The fast (?) cruise to Beaulieu

I mentioned that I was going to charter a boat for the Beaulieu fast cruise; my very first charter.

I picked the boat up from Hamble Point on Friday afternoon in the pouring rain and gradually the rest of the crew arrived.  This included the course designer/ fast cruise handicapper and so there was no danger of us getting lost. Of course we couldn't go to Hamble Point without a visit to the "Ketch Rigger" where we found the crew of Pagan, Roger and Katie Exwood and John Clarkson.  After a meal and a few beers we retired back on board Viola (I didn't think of the name) where we were joined by John and made very short work of a bottle of Scotch.

Saturday morning we struggled out of our berths, all looking the worse for wear, ready to slip lines at 9am to have a bit of a practice with the boat before the start.  The wind was rather disappointing coming from anywhere between NW and NE at 5 to 7 knots.  At least the rain had stopped.  As we drew near to the start (which had been moved from its usual position near the forts to Hill Head) we recognised other LSC boats. Day at the Races was easy to see, being bright red, and we also saw Ronhilda, Arvika and others approaching the starting area.

Ronhilda made a flying start from the favoured port end of the line but I think we were the second boat across.  Unfortunately our boat did not have a spinnaker and so, on the reach to the first mark, we saw all the boats pass us one by one, all with coloured sails set.  The excitement, though, really began at the first mark, Browndown.  By this time the tide was flowing quite stongly and about a cable from the mark the wind headed us. I realised we were in danger of being swept the wrong side of the mark and put in a quick tack but those with spinnakers set couldn't react as quickly and some missed the mark and had to work their way back against the tide.

Having gained a few places at the mark we soon lost them again on the next free leg of the course but managed to keep in touch with the pack.

It soon became obvious that the slower boats (us!!) were not going to complete the course before dark but having the course designer on board it was not difficult to persuade him that it was time to shorten course.

This meant that, in effect, the last leg of the course ran from Peel Bank, leaving Norris to Starboard, and onto Lepe Spit.  Norris was now a passing mark not a rounding mark and a quick look at "Winning Tides" confirmed that the tide was turning in Osborne Bay whilst still foul in the main channel.  As the wind was very light anyway we would not lose too much by going right inshore to pick up the favourable tide. I now realise that there is a ruined castle on Castle Point(!) We sailed over the Shrape Mud and across the mouth of the Medina.  By doing this we certainly gained on the fleet and even overtook some of the boats still in the foul tide

By this manoeuvre we managed to achieve a creditable 4th on corrected time. (In the final results, published on the 28 Jan, we were knocked down to 5th, by 2 seconds, by Arvika) Overall honours went to Pagan.

Once we had finished and entered the Beaulieu River the doctor on board prescribed some medicine to warm us all up - coffee with a good tot of rum.  The whisky had been finished the previous evening.  At Buckler's Hard we found that we had been given the most difficult berth to access, on the main walkway between two pontoons with finger berths.  Once moored we each had a glass of mulled wine which had been warming during the motor up river.  This was followed by a quick shower and then off to the "Pontoon Party" in the Master Builder.  Can anybody spot the theme?  Then followed dinner at the Royal Oak Inn.

Of course we had the boat for the whole weekend and were planning to do some more sailing on the Sunday. After a traditional English breakfast to alleviate the hangovers we motored back down the Beaulieu only to find millpond conditions and not a breath of wind on the sea.  After a long discussion it was decided to go to the Folly for lunch but our luck was out again.  There was an enormous gin palace occupying about two thirds of the pontoon and nowhere to go, short of rafting to it.  We would have needed scaling ladders to reach the pontoon! We had to be content with mooring to a pontoon on the other side of the river, in sight of the Folly, and have a picnic in the cockpit.  At least the sun shone.  All in all it was a very enjoyable weekend, even if the wind was too light.  Now...what to do about the February fast cruise?