3rd place overall at the Solent to Poole race

After an okish start I managed to take the lead of the fleet as we were approaching the needles channel... In fact I had enough lead that I thought I just had to defend my position by staying between the followers and the finish line... Ah ah ah I hear you laugh... What happened then? The j122 jbellino sailed by fellow OSTAR skipper Rob Craigie pulled a rabbit from his hat... He hardened up and squeezed into the so called North passage over the needles shingles banks. He caught me unawares and was too late for me to do the same as I was past the right turn on the sweeping tide... I wached him go over on AIS, the tide swept him so close to the drying banks that I held my breath thinking he'll run aground... There is enough water but the tide had swept him further than he wanted to be... He made it through and at the finish admitted going as low as half a meter of water below the keel (which means I would have hit on my boat)... Anyhow all the fleet followed his example and I was left biting my fingers... I had to go the long way around to the bottom of the needles shingles bank before I too could harden up... Past the turn once leader I became chaser... I sailed high and fast and was closing in at constant higher speeds but there wasn't enough space to the finish for me to close the gap... I finished in third behind the two j122s in the race... It was a fantastic race despite the bitterly cold northerly wind, it feels like February... Really looking forward to catching up with the others over some food and a beer ahead of the race back tomorrow. Marco Nannini Ocean Racing SunGard Front Arena