Jester Challenge

The Jester Challenge is single handed transatlantic yacht race for boats of between 20’ to 30’ from Plymouth to Rhode Island. 

The Jester Challenge was an original idea from a Second World War Royal Marine hero Blondie Hasler. Blondie came up with the Idea of singlehanded yacht race across the Atlantic called OSTAR. Which was originally sponsored by the Observer newspaper in 1960. The Jester challenge is really offshoot of that idea and name comes from Blondie Hasler Nordic junk rigged small Folkboat called Jester. 

What I like about the Jester Challenge it’s not really a race but designed for adventurous souls who like to do there own thing with out rules and regulations. No entry fees no sponsorship no prizes. Just friendly sailing adventure for small budget conscious skippers to cross the North Atlantic under their own steam to Rhode Island in the United States. 

The General Rules

• for skippers who are over the age of 18 on the 8th May 2022

• human power is the only acceptable alternative propulsion to that of the wind: rowing, kedging or clubhauling, for instance, are permissible

• single-handed to Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

• one way

• stops allowed, but skippers must take personal responsibility for adhering to any Covid-19 regulations wherever they stop

• no time limit

• engines may be fitted but only used to charge batteries for equipment such as mobile telephones, steering and navigation systems.  The sole exceptions to this, within the spirit of the Jester Challenge, would be the avoidance of an imminent ‘mayday’ situation; responding to a distress call from a fellow seafarer or when within the harbour limits of an intermediate port en route. If the use of an engine – or the acceptance of a powered tow from another vessel, whether a Jester Challenger or not – becomes necessary to meet, for instance, a personal time limit or, simply, to avoid a frustrating calm, then the details should be declared on arrival to fellow Jester Challengers. By common agreement – and using the Jester Helm as an arbitrator if there is no common agreement – the arrival order may then be amended.

• no entrance fees

• no inspections

• no regulations: skippers will be entirely responsible for the equipment they take, based on their own experience

• only hint of bureaucracy will be the signing of a form of indemnity accepting the skipper’s full duty of care for himself, his dependants and his fellow seafarers during his participation in the JC 2022.

• skippers should ensure that they have the correct visa (if required) for entry into the US and any likely mid-way stop. US visas are best applied for as early as possible.  

Who was Blondie Hasler anyway?  He was Wartime Royal Marine and loved small boats as young man, he built his own and he had practical mind. He joined the Royal Marines in 1932 and went on to form the early beginnings of Special Boat Section using kayaks and later developed frogman dive oxygen rebreathers. Problem with breathing pure oxygen under pressure of approximately 1.5 bar which is less than 30 feet oxygen effects the central nervous system. Why rebreathers? They scrub or take out the exhaled CO2. You have long dive times and the rebreather doesn’t produce bulbs to give away your position on the surface. On operation Frankton as it was called they didn’t require dive equipment they were able learn over their kayaks to lay the limpet mine below the surface by hand.

Blondie’s job was to develop a folding two man kayak to slide in and out of a Submarine torpedo hatch . His claim to fame was the kayak attack with two man kayaks launched from a submarine down the river Gironde in France lay mines on cargo ships docked in the port of Bordeaux. only two of kayakers survived Blondie Hasler and marine Bill Sparks. The story is told in the book and film called the Cockleshell Hero’s. 

When I served as part time member of the Royal Marine Reserved we had an Special Boat section. The SBS were based in Poole Dorset.