Hull 47 — “British Heart of Ipswich III”

James Hatfield MBE sailed the Whiting 29, British Heart of Ipswitch III, single-handed from New Zealand around the Horn to England arriving Sept 1987.

  • Year: 1986
  • Launched: 1986
  • Sail number: British Registered
  • Rig: Masthead
  • Keel: Shallow Draught
  • Scoop: Yes
  • Helm: Wheel
  • Other: Small storm windows, cutter rig, solid rails, SF headsail
  • Engine: Volvo 2002 R, 18 hp
  • Radio: Icom 745 SSB
  • Hull: White with blue stripe / Union Jack
  • Deck: Blue
  • Exterior: Dark blue mast; blue sail covers and dodger
  • Notes: Cage around mast; offshore; extra strength forward; No. 2 Children’s Hospital emblem on stern

Whiting 29 yacht British Heart of Ipswitch III

Excerpt of Letter from James Hadfield to Louise – 1987

G’day. My last letter arrived in the Falklands before I did so I am not going to ask whether you got it but I shall send this one C/- Auckland Harbour Board and I hope that you will let me have your home address. The one I have as I say ends up return to sender. So here we are hauling keel across the top of Brazil heading for Miami and the States tour. Excuse the writing but we have a mean cross swell coming through every so often.

Anyway we left Wellington 21 Jan in a right blow 55 kts at the Harbour mouth (good day for there) dropped the main and ran with the wind and sea for a week under staysail jib. In fact it was near two weeks before I could put anything more than triple reef main up. I haven’t checked the log over those days but I reckon they will show 140 m.p.d. We averaged 133.0 m.p.d. from N.Z. to the Straits. Taking a route of 42° – 41° S. The B.O.C. round the world guys all were having very light winds at 50° – 60° S. In fact one chap John Hughes in a 40′ Joseph Young who lost his mast at 53° was becalmed for 3 weeks and was slowly going out of his tree. I heard his call and via the ‘hams’ offered assistance. John decided to make for Chile and collect a new mast. After two weeks his water was in a low state and he was muttering about going around the horn instead. Reckoned he would starve before he made Chile. I told him they had a good airfield there and could get his mast in so John sailed under jury rig 4,500 miles to Falklands where I met him and in Mare Harbour we put his new rig together.

Anyway getting a bit ahead the 29′ sure likes moving but I had regular heart attacks because never before have I seen so many whales as on that leg. Surfing down a creaming wave at 8.5 – 11 kt and seeing a spout blowing ahead is kind of unnerving. John was passing me twice daily weather information from his fax machine but the whole weather pattern was crazy. Three days off the S.A. coast he says the weather pattern looks good. That was the last I saw of the sun for 4½ days so it was D.R. + sat nav. The mountains I should have seen from 50 miles or so saw them between 3-8 miles. 3 way cross seas, 75 kts the shore station lost their wind gear in a 139.5 m.p.h. gust. Punta Arenas were getting 128 mph. We really bit the bullet that day. Running under trisail becalmed in the trough. Three times we were pooped, finally I had to take the tri down and we were covering 11 kts over the ground. Wild work down there. And very frightening. Definitely time for young master James to settle down I remember thinking at the time.

Four days of amazing sailing and anchoring I will show you the films when I am next in town. So clean clear and uncluttered. There are rocks mountains, kelp and water and wind. No people, rubbish pollution. All the trees are – trees I mean sticks that poke out of the ground a foot and then turn at right angles as if to say the wind went thataway.

Punta Arenas to go there just so you know to miss it next time. They have a jetty that sticks out into the Straits if the wind picks up you leave and either ride it or anchor some place. Not just yachts ships fishing boats all. Wind comes you go. Makes leaving the vessel for more than an hour near impossible the winds hit hard and quick.

We left the Straits again with 50+ wind under tri and made the Falklands in 4 days. It is a cold, bleak, treeless, cold, bleak treeless and cold place least the straits had mountains and glaciers. I was so cold sleeping inside two sleeping bags in my fairydown gear 2 pairs socks and ugg boots. Winds 60+ the norm giving very high chill factor.

Raced John up the South Atlantic had a good Force 11 and made miles 360 under storm jib alone no S.E. trades until we passed Recife and we didn’t stop at Rio. Best days run logged so far 158 miles – 24 hours + 14 miles of current. I would very much like to hit the 200 a day run. What was tail gunners best 24 hr run. 8.3 kts is the magic hourly average and I reckon we can do it in the S.O. we did a twelve hour run of 87 and then got becalmed but at no. time have I felt we have been pushing too hard.

Had very bad leaks on Starboard side around the toe rail but I hope they are now fixed, hairy times twice we heeled so hard the compass jammed.

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