When I first started sailing the Ker 11.3 "Blue Belle", I took up my normal crew position of navigator. I soon became frustrated at being the owner and not getting to sail my own boat. I, of course, realised that it was part of the normal order of things for the crew to laud it over the owner but then decided to sail the boat myself. I had some limited experience of helming, most recently in a Daring at Cowes but little to no experience of sailing modern racing one designs. I had at least been on a couple of Minorca Sailing holidays, so had sailed modern skiffs ( but only in very warm water ); I had also years before sailed a Swallow, a planing keelboat, of which more in a minute.

Our first regatta was the Ker 11.3 National Championships in Torquay with a wonderful and brand new crew. The weather was great but there was little wind and we were very consistent, so consistent that we were last in every race. We still had a great time and this led to greater things both in Ker regattas and IRC and IRM.

When out practicing for an event, it was blowing 25 knots or so. We popped up the 0.75 AP Spinnaker and just took off. I remembered the need from Swallow sailing to keep water off the bow and we just went faster and faster, peaking out at 20.2 knots before we decided to take the spinnaker down. Throughout, the helm was light and responsive ( we have a wheel on Blue Belle) and the boat well behaved. The bowwave piled up nearly to the spreaders ( or so it seemed ) - a great thrill and a tribute to the designer, Jason Ker, and the builders, Race 1 and Vision Yachts."

Michael Cover - Blue Belle.