Achilles 24

I was the second owner of Sunbird of Arne, now Chilli Pepper, sail no.324. I traded her with Butler Mouldings to purpose-build a beefed up version of the Achilles for the 78 Round Britain and Ireland Race – it had a longer keel, reinforced bow sections, a 6" extension of the transom, no windows or forehatch (left glassed in) and the tall rig usually only seen on Achilles racing on lakes in Europe. This boat was called Superachilles.
I campaigned her with Mike Moulin in the Channel islands to Ireland Race and other medium distance events in 78 as warm-up for the big race. We did well enough, but lack of experience (and weariness, given the cramped conditions aboard and the boats tendency to sail on its ear) drove us to the bottom of the fleet in the round Britain.

She was renamed Accolade for what was then just the second or third Three Peaks Race (she was the race's first foreign entry – the boat was flagged Australian – and probably its smallest) and was featured in two major pieces about the race written for a northern newspaper. She retired when the runners found her too uncomfortable to recover in after the Snowdown leg (I returned to take fourth the following year in another Accolade-sponsored boat).

The boat was exceptionally strong: she survived a beyond 90 degree spinnaker gybe between Barra and St Kilda at the edge of Force 6 (she had a wonderful, small, tri-radial 'storm' chute designed by the now defunct Miller & Whitworth – but we carried it recklessly just a little too long), and that same night, was rolled to about 135 degrees by a very large wave while hove-to in company with a handful of the other smallest yachts in the race to the north of St Kilda. Hardly a drop of water penetrated the boat.

Both before and after the Round Britian race, SuperA sailed all over the British Isles and Ireland, Northwestern Europe and the Biscay coast of France. She encountered several very strong gales, some memorable (actually, nightmarish) seas, and a few major squalls and never once was her integrity a concern. Massively over-rigged and over-built (except in the area of the extended transom, which always collected water between it and the real transom), she was overly tender, and sail needed to be got off very early. However, in light airs and downwind in Force 4 and up she frequently out-ran racers a couple of metres longer, and with a deal more stability.

Chris West.