Back in Portsmouth

Today looked ok but the weather for the next few days is predicted to be awful. We decide to seize the opportunity and come back across the Channel. We didn't see much of France except Cherbourg. However,we did have a great sail back. We left at 5 am and arrived here some ten and a half hours later, not bad for 75 nm. The wind was mostly on our beam and rarely dropped below 20 knots. It was cold and as usual we were kitted out in full wet weather gear and Lucinda also had a hot water bottle.

We'll be back but our plan is to go home for a few days and come down if the weather improves. We hope to set off for a few weeks once Alice's wedding is over and we have been to the Olympics.

Cherbourg, once again

> The forecast was up to force 6, as good as it has been for the last few days. We set off in the dark at 4 am heading west and then south through the Alderney race to Jersey. However, the nearer we got to the race the larger were the waves and the stronger the wind. It was decision time; press on and hope things would calm down once we were through the race or turn back downwind to Cherbourg once again? Well here we are again.

Back to Cherbourg

We couldn't take it any more and crawled back here yesterday (11th). The forecast was horrible, the reality worse. The Figaro single handed fleet are in harbour and there is meant to be a big celebration going on with music, tents and crowds. The few visitors are cold and bedraggled. We've done the washing and shopping. Do we stay here, head for Jersey where it will be just as wet and miserable with worse cooking, or take the ferry home. I'm meant to be enjoying my retirement. Lucinda has done her back and I've a stinking cold. It's the first time I've missed going to work - at least it's warm.

Alderney

We're moored to a buoy in the Harbour. We'll be snug as long as the ropes hold and the wind doesn't come from the north. The best restaurant has Alderney steak on the menu? How many cows can be on an island only 3 miles long by 1.5 wide?

Transatlantic embarkation hall

Imagine in the marina

Redoutable

Redoutable

Cherbourg

The weather has improved which gave us the opportunity to go into town. We visited La Cite De La Mer, the fabulous maritime museum. It's built around the magnificent old transatlantic terminal and focuses on underwater exploration. First we went through a decommissioned nuclear submarine, Le Redoutable. It's enormous and was part of the French nuclear deterrent. We then had a quirky interactive presentation where we we received training before taking part in some futuristic underwater exploration. A trip to the huge aquarium was next followed by a trip through the Titanic rooms. I'll post some photos separately as I can't load them with my iPad. We then strolled through the deserted town. If the forecast is OK we plan to leave tomorrow to Alderney.

Cherbourg

Yesterday, 6th July, we took the opportunity of a reasonable forecast to make the Channel crossing. Apart from the fully crewed trip back from Poland this is our first cross Channel voyage. To our relief it went well and we are now safe in the marina. We've been to Carrefour and have enough wine to sit out the miserable weather. It's cold, wet and horrible - what's new? We'll stay here tonight and then, depending on the weather, we may push off. On the other hand we're comfortable and warm - what's the harm in staying?

Yarmouth, Isle of Wight

We had to wait until about 11:30 until there was enough water in Newport for us to head downriver to Cowes. We stopped to have a chat with Ben at the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. We then crossed the river to pick up our trophy for winning our class in the Round the Island race. I then discovered the toilet pipe was blocked with mud from when we took the ground last night. Four dirty hours later and the pipe is now unblocked.

We've moored in Yarmouth and I now need to do some planning to see if we can leave for France tomorrow.

Newport Town, Isle of Wight

We finally got fed up sitting on the boat in Portsmouth. We were hoping to be on our way to France but it's been too miserable to think about a cross channel journey. Instead we took a trip across to Cowes and continued up the Medina river to Newtown. As you can see from the photos the tide goes out leaving us high and dry. One advantage of a catamaran is it can sit on the mud without falling over. This is our first attempt at drying out - a new experience. It does mean that we can't leave unti shortly before high tide which will be About lunchtime tomorrow.

Water gone

Water in river

Round the Island Race - 30th June

Luxcinda and I went back to Portsmouth and had a couple of days preparing the boat and also looking round the historic docks in Portsmouth.  Stuart, Iain and Linda joined us on Friday night which was also our 33rd Anniversary.

On Saturday we had a 5 a.m. start to get to the starting line at Cowes by 7 a.m. The race attracted 1647 entrants and it was a spectacular sight as we all raced down the Solent, out by the Needles, round the Isle of Wight and back to Cowes.  Throughout we had strong winds of between F5 and F7.

Our class of Bridgedeck catamarans was one of the early starters and we had the tide under us as we tacked West. As we reached the Needles the wind and seas picked up and boats crammed closely together. We then sailed South and then East round the bottom of the Isle with the wind behind us and the tide against. At this stage we were in the middle of the pack with hundreds of boats both ahead and behind. The wind slowly increased and the monohulls were rolling under their spinnakers with their siderails loaded with wet and miserable crew. We were sitting down enjoying our sandwiches with a cup of tea. As we turned West again around the bottom of the Isle we were averaging 8 to 9 knots on a close reach before enduring a final tack against the tide to cross the short, hectic finishing line.

Our total time for the race was 9h56m14s - and incredibly we won our class.  That was a considerable achievement for which we have been awarded a trophy. Thanks to Lucinda and all the crew. It was an amazing and exhausting day. Lucinda and I are now going home for a few days before setting off again. Finally I must confess that although we did win our class we were the only boat that completed the race so the award is more about perseverance and the seagoing properties of the boat than our speed and tactical prowess.

Try a boat - 22/23/24 June

We left our precious boat with Mark and Mark from Broadblue to demonstrate.  David was on board for Friday and the whole weekend was windy blowing F7 and F8. The test sails either proved how robust and seaworthy Imagine is, or put them off sailing for life.  Here are a few photos of Imagine taken over the weekend.