Club Cruise to Swanage Carnival 26th - 27th July 2025
Published 14:14 on 11 Aug 2025
Six yachts signed up for this annual event. Stormy 2, Dulcibella, Arcsine, Rhapsody 2, Which Way and Rum Runner (Garry not Steve!). With a departure time planned for 08:00 some of us slept overnight on our moorings to avoid too early a rise at home. The day emerged with a light wind and a slight mist due to the warm front but all boats got away more or less on time.
The wind was the expected south westerly but proved quite variable initially involving some relaxed jibing to get the most out of the c.4/6 knots. As the morning progressed it became clear that some boats chose to reach out to the south to gain speed, anticipating a jibe to sail back into the coast, whilst others ran more or less downwind wind, the shorter distance. Being able to fly a spinnaker or asymmetric/cruising chute was a real benefit although some of us had to resort to motor sailing to make the stream at St Albans (a corruption of St Adhelms) Head.
Visibility was excellent, it was a lovely day and the tumble in the sea at St Albans Head was negligible. As the well spread out fleet rounded Durlston Head the wind remained steady at 8/9 knots as everyone headed north east toward Peverill Ledge buoy and Swanage Bay. The faster/earlier departure boats aware of the impending Red Arrows display had anchored off the Peverill Ledge Buoy but some of us, myself included were approaching the Ledge as the Red Arrows appeared. Time to drop sail. Unfortunately this also coincided with a downburst of strong wind and rain.
Speaking for myself on Dulcibella I discovered that avoiding Peverill Ledge, dropping sail in a gusting 16 knots and heavy rain and watching the Red Arrows all at the same time was challenging. However the display was outstanding and we had a birds eye view as the Red Arrows performed over the bay rather than the land. Show over we all motored into the bay to pick up our pre-booked at £15.00 a night Swanage Sailing Club moorings.
Lunch on board and a sort-out was in order before we all agreed to hang on to see the Global Stars Aerobatics Team display at 15.15. The three prop planes sounded fantastic and gave an excellent display of the capabilities of these planes. Show over we shared dinghies and went for a wander. Arcsine, Dulcibella and Rum runner crew made a beeline for The Ship Inn followed by excellent fish & chips at The Fish Plaice where we met up with Stormy 2. Further wanderings took us along to the Carnival site where Stormy 2s daughter had set up shop, and Which Way joined us, at the Cocktail Bar; gaudy location it might be but the cocktails were great.
Later, back on board our respective boats, we all waited for the fireworks and they proved splendid, especially seen from the water. And so to bed, at least until 04:30. I woke with a steady thumping on the hull, had my mooring line parted? I went on deck and discovered that Dulcibella was fore-reaching broadside to the wind and overriding the mooring buoy. I could do nothing, there must be a current running in the bay creating this effect. And I was not the only one; I noticed three other boats with crew on deck trying to resolve the issue. It was over an hour or so before Dulcibella began to swing head to wind and lie to the buoy.
Sunday morning and most of us departed around midday to make the stream at St Albans Head. Stormy 2 left around 05:00 to deposit her crew back in Weymouth making the run in around three hours. The rest of us had to face a head wind from Durlston to Weymouth apart from Rhapsody 2, they went east into the Solent. Those boats that made for Weymouth and could point high managed a good sail after rounding St Albans head by tacking out and then back into Weymouth Bay. All arrived safely back in Weymouth. A great weekend at the carnival and to be recommended for next year. A big thank you to Ray Capp for again organising despite being unable to join us.
Last updated 14:16 on 11 August 2025