Jay Kempe had plenty of cause for celebration after helping his team to secure a podium finish in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race.

The former Bermuda Olympic sailor was among the crew on board Englishman Nick Graham’s Clipper 68 yacht, Ambitious, which finished third among the five entries in the Clipper 68 class and 188th of 358 boats in the large IRC Class.

“All in all, many high and low moments but an epic adventure including a fulfilling sense of accomplishment,” Kempe told The Royal Gazette.

“This has been the most interesting and challenging ocean race I have ever done.

“The huge variety of conditions, the course and the old-school Clipper 68s made this a very memorable race.”

The experienced ocean racer and his fellow colleagues endured many obstacles along the way that threatened to pull the plug on their campaign.

Their fortunes took a turn for the worse just before the start of the 695-mile biennial ocean race after their boat developed mechanical problems before battling headwinds exceeding 50 knots and 12ft waves, which took a heavy toll on the racing fleet.

“We had serious engine troubles on race morning so had to put back into port to effect repairs,” Kempe explained. “Engines equal safety, electrical power and working navigational electronics.

“As a result, we had to start two hours late, which put us dead last. This had pros and cons.

“The main pro was we had the racetrack to the Needles Channel to ourselves except for retiring yachts returning under very reduced sails or without masts and under engine power.

“The main con was the wind against tide combination was at its peak at the Needles when we got there.”

The fleet was forced to switch into survival mode on the first night after setting sail from Cowes, England, when they were confronted with strong gales and rough seas off the Isle of Wight with 142 entries, among a record fleet of 430, forced to retire from the 50th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s offshore classic.

The brutal conditions caused one yacht to sink, while four lost their masts and almost 30 had to be rescued or assisted by emergency services.

Two stranded and injured sailors were rescued from their liferaft by the coastguard, while another suffered a serious head injury when he was struck by a beam and knocked overboard before he was rescued by his crewmates.

“We had a few wind gusts of 50 plus knots, and the waves were very big and we could barely make headway or tack, but somehow managed to get through,” Kempe said.

“The Clipper 68 boats are tanks and so could punch through. The route through another relatively narrow channel during darkness at The Scilly Isles off Lands End produced a tense few moments too.

“Rounding Fastnet Rock at night in dense mist and reduced visibility was very eerie but a triumphant moment.”

Kempe and his colleagues enjoyed a smoother ride after rounding the iconic landmark on the downwind leg to the finish in Cherbourg, France.

“The run back to Cherbourg in France was quicker and relatively easier but produced some challenging off wind sailing at times under spinnaker,” added Kempe, who served in the dual role as sail trimmer and helmsman aboard Englishman Nick Graham’s Clipper 68 yacht.

Kempe, who represented Bermuda in the Tornado class at the Olympics, is thrilled to have fulfilled a dream to compete in the prestigious race.

“The Fastnet Race is one of the three most prestigious blue water ocean races, and I have always wanted to take part in it,” he said.

The Newport to Bermuda Race, Sydney Hobart Race, Middle Sea Race and Clipper Round the World Race are the other prestigious ocean races Kempe has competed during a remarkable career spanning more than five decades.

Max Klink’s Botin 52, Caro, was declared the overall winner of this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race, with line honours going to François Gabart and his crew aboard the trimaran, SVR-Lazartigue, who completed the distance in a record time of one day, eight hours 38 minutes and 27 seconds.