Apologies

Skipper has been quite busy with work, but that doesn't mean I've not been out.  Far from it.

I think I've been out more often but only for short trips this year than any other and this weekend was a typical example.

It happens to be the Fastnet race, 388 yachts competing in one of the most gruelling races and my crew know, between them, they've done five.  Luckily for me, they don't intend to put me through the same experience, however, having said that a few weeks ago I had a constant 20kts over my bows in the Solents short sharp chop.

With two reefs in and a partially rolled jib, we punched our way up the Western Solent.  Completely against the game plan, which was to head to Shanklin and anchor off the beach there.  The wind doesn't seem to conform with what the forecasters suggest and so they changed their minds.  They changed their minds again and turned me around and headed home.

They're not wrong when they say "If you can sail in the Solent, you can sail anywhere", with double tides, wind anomalies being effected by the island plus sea breezes you have to have your wits about you. Add to that all the 'let's go sailing' types that don't have full or some knowledge of the COLREGS and those that are 'Racing' and believe the regs don't apply.

So this weekend saw the start of the Fastnet race and my crew took me off to Totland to get a reasonable spot to watch the fleet go by.  Now skip clearly has not been off the boil and had trimmed the sails such that I could sail a straight line myself.  The new Jib is proving its worth and brings with it plenty of power, something I relish at my bow.  If the sea breeze hadn't brought with it a change in the underlying wind direction, I think we would've sailed almost all the wat without tacking.

Friday night was very peaceful.

And so Saturday with Skipper keeping an eye on three yachts in the race, an easy and pleasant day was had and Totland Bay filled up.

Now I know Skipper keeps an eye on tides, but we left our anchorage fairly early on Sunday morning 0930 and within minutes he had me up to 12.2kts SOG passing Hurst. In exactly two hours I was in the Medina.  Skip has obviously enhanced his understanding of what he can do with the new Jib and I was showing everyone my speed.

He's sorted out the new J3 to be used in both light and heavy airs.  Twinned with the Code 0 in light airs we shall have a lot of fun the idea is to cross Lyme Bay in about half the time it usually takes when under engine as the wind drops.  Likewise, when the wind is in the mid 20kts then the Jib can remain furled and the J3 can deliver the power needed for me to cut through the waves.

Every outing and I'm being sailed better, bring on the new sail.