Today's programme for the Ireland cruise was a mini Fastnet timed passage, from the Baltimore harbour entrance out round the Fastnet rock and back to Sherkin Island.

On Fioreun we set out just before 11 a.m. and got ahead of the hole in the wind which afflicted several boats starting only a few minutes later.  After some ghosting along in light airs, we found better winds as we passed Cape Clear Island, where we were overtaken by Tony Cotton in his 10 metre catamaran Bedazzled, with Patrick Dollard and Karen Birlesen.  After much discussion among Fioreun's crew about cats, light airs and sailing to windward, we had to concede that Bedazzled is a seriously fast boat, and went back to concentrating on our speed.  

In a fit of enthusiasm, the skipper (yours truly) got the spinnaker ready on the foredeck for a slick hoist as we rounded the rock, but I failed to tie it on properly and a wave dislodged the weak fixing of the bag sending it over the side.  The result was a long trail in the water of the spinnaker, followed by the snuffer sock which extended out behind, and the bag floating free further back still.  Sterling work by the crew (Julia Wilkinson, David Barrett, Patrick Smith plus visiting crew from Lazy Life Silke Zimmermann, Michael Hodges and Francis Goodwin) got the sail and snuffer back on board (muscle power and waves up the trouser legs on the foredeck), followed by a classic man overboard drill to pick up the bag - we got it on the second attempt, under sail).

Sailing on we rounded the rock, a first for everyone on board, and a most impressive sight it is too.  We all commented that it looked fierce enough in a force 3-4, albeit wet and misty, and wondered what it'd be like in a gale.

The rain by now was properly Irish, so at the end of the set course off the south end of Cape Clear Island we made best speed back to Sherkin Island for warm drinks, drying out, and a drinks party this evening on board Lazy Life.  (We hear there's a drought in the south of England - there isn't here !)

A Day at the Races (Barrie Martin, Julie Coleclough, Leslie Burgess and Nicola de Quincey) and Roshanak (Julian and Diana Hansen) also kept going in the timed passage, so we await the results after Barrie and Julie have applied their handicapping to see who won.  Watch this space.

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