starts Thursday 11th April. Sponsor discussions are on going for the remainder of the races this season, but Henry is committed to being on the start line of the 44th Solitaire du Figaro which starts from Bordeaux on the 2nd June, with the support of ZHIK, Artemis Offshore Academy, and a host of local benefactors. Additional sponsorship will enable Henry to purchase new sails, and be better prepared with more training sessions before the start in June, as well as being able to complete the season by racing in the double handed Tour de Bretagne in September.

To hear more about how you can help Henry be more competitive this season do get in touch hello@henrybomby.com to hear about partnership opportunities that exist across a range of prices, for a range of benefits, including title sponsorship rights, and racing days at Cowes Week.

An exclusive Henry Bomby Racing ZHIK shore Jacket will be available for sale from http://www.henrybomby.com in the coming weeks, so you can show your (stylish) support in your local yacht club bar.

Note to Editors:

ZHIK

Australian brand Zhik is only nine years old, but has become the clothing of choice for performance sailors. Zhik’s technical gear was worn by half of the competitors at the London 2012 Olympics and was also worn by half the medalists. Zhik’s ISOTAK keel boat range was introduced two years ago and has quickly developed into mature year round wet weather gear. Zhik’s ISOTAK is built to the highest waterproof and breathable specification and utilises the latest monolithic membrane technology, which is more immune to salt degradation.

www.zhik.com

HENRY BOMBY

Henry, 22 from Dartmouth, Devon, first sprang to fame as he sailed solo round Britain as an 18 year old. Since then he has grown to be one of the UK’s main up and coming solo sailing talents, after a Transatlantic delivery and an entry in the Rolex Fastnet race, Henry was rewarded in 2011 with a place at the Artemis Offshore Academy, Britain’s only full time performance solo sailing programme. Since then Henry has added significantly to his solo sailing CV and in 2013 now runs his own Figaro racing campaign, with a view to eventually racing solo around the world.

www.henrybomby.com