60 knots in the marina!

Published 13:51 on 28 Mar 2016

I was woken by the sound of the teapot hitting the cabin floor, and then heard the steady flogging of someoneÄôs foresail unravelling in the howling wind Äì 0200, and the forecast storm was upon us, with gusts abruptly heeling the boat as if we were at sea. I spent a moment or two listening to ÄôAliyaÄôsÄô rig to make sure all was well, and then peeped out of the hatch into the driving rain at what would soon be an ex-genoa on a boat opposite.Fortunately (and heroically) Nicolas from the port team had been alerted and came down to sort it out by unfurling it completely and then pulling it down. Hardly had he got home again, however, when there was another call, this time about two boats on the residentsÄô pontoons whose masts were locked together - after which he just stayed at the capitainerie until daylight in case there were any more! It is good to know weÄôre in such caring hands here..A warm sunny afternoon on Friday meant, by contrast, that Thierry and I could take his Grand Surprise ÄôSuperfluxÄô out for a gentle first sail since launching on Thursday morning; we tried to sail down the outside of the breakwater, but the current meant that we made no progress in the light N airs and so we gybed and came back through the western entrance and drifted back towards the marina, passing ÄòNight and DayÄô on her way out for a spot of training. WeÄôre hoping to have our own training session with the full crew this week in readiness for the first of the ÄòChampionnat du Mardi SoirÄô next Tuesday, which will hopefully compensate a bit for a disappointing trip to La Trinit© for those wanting to take part in this yearÄôs Spi Ouest.Then when the weatherÄôs right, a trip to Weymouth for some racing there!I enclose a close-up of Napoleon's statue to show the detail made much clearer by the recent cleaning.Steve Fraser

Last updated 15:13 on 28 July 2025