Early Gamble cruise – October

Departed Friday evening
Returned Sunday afternoon

Late summer cruise to Weymouth – September

Departed Friday evening
Returned Sunday afternoon

Bank Holiday Cruise to Alderney – August

Departed Thursday evening
Returned Sunday afternoon

With bad traffic on the M25, some of the crew arrived fairly late on Friday evening, but by 8 we were all set with wet weather gear fitted, safety brief completed and in most cases food having been eaten. First stop was to the fuel pontoon to fill up and then with the sun having just set, we set off out of the harbour. The plan was flexible, we would see how far we got before people got tired and then we would stop for the night. The winds were light, but we made good progress motor sailing westwards and at Cowes the consensus was to continue. So it was around 1 am that we slipped quietly in to Lymington to look for a berth. The harbour was fairly full, but we gently squeezed on to a couple of buoys near the town quay and settled down for the night. Next morning the owner of the 2nd boat in our ‘flotilla’ called to say that he was thinking twice about coming because of the poor weather forecast. He had an inexperienced crew and made the right call to stay local. So just after 9 we departed in to a glorious sunny morning. The wind was just aft of the beam so we raised the spinnaker and headed down towards the Needles. As we approached them, the wind increased and shifted to the extent that the spinnaker had to come down. It had only been up for 10 minutes, but it was nice to see it. However we maintained speed with the fresher wind and were soon across Poole Bay passing several boats on the way. St Albans ledge was fairly quite as we rounded using the inshore passage and then we turned in to Chapman’s Pool to anchor for lunch of shepherds pie.

An hour later we set off again and made progress west stopping to try some man overboard drills under sail. As time was getting on and there was little wind, we motored the last few miles to reach Weymouth at 5 and we rafted on the waiting pontoon for the town bridge.

At 6 the bridge lifted and glided past the many spectators to berth neatly in the visitors area, stern to. The town was packed and we struggled to find somewhere to eat, but eventually found a nice restaurant by the bridge where we were the last customers of the evening. How the weather changed overnight and in the morning it was colder, windier and a lot wetter. The skipper cooked breakfast on board and by 9:30 we were all set to depart again. We left on the 10 o’clock bridge and raised some sail in the harbour before venturing out. The Easterly wind brought some large swells and the boat pounded through them slowly. Then the radio announced a new gale warning and we listened with anticipation whilst also turning to starboard to take shelter within Portland Harbour. The forecast included severe gale force 9 and reluctantly the skipper decided we should put back in to Weymouth. So we motored and surfed our way back to the relative peace of the harbour. The town quay was still full of boats that had stayed put, so we shot the mid-day bridge and found our old spot still free in the marina. So the rest of Sunday was spent doing the typical things you do in a sea side town when its cold, windy and wet, with a fish and chip supper to round off the day. Overnight everyone found it tough to sleep with the boat shaking from the howling wind. The force 9 was bad enough in the harbour, but at sea it would have been really tough and the skipper’s decision to stay put had certainly been the safe one.

By 8 the next morning we were all up and ready again and were the second of just 2 boats heading under the bridge. The skipper of the other boat was also heading back to the Solent and we were both happy to have some company on the journey. But this time the Easterly had swung around to the promised Northerly and the sea was much kinder. Staying just a couple of miles off the cliffs, we had the best of the wind and sea conditions and made amazing progress under a triple reefed main and some jib, reaching 11 knots at one point. Even though the other boat had a 10 minute head start as we had stopped for milk, we soon tore past them and rounded St Albans head only a couple of hours after starting. A bit later we tried heaving to, so that the crew could take a comfort break, but the tide was pushing us backwards and we were glad to be back on track again. We kept up this progress all the way home with just a momentary lapse off Hurst Castle where the wind inexplicably dropped to less than 10 knots.

Ultimately we had completed the 64 miles in just 8 hours at an average of 8 knots.

