At last a window for going across the Channel and back appeared last week, so Thursday night found me aboard 'Aliya' at anchor off Greenhill in the usual way to avoid the 'curse of Condor'. The wind having been northerly for some days meant flat water and about the best night's sleep I've had at anchor there. A motor out to Chequers at dawn brought me into the wind, and I was then blown across in the sunshine by a chilly 20-knot nor' nor' easterly. The deceptively summery drone of the planes from Bournemouth to the Channel Islands and some warmth in the sun did not quite disguise that it was November...
Half-way across the wind had got up a bit, but the sea was still not too rough; I was down below engrossed in a biography of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, when CROSS Jobourg announced a 'new' weather bulletin, which always means bad news, and turning to channel 80 I heard the 'avis de grand frais' or strong wind warning for the Cotentin coast – force 7 'with gusts'. In the early afternoon I had the chance to enjoy the pleasures of sailing a long-keeled (and clean-hulled!) sea boat downwind in a blow, and only had one wave try to make it into the cockpit, but approaching the land I thought it wise to reef down a bit..
As the sun started to go down it got colder and windier; spray hissed across the deck as I hauled up a bit once I knew I had the flood under me, to stay a bit further offshore than usual in my approach to the Passe de l'Ouest; waves were beginning to break over the breakwater, but the entrance was fine, and the only obstacle proved to be the 'nuclear ship' coming up the Grande Rade, which I was waved away from by the Police Maritime boat in the dusk. Once in the marina, I was able to drift downwind and into the finger berth, using the engine only for a few seconds just to stop the boat. After mooring up, I listened to the wind whistling through the marina and was glad to have arrived.
I spent the night in the comfort of a real bed at Thierry and Anne's in Urville, and Saturday morning I was in town early to go to the market and do the rest of the shopping before going to the Ecole de Voile to meet old friend and met guru David Lanier, who was leading a training session prior to Regional Championships on Sunday. Thierry's son Adrien was taking part in his Optimist, and having spent some careful time in boat preparation (see photo), off he went with around forty youngsters from across the region to take part in training all day. The yard and slipway were a buzz of activity as rowing club crews came ashore while the sailing crews were launching - perhaps a glimpse of the future at WSC?
Thierry and David were able to discuss plans for 'Raging Bee's' participation in a double-handed transat next season, with David doing the routing for Thierry and Loulou. YCC are nothing if not ambitious, though given the season they've had it's not surprising! Over lunch on board 'Aliya' David told me about how things are going in Rio, and explained a few of the technicalities of the bay there, and brought me up to date with the French Olympic team's progress, leaving me with a detailed expert routing for the trip home!
Sunday was clearly the day to come back on the remainder of the north-easterly before it went back north, and an early departure meant I could profit from 15 knots of wind from the Passe de l'Est as far as a few miles off St Aldhelm's, with only one brief stop to let a Greek freighter pass quite close ahead (see photo); then it was a gentle motor-sail in with the ebb to push me up into the bay. A great weekend's sailing, and equally good to catch up with friends in Cherbourg – and Adrien came fifth overall, a really good result in a competitive fleet!
Big thanks to Kevin Sear, Steve Stokey, John Harvey and Mark Bugler for help lifting the boat to clean it last week, which made the sailing that much quicker!
Steve Fraser
Cruiser Class Captain
