Bunfight at the Fastnet Coral
The small piece of water between Cape Clear and the Rock got pretty crowded this morning as more and more boats joined the parking lot. Somehow we didn’t get out of it too badly – but at the last minute who should appear but Vitesse who rounded alongside Rapscallion just inside us. Poor old Persephone who has not put a foot wrong thus far got just the wrong side of the breeze line and is now 3 miles astern!
The 6 mile leg to Pantaneus buoy was dead downwind , against the tide, and in 4 knots of wind. If I said this was nerve wracking my guess is that any non sailor would think I was potty. I mean , could it be more gentle. But after no sleep in the night as we tried to keep the old bus going in the light stuff, working out best gybing angles , VMG’s , tidal vectors etc was fairly hardcore , especially as the first boat round would scoot off with the tide under her. Rapscallion sailed a blinder , but we were fairly close even if we were held out by another 2 hander having difficulty with their gybes.
So now we are fetching homewards in 10 knots of breeze with rather fewer passing opportunities than on the way out. Our immediate priorities are work out the tidal vectors , check the gribs and then take it in turns to catch up on the Z’s.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Love the blogs guys! totally addicted. Morning cuppa has migrated down to the computer room as we check all your tracks, then catch up on the night’s events. Tracking page then permanently on in the office with staff being driven potty as variously Rosemary or myself periodically utter OOOh’s ad AAAh’s. Jon seems to be doing well, pity about Nick and the least said about poor Nigel the better. Brian still plugging away and Peter D certainly giving you a run for your money. Presume waistlines are expanding nicely. Want to hear all about the vectors and gribs over a slimline lemon juice or three when you reach terra firma. Go FL go!!!!