Weather – North veering South East Force 7 otherwise force 3 & 4’s

Everyone arrived safely on Friday evening the crew being a mixed bunch of people, none of whom knew each other beforehand. Most had either done very little sailing before or were Day Skippers looking to extend both their cruising ground and their all important experience. The plan was to slip our berth early on the Saturday morning and head for the little fishing port of St Vaast la Hougue. This is a very beautiful French village which is well known for its fantastic local fish restaurants. None of the crew had been there before except for the skipper Phil Taylor who had been showing the secrets of this quaint little fishing port to yacht crews for several years.

The sail across the Channel was fantastic with a nice sunrise and a gentle run down-wind with a poled out Genoa and a full mainsail rigged with a preventer. This let everyone have their fair chance at steering the yacht. Later that afternoon the sun was warm and the sea state calm but unfortunately the wind had dropped off to all but nothing, so with regret the iron sail was put on and the engine helped us to close on the French coast. As we got a little closer, the predicted afternoon sea breeze increased enough to have a last fantastic sail on the final part of our journey.

The Day Skippers on board, looking to increase their navigational confidence and experience, were given the task of piloting the yacht the last few miles under the ever watchful eye of the skipper Phil. At low water St Vaast dries out for approx one mile, with mostly rock all around and no room for error. With secondary port tidal heights to calculate as well; this is the unforgiving spectacular French Coast. The entrance has a large lock which was on free-flow for our arrival. We went straight through and found a berth no problem. It was a stunning warm summers day on arrival and after showers and some welcome lunch in the cockpit it was off to find a restaurant for the evening.

If you have never sailed with Solent Sail to France or the Channel Islands and had a meal a shore with us, you should book for that reason alone! The meal served that evening was amazing!!!! Very good value and some of the best shellfish and sea food you will eat. Of course there was also a selection of good steaks and duck on the menu. Some of the crew opted for the 7 course meal at a cost of 40 Euros about £26. The French seem to get the food and atmosphere perfect. Finishing with wine on the yacht, a good evening was had by all.

Phil’s quote was “This has been one of the best kite runs I have had for at least 3 years”.

We left next day about mid morning when the earth had rotated enough to allow the tide to come in and open the lock gates a slow start being welcome after the evening before. One glass of wine too many for some perhaps, but it was still most welcome.

Once clear of the fair way we set the main and went through a spinnaker lesson, as most people onboard had never flown one before. Then it was up with kite for a very exhilarating run downhill again towards the UK. St Vaast to Bembridge taking just 7 hours. After one or two rather spectacular near broaches mid channel we dropped the kite as the wind began to build in excess of 30 knots. This was sailing that the majority of people staying in the Solent never get to experience. The picture shows us going down wind on the 46 with the masthead kit up

Arrival in Gun Warf Quays Portsmouth Harbour brought a welcome rest from the excitement, with a meal and a pint of beer to help followed by a good night’s sleep.

The next day brought us a strong fresh wind with a little bit of spray thrown in for good measure. A quick trip to windward and Cowes left us with a great sail back surfing with just the headsail up averaging speeds in excess of 11 knots all the way. Finishing at Gosport for what was a very fun, mixed and diverse long bank holiday.

