We are very excited to introduce Ray Mitchell to our latest edition of “Meet the Sailors” after an unbeaten season in his Contessa 32. With a working relationship of nearly 40 years, there can be no better person to talk to in the importance of our role as a sailmaker and what he expects from his sails. As an incredibly successful racer and cruising enthusiast, we are delighted that Ray has taken some time away from his busy schedule to give us some insight into his most recent successes.
1. Congratulations on a fantastic season with your Contessa 32 “Collateral”, where you have finished the season unbeaten, including overall victories at this years Cowes Week, Taittinger Regatta and Cowes Corinthian Regatta to name but a few. However; the biggest prize has to be that of National Champion, which completed an incredible year. What were your thoughts from the event, hosted by the Royal Thames Yacht Club?
Ray: Thank you, Chris. The race officer, Phil Hagen and his team did a first-class job running 7 races in very testing conditions. We kicked off the Nationals with two races on Friday in a solid 18 – 24 knots and finished the day with a 2nd and 3rd on equal points with Merak. The conditions on Saturday were very tricky with a light and shifty Northerly. With all the top boats out, we knew it was going to be important to put together a set of consistent results. It was a day of snakes & ladders, but we managed to bank a 1st, 2nd & 4th which put us in 1st position overall with Andaxi 2 points behind. The forecast for Sunday was a building breeze with 28 – 30 knot gusts forecast. With the majority of the fleet opting for a reefed main we decided to go with the No 2 and full main. In the gusts we struggled a little but overall, we had better height and speed in the lulls. It’s all about crew work in those conditions and the team were brilliant winning both races.
2. We have worked closely with you for many, many years; across a variety of keelboat and yachts – being your sailmaker for both your racing and cruising sails. How did you come to be introduced to us and more importantly, why have you stayed with Sanders for so long?
Ray: Crikey it’s been years! In fact, it was back in 1987 when John Claridge built me a Magnum 7 moth and introduced me to Pete who was doing a lot of development at the time on Moth Sails. This was to be my first Sanders Sail. Since then there has been Etchells, Nordic Folkboats, Contessa 32’s, Whitbread 30, Swan 41, 45, 46, XOD’s to name just few, all of which you’ve made sails for. I’ve always had a great relationship with Sanders. There have been many times when I have walked into the loft on a Friday morning with a ripped kite or torn headsail needing a repair in time for the weekend and you’ve always delivered.
3. On your Contessa 32 you chose to go for membrane sails on your main and headsail wardrobe and your spinnakers were made with Superkote. What made you choose custom membrane laminates and how happy have you been with your sails?
Ray: Shortly after I purchased Collateral, I had a meeting with Pete to discuss my racing plans. Having owned four Contessa 32’s in the past I was keen to optimise the boat speed in light winds but have sails that would perform across the wind range. Pete suggested the custom membrane which is light and perfect for light winds but also very strong with minimal stretch so perfect in all conditions. They have proved to be very quick sails. The spinnakers which you made for my previous Contessa’s English Rose and Conspiracy were always quick so we just had the same again. This season we have certainly had an edge downwind which has resulted in many gains.
4. How important has your relationship with your sailmaker been and how has that helped you develop the winning sail wardrobe you currently have?
Ray: Invaluable! It’s the most important part of the race campaign. I normally know what I want to achieve in the way of performance but don’t have the technical knowledge, so I rely totally on my sailmaker’s advice and skills. Being able to get feedback when we are going well or perhaps lacking pace in certain conditions has resulted in the development of some very quick sails.
5. With such great success this year, what are your plans and goals for next year?
Ray: Next year is going to be very different. I have just completed a major refit of a Club Swan 42. She was the first one built in 2006 for the Commodore of the New York Yacht Club and I shipped it over from Newport RI earlier this year and plan to do the RORC offshore series and Fastnet in 2025. There have already been many discussions with Sanders over sail choice and design!