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TRIPLE FANTASY
Triple Fantasy was designed by Derek Kelsall for Terry Cooke to enter the OSTAR, building started around 1980, her first race was in 1982. She is a 35ft x 30ft foam/GRP trimaran.
Triple Fantasy has competed in the 1982, 1985, and 1989 Round Britain & Ireland races, and in the '84 and '88 OSTARs and the '86 TwoStar.
In September 2004, TF was bought as a bare shell by Mike Millerchip, Mike Barnsley and Ken Bone, with the view to doing RORC offshore racing and the RBIR. She came with no deck gear, no interior, no wiring but we did find the mast and 16 crabs, alive, inside the flooded main hull ! One survey and 4000 "cold" man hours later she was re-launched in March 2005, her first season was short, as only 3 RORC races were attempted whilst the team sorted out sails, new rudder arrangements, rewiring, rigging, tiller, winches, tracks, etc.
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Skipper
Mike Millerchip, 54
Besides canoeing at an early age it wasn't until my University days that I became involved in sailing boats, as a student I lived on and re-built houseboats. That's where I met my first multihull, unfortunately I decided to build a 40ft steel ketch instead which took 5 years out of my life, when I should have been sailing.
It was after a long period in hospital that I thought of multihulls again I sold the ketch and cruised my way through 3 Telstars and many sea miles. Running the Telstar Owners Association I was persuaded to join MOCRA and ultimately became Commodore for 3 years which exposed me to the "joys" of RORC/MOCRA racing.
This was helped by the purchase of Ginkas a 32 ft Phaeton open bridgedeck catamaran with limited accommodation, but all the fresh air and sea water you could possibly need!
We bought "Triple Fantasy" with a view to entering the RBIR and continueing our RORC racing, as usual getting her up to speed and race ready has been a major effort but we are looking forward to meeting everyone.
Co-Skipper
Mike Barnsley, 52
My introduction to sailing came at the age of 13 years when I was packed off to "HMS Conway", merchant navy training school. I was taught the skills of rowing cutters and sailing the school's standing lug lifeboats. A step up was helming the 'Menai Straights' One Designs and 'Fifers'.
Sailing progressed to dinghies; GP14's and Larks among others. There was, as far as I can recall, no notable success in the silverware dept. I was also racing two stroke motorcycles (X-ray histories available on request!) I struck fortune at Weybridge sailing cub on the Thames where I found that, provided I could get two other boats to turn out, I could quite often win!
Meanwhile my brother Malcolm, lured me into a part share in a 16ft "Fairy Falcon", we progressively inflicted ourselves on every haven from Bembridge to Brixham clocking up some 2,500 miles in all.
Ten years later my wife and I purchased an early "Telstar" trimaran on which we quickly discovered the joys of sailing multi-hulls. Under the MOCRA umbrella we went on to enjoy some excellent cruises and of course the annual RTI race where our best place was 9th in class.
Ex MOCRA Commodore Mike Millerchip then exposed me to a taste of offshore RORC racing - our first season being 2003 in his Phaeton cat "Ginkas". Hard lessons were learnt, not least on delivery trip across the Biscay in April where we had the joyless experience of sailing an open bridge deck cat through a force 9 for 3 days...
We bought the 35ft Derek Kelsall Tri "Triple Fantasy" in September 2004.
Despite her pedigree we had a poor season with a boat that was not really race ready and the crew inexperienced on type. Well we've got the "L" plates off now, but I know we're in good company with quite a few multis so hopefully we'll make it too!
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