What great weather for April. This weekend comes close to being the all-time best for sunshine and some great sailing too. Most of the crew arrived on Friday evening and were keen to get out on the water for a refresher. We started gently in Portsmouth harbour before venturing out for an hour in the very lively approaches where ships of all shapes and sizes were coming and going almost constantly.  Safely tucked up in harbour for the night, we had a bite to eat and chatted before returning to our cabins. Next morning was a leisurely departure around 11 after the remaining crew joined the boat. With two Solent Sail instructors on board, there was plenty of one-to-one tuition. Once out of the harbour we set about getting the spinnaker up and enjoyed a great run down the Solent towards Beaulieu. The winds were very light, but there was just enough for the spinnaker to keep us going. We eat lunch on deck and as we were early, we popped in to Newtown Creek for afternoon tea. It was crowded with other yachts, but still very peaceful. An hour after low water, we set off again to cross the Solent and this time we had a great reach in a slightly fresher wind. Unfortunately this got us to our destination all too quickly, and it was soon time to put the sails down. The entry to Beaulieu was shallow and we were at the limit of our entry time, so we crept in with tension building and a minimum of 0.4m under the keel. The trip up river was far more relaxed and very pretty. Eventually we arrived at Bucklers Hard and we were directed to the pleasure pier, just 100m from the Master Builder’s Hotel. After a few drinks while watching the sunset, a shower and a change of clothing, we walked up the Yachtsman’s pub for a great meal. We were woken from a peaceful night’s sleep by the sun shining in and after breakfast we headed up to the marina office to catch the free bus the jumble. At Beaulieu, we were dropped by the entrance and walked in 20 minutes before the start so that we were ready to catch the bargains at 10. Between us we bought various books, fishing equipment, two spinnakers and a jet ski. Then at 4 we returned to the boat for the journey home. The late tide meant that we could not cross the bar until 6, so we sat in the cockpit, and socialised with other boat crews whilst we waited. At about 5, several yachts cast off and proceeded in a slow procession down river. The floor was just staring to cover the bank when we reached the mouth and it was another tense moment as we crossed the bar with 0.3m under us this time. As it was late and the wind was till Easterly, we had no choice but to motor, but we made short work of the journey with nearly 10 knots ground speed. Once again we had some food on the go as we enjoyed another beautiful sunset. Finally it was back in to Portsmouth in time to catch the 8 o’clock train after a really great weekend.

Log by skipper – Phil Taylor
Over Easter, Solent Sail organised a Rally aimed towards taking a small fleet of yachts over to France then on to the Channel Islands before returning back to UK. The yachts that joined us ranged from 30 foot to 46 foot, the majority of the yachts were bareboat skippered by RYA Day skippers. Upon arrival on the Thursday evening there was an informal skippers brief, of the general passage plan. One of the 46’s skippered by Phil Taylor as a lead boat was at hand throughout the whole weekend to help out with the next part of the passage plan or any issues that the bareboats had during the trip. Leaving on Friday morning we slipped early and headed for Cherbourg. With light NE winds it was a gentle sail, although by the afternoon the wind had dropped off and we had to use the engine for the final part of the passage. A great meal was had by all after the normal drinks in the Yacht Club on arrival. On the Saturday we made for Guernsey where some of the yachts had a fantastic spinnaker run all the way from the western entrance of Cherbourg’s huge harbour right through the Alderney Race and the Little Russell (the channel between Sark, Herm and Guernsey). For those that wanted some late night dancing, the delights of the Elvis Bar, the Red Onion and Club Barbados were on offer and fun was had by all. The next part of the voyage was planned to go to Alderney for a meal at the First and Last (Rita the owner being as welcoming as ever). Unfortunately due to the NE winds that we had, it would have made Alderney’s harbour the most uncomfortable anchorage or place to pick up a buoy. The forecast was that it was due to back to W or SW, so we asked everyone if they would like to spend another day in or around Guernsey or the Channel Islands or make for Weymouth on a good NE wind. Then hopefully if the weather had been forecast correctly, the SW wind would take us back to the Solent. The latter was decided and on arrival in Weymouth it was fish and chips all round with a pint in a local pub which had some live Irish music playing.

Log by crew/guest – Peter Clarke
We were due to leave for Cherbourg at 5.00am Good Friday.

I was late leaving London and arrived at Gosport just before 1.00am with my party of three young lads, Dhani (19), Ben (17) and my son Chris (14). Phil our skipper was still able to guide us to our boat even though it was so late / early. We quickly settled into our berths for a short sleep before our early start.
A few short hours later and we’re back up at 5.00am for a few last checks and a full safety brief from our skipper Phil. We cast off and set off for Cherbourg. We put up full sails before leaving the port and were given a commentary on the naval boats in dock.
Our crew consisted of: Phil, his partner Corinne, John, Martin, Dhani, Ben, Chris and I, providing a full range of abilities, with day skippers, coastal skippers, yacht master theory, and a couple of lads who were experiencing their first time on the water. A choice was given as to how involved each member of the crew became with navigation skills, sail handling and helming. If you wanted to get involved you could, and likewise if you wanted to sit back and relax while letting others take control this was no problem. The boys even managed to watch a DVD while mid-channel.

