After two weeks of sub zero temperatures and snow the thaw arrived just in time for the December Fast Cruise which was held in a balmy 4 to 5°C and light W to NW winds of 8 to 10 knots. 10 yachts and 50 club members enjoyed the heat wave over the weekend. Although Juno is out of the water at the moment the regular crew were not to be denied and eight of us grouped together to charter an enormous Arcona 460. We could have the boat for three days and so three of us arrived at Hamble Point at 1000 on Friday for a short sail. The plan was to sail to Cowes, have some lunch and return to Hamble Point to await the remainder of the crew.

We motored out of the Hamble and then discovered our first weather-related problem. The mainsheet which runs around a block on the traveller and then forward along the boom to the mast and then down to each side deck where it runs under the side deck back to winches either side of the cockpit. The channels where it ran under the deck were frozen solid and the mainsheet could not be moved. We therefore tried to unfurl the genoa but the furling gear ran underneath the deck and we had the same problem and so we motored all the way to Cowes. Here we found the Union was closed for refurbishment and so we ate (and drank) in the Pier View. On returning to the boat we found that the mild climate of the IOW had thawed the mainsheet and genoa furler so we were able to sail back to Hamble and were impressed that she would do over 7 knots in about 8 or 9 knots of wind.

On Saturday morning we were woken by the sound of an engine and looked out to see John Clarkson manoeuvering Pagan out of her berth. We showered and dressed, had some coffee and then left our berth to head for the start line. On approaching the forts we could see all the usual Fast Cruisers merging on the start line.

The first leg to Warner was a fairly close reach but after Warner back towards N Sturbridge we had a beat against the tide which was still going east. All boats tacked in towards the IOW shore to stay out of the tide. Day at the Races went a long way inshore. Our skipper, Mark Blunden, started to worry about his deposit and insisted we tacked out much too early. The boat had a very nice set of sails and pointed very high and, although I thought we had tacked too soon, we were pulling ahead of the fleet.

After N Sturbridge the course took us to Peel Bank before turning downwind to Mother Bank. By this time the tide should have turned to the west but it was obvious from the buoys that there was still a small amount of east-going tide. This downwind leg was our slowest as we did not have a spinnaker but we were soon around Mother Bank and SE Ryde  Middle and NE Ryde Middle. As we were rounding the latter buoy Don Shackley phoned to say, as the wind was dropping, he was planning to shorten the course and go directly from Mother Bank to the finish line. We advised him that we had already gone round the two buoys after Mother Bank! Inevitably the course was shortened and everyone headed up the Medina in the gathering gloom to the Folly pontoon. Unfortunately one boat did not hear the text message of the shortened course and arrived long after dark and the crew very cold.

However we had a noisy pontoon party on our chartered yacht with mince pies, mulled wine and Slade et al on the iPod before retiring to the Folly in Fancy Dress. The gallery tells the rest of the story!

Gallery