Thursday, 10 July 2008
Stormbound in the Channel
Ever wondered how an easy delivery from the Solent to Cork for Cork Week ends up becoming an Epic? Try the mix of Britain's unseasonal and very inclement weather, huge seas and torrential rain, and you have a recipe for grumpy skippers, miserable crew and very wet yachts!!
The delivery to Cork had always been in Sailing Logic's diary as a relaxing sojourn going westward along the English South Coast, stopping off in Falmouth for a nights rest, a Cornish pasty and some local Ale, and then a nice little hop across the Irish Sea to the welcoming Royal Cork Yacht Club with a cold pint of Guinness to finish....ahem....what we have got is not quite what was planned.
Puma Logic set off for Cork on Tuesday but decided to wait at Yarmouth just before the Needles to let the tide turn, hopefully wind abate and most of all, try to see if the torrential rain would stop...no luck there then! Tales of dismastings, crew mutinies and general horrible conditions came flooding in from those colleagues of ours already on their way so Yarmouth then became Weymouth, and the tales still continued. Not for the fainthearted this trip!
Plymouth will most probably be tonight's destination, and then on to Falmouth and then hopefully Cork. The rain seems to have stopped for today but the winds are still higher than forecast with big, lumpy seas and lots of swell. Puma is expected in Cork on Saturday afternoon all being well. If you see a couple of weary looking souls, in black jackets at the Royal Cork Yacht Club bar on Saturday afternoon, please buy them a drink, they will have deserved it!
posted by Sailing Logic at 4:11 PM