Little wind on the way across meant we spent a lot of time with the ‘Iron Sail’ up. With the 75hp engine we were able to make a good speed. We arrived in Cherbourg with visibility down to a couple of hundred yards. We took our berth next to our sister ship, another Bavaria 46. Close by were the rest of our fleet including Fine Lady and Touche. Drinks ashore in the yacht club were followed by a fantastic meal at a French restaurant away from the tourist trail.

The following day brought about the best sailing of the trip (if not the year). An exhilarating spinnaker run down to Guernsey, round Cap de La Hage, through the Alderney Race and into Little Russell. Everybody was involved and Phil gave excellent instruction to those who had never had a spinnaker up before. Even the young lads were able to get involved, poling up and down, and helming on the most difficult point of sail. Due to our advantage with the spinnaker we arrived in St Peters Port well ahead of the rest of the fleet. We waited a couple of hours for the tide before we could enter the inner harbour and take our berth for the evening. Drinks ashore in an array of St Peter’s Ports bars, pubs and clubs rounded off a superb day.

With North Easterlies still forecast it was decided to abandon plans for a visit to Braye in Alderney, and we opted for a sail back across the channel to Weymouth taking advantage of the North Easterly winds. Fish and chips on arrival at Weymouth, followed by a quick trip to the pub before last orders.

Monday morning we left Weymouth, winds were slight and visibility was poor to begin with, so we took advantage of tides in our favour and the power of the strong engine as we followed the Jurassic coast, crossed Christchurch Bay, came through the Needles channel where dolphins were spotted, and back along the Solent to Gosport.

A great weekend had by all. Different experiences for different members of the crew; plenty of miles in the personal logs; a fantastic introduction to sailing for the young lads; the ability to sit back and relax letting someone else take charge; an introduction to spinnaker sailing; the ability and chance to make passage plans; to sail on such a well equipped boat.

With some disappointment we heard that the weather forecast wasn’t brilliant so the gamble meant that Cherbourg was ruled out by the skipper. After a good meal on board we set off quite late and there were some doubts amongst the crew about the need to cancel Cherbourg as to the sea was calm. However as we approached Cowes, a squall hit that soaked us all and made us think the skippers decision may have been correct. In East Cowes overnight there was very heavy rain, but it was cosy being tucked up in the boat. Next morning dawned bright and sunny and we set off amongst a group of racing yachts hoisting full sail. The Beken photo launch came by and took some pictures and we wondered if they thought we were in the race. We made good progress down the Solent and out through the North channel in to Christchurch bay. It was lot more choppy without the protection of the Isle of Wight, but one of our novice crew members nevertheless did a great job making some bacon rolls for brunch. With the building wind we were soon entering Poole and managed to get a berth in the Town marina. Some of the crew had been on a previous trip and were already friends, so we had a great meal together in Topo Gigios. Back on board the wind picked up overnight and howled through the rigging. In the morning we had the traditional cooked breakfast before contemplating departure. There was some nervousness since it was blowing hard and gales were forecast for later. The skipper discussed the situation with another skipper and the decision was made to go. It was difficult enough to get the boat out of its berth and to put the main up, so we wondered what we were in for at sea. The entrance channel to Poole wasn’t bad as it was sheltered by the land to the south and west, but as we turned East and made our way across Poole Bay, the wind gusted to 40 knots and the waves built to several feet high. Thanks to Tony for steering us through – the blister on his hands were testament to the work involved. The most exciting part was when we turned to run along the coast near Hurst Castle, almost within a stones through of the waves crashing on the beach. We powered through Hurst Narrows and in to the calmer water of the Solent. Our speed with wind and tide sweeping us along, meant that we were passing Cowes in no time at all and we turned in to Osborne bay to anchor for a late lunch alongside our sister ship Lady Nadia that was already anchored there. After lunch we both departed to sail back to Gosport and on the way we touched 11½ knots through the water, the fastest yet. Once inside the harbour we dropped sails and reversed back in to our berth to end an extremely exhilarating weekend.

