I couldn't join the Brittany cruise as I've found a buyer for my house. Real buyers with money are as rare as hen's teeth so it seemed rash to tell them 'I'm going sailing so you'll just have to wait'. So I've ended up being a sort of Cruise Control (like Race Control but for a cruise) from deepest Worcestershire. Read on for latest update.

The first few days have seen the fleet very spread out, with first of all strong winds as found in the Round the Island Race, and then fog disrupting  and delaying the best laid plans. The first fixed point of the cruise is a dinner in Camaret on Thursday 30 June, which means going south through the Chenal du Four on Thursday morning latest. The plan was to gather in l'Aberwrac'h today, Tuesday, have a day's rest then sail early Thursday morning. As of this afternoon, Lazy Life was in Trebeurden, and the whereabouts of other boats was rather uncertain. But modern, not to say trendy, technology  came to the rescue with a tweet from Graham Broadway on Aeolus revealing that they'd left Lezardrieux at 0445 bound for l'Aberwrac'h. (See Graham's tweets here). Latest message from Aeolus reveals they left last and arrived first, so they're probably going to be insufferable for the rest of the cruise. A text mesage to skippers requesting progress reports and ETAs elicited a short and to the point message saying 'Willow at anchor in Morlaix roads - M', with the implied subtext from the smallest boat in the fleet (Willow is a Sadler 32) along the lines of 'What's all the fuss about?'.

Silver Tide was reported to be in Treguier and planning a passage to l'Aberwrac'h tomorrow. Mary Lunn is still maintaining strict radio silence, either hoping to surprise everyone else, or despising modern communications from the vantage point of her great age and heritage, (or perhaps because they haven't switched their phone on).

Unfortunately Roshanak has had to withdraw from the cruise, having been delayed by a problem with the boat which required a visit to the builders and put them back several days, and then the weather didn't allow a catch-up.

But it sounds as though true grit may still enable most of the crews to make the fine (or at least French) dining appointment in Camaret on Thursday - at least let's hope so.