We left our WSC mooring on the 14th June bound for Roscoff.We experienced beautiful sunny weather and a great sunset in the Channel but very little wind. Meteo France was predicting La Brume which translates as light mist off the French coast.However the predicted light mist turned out to be dense fog with less than 50m visibility. We almost docked in the ferry terminal before we saw it!
After a foggy couple of nights in Roscoff we departed with the tide bound for L,'Aberwrach. Our normal route is via Channel de I'le de Batz. This passage is very tight as the chart indicates. I thought La Brume had lifted but once we got into the channel it descended and we had virtually zero visibility. Fortunately it was high tide and we successfully sailed blind with the use of our chart plotters although it was still a nerve wracking experience. As we approached L'Aberwrach the visibility finally cleared and we were actually able to see the coast line and the rocky approach to the estuary. From L'Aberwrach we sailed on to Camaret sur Mer without incident.
After a few nights in delightful Camaret we set sail for Lorient. The weather was fine with a good following wind. After negotiating the Raz du Seine we flew the spinnaker right across the Baie d'Audierne. After a successful gybe we approached Point de Penmarch the wind started to gust over 20knts and the sea began to build. We quickly dropped the spinnaker and goose winged all the way to Lorient with and uncomfortable following sea. After 14 hours at sea we were please to enter the marina in Port Kervenal,Lorient. However just as we were about to moor up the engine warning signal sounded. Initially I though it was an oil pressure warning. However when we finally managed to get a mechanic to inspect the engine it turned out to be a problem with our heat exchanger which entailed a lengthy say in Lorient and an expensive bill. Fortunately Lorient is a great place to visit with plenty of state of the art ocean racing yachts including the IRC maxi Teasing Machine (known for its offshore racing success, one to watch in the Fastnet) and classics to admire.
While we were moored up in Kerneval marina in Lorient I noticed a black kevlar racing mainsail being hoisted on our pontoon with the intriguing sail number AUS 888. You don't get too many visiting racing yachts from Australia in Lorient and so I went to investigate.
I met Jen, a delightful lady from Australia who had just taken delivery of a brand new JPK 10.30 which was built in the local JPK yard in Lorient. We got chatting and she explained she had sold her boat in Australia and and come to France to pick up her new boat and was intending to race in the Fasnet dual handed. As a Sydney Hobart race competitor it was clear to me she was a serious contender!
We discussed the Fastnet race and she was interested in the tides around Portland Bill. I was able to share with her Peter Bruce's Tidal Streams book with which many members will be familiar. She photographed the book and loaded it onto her race computer as the picture illustrates. Just like at home, boat computer screens are getting larger!
Jen showed Rima and I around her boat. There was little by way of creature comforts. She explained that she slept (when possible) while racing on a beanbag. The galley consisted of a rapid boil sealed two mug capacity cannister attached to a gas bottle. This device can boil water in 60 seconds or rehydrate powdered meals which were to be the only food on board while racing. While there was a fridge it could not be switched on while racing as it drained the batteries. No wine rack nor even a table!
We wished Jen good luck with the Fastnet and with her first race which was the RORC La Trinite to Cowes double handed. This 350mile race started last Sunday (2nd July) with 60 dual handed yachts on the startline! We have followed Jen and her boat Min River online (YB races) and she is currently mid channel lying in fourth position in a highly comparative fleet. A fantastic effort for someone with a new boat sailing in Europe for the first time.
Saskia's engine is now fixed (4th July) and we set sail for Ile d'Yeu tomorrow.
Submitted on 4th July 2023