What a great weekend weather wise. It was hotter than Spain and everyone came back with a sun tan. We departed Gosport quite late on Friday evening for a night sail along the Solent. As we turned downwind it was obvious that the wind was stronger than expected and the boat charged forward. We briefly turned in to the wind to adjust the sails and the noise of the wind was deafening. With the benefit of the big spring tide as well, it wasn’t long before we were approaching Lymington and we entered on a very low tide. In the harbour it was very peaceful and with the time now well after midnight, we quietly picked up a mooring buoy and settled down for the night. Next morning we inflated the dinghy for a trip ashore. Unfortunately the new outboard didn’t want to play ball and it spluttered to a stop leaving us to row the short distance to the Town Quay. Shopping done, we re boarded the yacht and set off for our sail west. It was sunny but still quite breezy and with goose winged sails we made good progress. As usual, St Albans ledge provided some lively entertainment for 5 minutes as the boat crashed through the waves and then we rounded the corner to Chapman’s Pool. A combination of swell, wind and shifted sands on the bottom meant that it was difficult to find a good anchorage spot. So reluctantly we departed and continued west to eat lunch on the move. This meant that we arrived at Weymouth a little earlier and some of the crew were able to visit the shops while we waited at the lifting bridge for the 6 o’clock lift. Once through we made our way to the visitors section of the marina and reversed in to a nice corner spot. The evening was spent at an excellent restaurant where the crew chatted as though they had known each other for years. Some people opted for a stroll along the prom before retiring. Next morning the skipper cooked breakfast on board and after a quick clean up we departed in time for the 10 o’clock bridge. We all had digital cameras and were snapping so many photos, we must have looked like a bunch of tourists. With little wind and a flat sea, we set out across Weymouth bay under engine. Astern we admired the Portland rescue helicopter hovering over a powerboat, until it suddenly accelerated forward and hovered just to port of our boat. A board saying 73 in large letters was held up at the open door and the skipper went down to use the radio on that channel. They wanted to practice a high-line transfer and the skipper took up a position to catch the line. The winch man came down next in his bright orange boiler suit and we hauled him on board. After a brief chat with the skipper, he was yanked out of the boat and headed up again exercise over. It was quite an experience. Excitement over, we made good progress East with the powerful engine crossing Poole bay in no time. There wasn’t much wind so we enjoyed the sunshine, the company and the food that kept on coming until we arrived back in Gosport in time for tea.

Guests arrived on Friday evening as usual. One person was understandably a little nervous as she hadn’t sailed much before and I guess she didn’t know what to expect. She had been in two minds whether to go or not, but on seeing the boat, she was inspired to give it a try. The crew for the second boat came down together and didn’t arrive until quite late. Some people went ashore to eat and others had spaghetti Bolognese cooked on board by one of the skippers. By the time everyone got to bed it was well after midnight. The alarm went at 5:30 the next day and we got the boat ready for sea. There was no sign of life on the other boat, but they had got back from the restaurant much later and we wondered if they would go somewhere less ambitious. We departed Portsmouth harbour with few other boats around, but the Easterly wind started pushing us along nicely as we rounded Gilkicker Point. After a few minutes, we got a call from the skipper of the other boat to say that they were up and ready to go and would try and catch us under engine. We therefore kept a leisurely pace going until near Newtown Creek where the other boat caught up. We had rigged the spinnaker at this point, which increased our speed considerably to match that of the other boat with its engine still on. Unfortunately as we turned to port at Hurst, the wind shifted and rather than getting our novice crew to gybe the spinnaker, we put it away and continued under white sails. Christchurch and Poole bays were a little choppy, but the wind was astern and we made good progress under goose-winged sails with the Genoa poled out. Ahead we saw a line of white water off St Albans ledge, the anticipation of which was quite exciting. We kept well inshore to miss the worst of it, but it was still quite a lively few minutes until the wind and tide spat us out the other side at up to 12 knots. By now it was nearly lunchtime, so we hugged the coast round the point and in to Chapman’s Pool where we anchored and let Lady Nadia come alongside. After a good lunch and a trip ashore for some of the crew in the dinghy, we set off again west. Our next stop was Lulworth Cove where we stopped for tea. It was crowded with other boats and trying to pick a spot to anchor was not easy so we didn’t stop too long before heading off again. As Weymouth neared, the approach was impressive with the lump of Portland off to our left and the sweeping Weymouth beach on the right. We entered the harbour mouth with just 15 minutes to go before the 18:00 bridge lift and motored on slowly through the centre of this picturesque town. At the bridge it was too crowded to moor up, so we held station in the middle of the harbour with increasing crowds of people looking on from the quay. At exactly 6, the bridge barriers came down, the pedestrians were told to clear the footway and the two roadways started to lift like a smaller version of Tower Bridge. As we were still the closest to the bridge, we got the green light to go through first and we followed the Marina rib towards our berth. The skippers turned both boats and moored alongside and stern-to allowing us easy access on to the pontoons. It was a warm evening and the town was heaving, particularly with hen- night parties. We all managed to find somewhere to eat, although not in the same restaurant. The boats and the marina were very peaceful and made for a good night’s sleep after such a long day. Thinking about it, we had sailed virtually all the way and the two stops had broken up the journey nicely.

