Mike Ellison & Ilala JRA Hall of Fame by Graham Cox

Mike Ellison. 1936 - low freeboard and good windward designed by Blondie Hasler, but The inaugural Observer Singlehanded ability. Unfortunately he failed to get the the cruise had been aborted. Transatlantic Race (OSTAR) started very boat ready in time, due, he later stated, An understanding was reached quietly from Plymouth on June 11th to an unsuitable choice of boat, a poor and Mike sailed the boat from 1960. The organisers struggled to find a survey and a lack of experience. Cohb to Plymouth on April 28th, a yacht club willing to host the start, the Mike recalls approaching Francis distance of 240 miles in 36 hours in yachting press were largely critical, the Chichester for advice and receiving a force 7 winds. He was alarmed to general media showed no interest and frosty reception. Chichester was not note that the foremast bent like a the public knew little about the race. The amused by Mike’s suggestion that Gypsy fishing rod in the stronger gusts. OSTAR, however, went on to become an Moth’s black hull might contravene the He was advised not to worry, just iconic event. The five participants who race rules, which stated that boats should to shorten sail quickly, but decided crossed the starting line all made be painted bright yellow to enhance to keep the engine and 80 gal of successful passages (the only time that visibility. This rule was later dropped fuel aboard during the race, just in ever happened in an OSTAR) and went because ‘one of the contestants’, to quote case it was needed. Preparations on to become famous names in the the AYRS, refused to paint his boat this took on the usual hectic pattern. history of singlehanded sailing, Blondie colour! Chichester later wrote During the last week he and his Hasler, Francis Chichester, David Lewis, disparaging comments about his young team of volunteers were working Val Howells and Jean Lacombe. Three of visitor, unaware, perhaps, that Mike was 20 hours a day. He was persuaded the contestants wrote popular books a professional seaman. Mike says that he to change his HF radio for one about their voyages. There has probably might have succeeded in crossing the supplied by the Daily Mail but it been more written about the 1960 Atlantic in Blue Haze but the outcome did not have the RDF function of OSTAR than any other single sailing would have been far from certain. his old set, something he came to event. By the time the race was run Unlike Chichester, he was a professional regret later. He shipped a 16 foot again in 1964, it was a media circus. seaman, not a professional adventurer, oar for rowing, emergency steering Mike Ellison What is less well-known is that there and his instincts were to withdraw. or jury rigging, something he did were another three entrants in the race In 1964 Mike decided to enter Blue Haze not regret. who failed to make it to the starting line. in the second OSTAR, having spent time The race started on May 23rd, 1964. A few days after the start, fresh One of those entrants was 24 year old gaining more sailing experience and There were 15 starters this year, 14 of northerlies set in and the experimental British merchant seaman, Mike Ellison. preparing the boat. A short time before whom completed the course. Mike had battens of polythene pipe started He had read about the race in 1958 and the start, however, in the journal of the an easy start in light winds and slowly breaking and tearing sails. The idea was was determined to participate. His Little Ship Club, he read of an offer to drifted out to the Lizard, where he was to get some shape into the sail and initial idea was to find a British yacht loan the junk-rigged Nicholson 36, Ilala, signalled that Gypsy Moth had rounded improve windward ability but they manufacturer who would lend him a to a member who wanted to enter the first. He enjoyed the light conditions, proved too flexible. He acknowledged yacht as a promotional vehicle but in the race. The vessel’s owner, Mrs unlike some of his competitors who took later that it was a serious mistake to set end he had to borrow money to buy a Barrington, had built the vessel for a things more seriously. Alec Rose, on sail with an experimental system that small yacht, the 35 foot Blue Haze, an old world cruise, fitting it with a rig Lively Lady, even threw a 56lb anchor had not been properly trialled. He West Solent restricted class yacht, with overboard to try and sail a bit faster! proved resourceful in fixing them, gluing lightweight multihulls, the mast. He intended to hoist a rope junk rig. He used the oar as a jury two of whom, Misty ladder and climb the mast the next day rigged foremast and managed to set a Miller and Folatre, did but the wind was force 6 at dawn and small amount of foresail. in fact suffer structural increased to force 8 by sunset, making He decided, given the limited damage in this gale. for a very rough sea. Instead, he carried performance of his damaged rig, to stay The following day he on with just two panels of the foresail south of any possible icebergs on the began a regular radio set. The following night the wind Grand Banks, which further slowed his schedule with David reached force 9 before dropping to force passage. On June 14th he sighted a ship, Lewis on the catamaran, 2 in the morning. the SS Mauritania, which confirmed his Rehu Moana, who was Mike was preparing to replace the main position and he groped his way not far ahead. (Rehu halyard in a heavy, confused swell that onwards through the fog. He spent a lot Moana was a heavy morning. Ilala had two panels of of time on deck blowing his foghorn. catamaran, originally foresail up to steady the motion but was As engine noises came closer, he said, junk-rigged, that later essentially hove to and rolling heavily. the harder he blew. It was perhaps not c o m p l e t e d a Suddenly, without warning, the that effective but very satisfying! c i r c u m n a v i g a t i o n ) . foremast broke and fell overboard to By June 17th Ilala had passed the They both enjoyed the windward. After he retrieved the mast iceberg zone and crossed into contact and encouraged and sail, an energetic task in itself, he soundings. The wind now fell