Next morning the skipper prepared a full cooked breakfast and after a hurried clear up, we cast off to catch the 10:00 bridge. We passed through with many other boats, mostly heading back East. Lady Nadia stopped for fuel, so we took the opportunity to pay a brief visit to Portland Harbour where we saw the new Olympic sailing centre. A dinghy race was underway so we took a wide circle and exited via the East ship channel. We set course for St Albans ledge and in the distance we could see the other boat further inshore. The wind was still light and Easterly so we had to motor to make any reasonable progress. By this time the crew were far more confident and some were sitting up at the bow. It was then suggested that it would be funny if a wave got them wet, but the sea was flat calm. However we could see once again the rough water of St Albans ledge so we altered course 10 degrees to go through some of it. Even with light winds and a neap tide, the two opposing one another made for some steep seas, and the first wave stopped the boat dead in the water. Fortunately for them, the two girls had noticed the bow of another yacht further out, disappearing completely under the water as it crashed through the waves and they thought better of staying put. It was an ‘interesting’ few minutes until once again the tide pushed us through to the calmer water. We kept motoring across Poole bay and past the Needles and Allum bay. It was about 14:00 so the skipper gave us the choice of carrying on or diverting to Newtown for a late lunch. It was a no-contest and we waved goodbye to Lady Nadia as we turned to Starboard with dinner nearly cooked. The creek was crowded, but we found a nice spot to anchor and eat dinner on deck in the hot sunshine. First one then another, we nearly all ventured in to the sea for a swim after lunch. It was cool, but refreshing. Finally we raised anchor for the final leg of our journey back to Gosport, but our timing gave us a final treat as the QE2 steamed passed us on her way to New York.

Guests arrived on Friday evening after work and most people decided to eat ashore at the local pub before returning to the boat for the usual safety briefing and a demonstration of the various equipment on board. With the light evening, we lost track of time somewhat and didn’t set off until 11:50, motoring out in to a starlit and pleasantly still evening. The mainsail was raised, but there wasn’t enough wind to sail by and we continued to motor past the forts and on down the Eastern side of the Isle of Wight. As everyone’s adrenaline was flowing, nobody wanted to be the first off watch and so we retained a full compliment on deck until the Island had passed by and we could see only St Catherine’s light. and have dinner as we go watching the sunset. As night falls we will split in to a watch pattern to continue sailing through the night. Eventually some people started to go for a snooze and the skipper took a cat nap on deck leaving the more experienced crew to keep watch. With the dawn arriving, we were still only half way across, and we continued to motor until there was 20 miles left to go. The wind picked up a little and with sails just filling, we continued to make 5 knots towards France. This gentle sail was complimented by bacon rolls cooked by the skipper. As planned, we closed the French course after a great sail and we entered Cherbourg harbour around 10 just behind a giant Fastcat that we clocked at 36 knots on the radar. The marina looked busy, but there was actually plenty of room and we berthed near the end of Q pontoon next to a large Latvian racing yacht and a smaller British yacht that looked like it lived there permanently. Some of the crew disappeared to enjoy the delights of the town whilst others stayed on board for lunch, again cooked by the skipper. After little sleep that night, he caught up with some rest to wake just in time to see England loose on penalties AGAIN. Luckily we had retuned the TV to a French channel and it was rather refreshing to hear the commentary in another language. Later that evening, we all walked in to town, for a great meal in the Cafe de Paris overlooking the harbour. Three courses of great French food for 18 Euros can’t be bad. A pleasant stroll back to the boat was only interrupted by the cheering locals as their team beat Brazil. We enjoyed a circus show by the boat as they allowed one of their trapeze artists to put on a public display outside the big top, whilst suspended from underneath a Helium balloon tethered by two cables. Just when we thought she had finished, they had the idea of towing her around the marina from two ribs which was quite surreal. Despite the car horn celebrations, we all retired for a restful night’s sleep in the marina, one brave sole escaping from the heat by sleeping on deck.

Even after a reasonably early night, when the alarm goes at 4:30 the temptation is to ignore it, but by 5:21 we had a full crew on deck for the departure. Once again we motored out into a completely still morning with a glassy calm sea and a little fog. Visibility was about 200m, but the radar gave us confidence that there was nothing about and we set course of 360º for the Needles. After about 3 hours, the crew started realising that they hadn’t had much breakfast and the skipper went below to prepare a full cooked breakfast whilst keeping an eye on the radar at chart table plotter. Most of us ate together on deck whilst mid Channel and still as calm as a mil pond – quite surreal. As we settled in to the journey home, we were joined on deck by a homing pigeon that appeared to be escaping from two seagulls. It was clearly very tired as it sat on the coachroof appearing to sleep for at least ½ an hour before flying off to the East. This was quite a coincidence as apparently a bird had used the boat as a resting place in almost exactly the same place during an early trip. After this the wind picked up and we tried playing with the sails, but each time we put them up the wind dropped again. Finally the Island came in to view and the wind steadying from the Southeast, we were able to get the spinnaker flying. This made for a lively hour as we stormed along at up to 8½ knots – very exciting. We rounded the Needles lighthouse almost within spitting distance and anchored in Alum Bay around 14:15 to enjoy the shepherds pie we had put in the oven earlier. It was quite hot on Sunday afternoon and there were lots of boats anchored, but a member of our crew was the only one brave enough to go for a swim around the boat. We reluctantly brought the anchor up around 15:30 to head home. That extra hour meant that the tide had turned against us, but the engine 7½ knots and we enjoyed the sites of the Solent. Eventually we returned to Gosport at 18:30 after a long day and a very rewarding weekend.

Our team of 12 Joined the boats on Thursday 1st June in the evening  and after settling in and having a safety brief, they took a meal ashore at the Castle Tavern. On Friday we departed for a day’s race training . Our aim was to allocate jobs/positions so that we could make the best of the yacht and give everyone including newcomers confidence in what they were doing.

We returned to Portsmouth in the late afternoon in time to watch the restart of the Volvo Ocean Race on the round Britain & Ireland leg. The spectacular fleet of 70′ race yachts was quite a sight as they got going especially with a chase fleet of several hundred spectator craft churning the water behind them. They disappeared more slowly than they would have liked as the wind dropped off.

We stayed overnight in Portsmouth and after a 4 o’clock start, headed out for the Round the Island race start line off Cowes. Tactics were discussed on the way in the light of the very light weather conditions expected. The race started at 7:10 am.

As we circumnavigated the Isle of Wight under sail, the boat’s speed and collision avoidance were our priorities with 1586 other boats on the water. The most congested point at the Needles lived up to expectations, with one yacht a few yards away hitting the wreck of the Varvassi with quite a thump. The normal prevailing winds never arrived but a sea breeze kept us going under spinnaker for 3/4 of the way around. As last year the light wind and clear sky meant that after 13 hours in the sunshine we were a little pink. But there was a tremendous sense of satisfaction as we completed the race and collected another competitor’s tankard for the yacht.

 We spent the night in East Cowes and in the evening walked in to Cowes to enjoy the post race atmosphere and night life. A leisurely start on Sunday saw us cruise back to Portsmouth, stopping again in Cowes Yacht Haven for some shopping, before we enjoyed a last meal together in Gosport.