light and each other, though attempted to climb the mainmast but he experienced fog, calms and remaining competitive. could only get halfway up. He then headwinds for the remainder of his David sounded u s e d t h e s p a r e delighted when Mike halyard to hoist reported being the main halyard becalmed. Once, Mike block with a rope asked David if it was strap around the safe to keep eating mast. It took two Ilala before the race green, mouldy bread. attempts to get David assured him it the strap to was “though it might tighten around have a slight laxative the tapered mast, broom and boathook handles into the effect”, leaving Mike to ponder whether but once it did he pipes and splinting the joints with he was being helpful or trying to slow was able to set bindings. This method proved his progress. He notes he was still 4 / 5 t h o f t h e successful and only one of these eating the bread with no ill effects when mainsail. By the splinted battens came apart again. he reached Newport. time he arrived in By June 2nd he was in a strong gale and On June 7th, just after midnight, the N e w p o r t t h e feeling sea-sick, unsure of his position. mainsail furled itself. The bronze eye on leech of the sail This didn’t bother him in itself, but he the masthead halyard block had been was badly was concerned that if one of the other worn through by the stainless steel damaged but the competitors needed help, he would be shackle it was attached with. He had a s a i l s t i l l unable to find them. He was spare halyard but felt that hoisting the functioned, one of particularly worried about the sail without a purchase would overload the decidedly positive virtues of Mike and Ilala crossing the finish line under jury rig Mike felt that he had not boxes, but which washed out and trailed A new mainsail was made and all performed well, but he can be astern in heavy weather. He also felt the battens replaced with ash, then Ilala set commended for completing rig was subject to too much chafe, with off back across the Atlantic with Mike’s the course, given his the sail constantly moving against the brother and a friend for crew. They problems with the rig. His mast. He stated after the race that he sailed 2200NM to Horta in 20 days, elapsed time was excellent, thought unstayed masts would need a sighting the volcanic peak of Pico island given the circumstances of his lot more development before they could while still 64 miles out, then sailed on to passage. It is a good example be considered reliable for ocean Cohb in a further 12 days, averaging 4.5 of how forgiving the junk rig passages. It must be remembered that knots for the entire passage. Ilala broke can be. Perhaps junk rig is Ilala was one of Blondie’s pioneer junk- no gear on this passage, demonstrating not the most competitive rigged vessels and that the experience of what a superb rig this can be for choice for a long ocean race people like Mike were crucial to cruising, especially when sailing with against the prevailing winds, developments in design and predominantly following winds. In but it is hard to imagine a engineering. Later, vessels like Galway Cohb, they unloaded the boat and Mike vessel completing the course Blazer, Badger, Roamer and Tystie were noted that the waterline came up 8 with any other rig after to sail many thousands of ocean miles inches! It was another reason, perhaps, breaking one mast and (discounting pitchpoling in the Southern why he’d had such a slow passage. As suffering significant damage Ocean). It would be interesting to take he said with some amusement in his to the remaining sail. Mike sailing on a boat fitted with AYRS article (AYRS Journal no 71), Ilala’s rig was also an early cambered sails and register his opinion, different ideas of fully equipped! example of Blondie’s junk rig or to campaign a boat like Marie G in After the race Mike became the Director designs, before he developed, the OSTAR today (hint, hint). of the Amateur Yacht Research Society along with Jock McLeod, Mike spent three weeks in Newport, (AYRS) and competed in the 1966 Mike and friends sailing out of Newport after the race. their standard sail profile partying with other contestants and Round Britain yacht race. He did not with a higher peaked yard. If preparing Ilala for a return passage to sail extensively under junk rig again but Ilala had had this improved England. He replaced the foremast has remained an interested observer of sail plan, as well as reliable with an aluminium lamp post, bought later developments. His voyage on Ilala passage, except for one short afternoon battens, they may well have done better. for $10, though it was too short. It had provided valuable feedback to Blondie blow. He arrived off the finish at Mike noted that the boat’s windward the same taper as the old mast, however, and Jock and contributed to their Nantucket Light vessel at 0300 hours, in performance was very poor, particularly and they inserted the top section of the understanding of how to improve the thick fog with only 6 miles of visibility, when the sails were to windward of the old mast in the bottom of the aluminium rig. which made finding the light vessel a mast. He also felt that the fine bows of one and shoved it up to make a timber delicate task. He sorely missed his RDF the Nicholson 36 did not have enough topmast. When it became firm it was during these final days but made a buoyancy to support the weight of the secured with a stainless steel pin. The perfect landfall. He completed the foremast, and noted that the boat base of the old mast was inserted in the crossing in 46 days, coming in 8th, one seemed to stop on every wave when bottom of the aluminium spar, held in hour ahead of 1960 veteran, Jean hard on the wind. His inadequate place by wedges set in cement. Ilala Lacombe, who was sailing Golif, a battens didn’t help, as their forward thus became the first boat to carry a fibreglass 21 footer, and 19 days behind sections bent to leeward in fresh composite timber/alloy mast, the 1964 race winner, Eric Tabarly in conditions. something that has recently become Pen Duick 111. He also disliked the amount of running popular in the junk-rig community. rigging, which was stowed in deck