Gosport weekend Sept 2024
Saturday 7th Sept 2024 Club cruise / race Littlehampton to Gosport. I was all set to make this trip single handed in Bay Leaf but David appeared just as I was getting ready and offered to come with me. The race course was from Boulder / Street in the Looe to the Main Passage outside Portsmouth with a dog-leg to Dean Elbow (green) and to Winner (south cardinal) to try and give us all points of sail in the NE breeze. Six boats from the club were setting off, plus one who had already gone 12 hours earlier. With HW Littlehampton at 1425 I knew the tide would be in our favour from 1330 so we got off the berth at 1200, hoisted the mainsail, and motored directly to the Looe making 7 knots over the ground. Bay Leaf's new engine is super-powerful and smooth, easily giving 5.5 knots through the water, with the tide behind us giving us 7 knots total. There was a little light rain on and off. David did most of the helming and I did most of the crewing - sail handling and fenders and stuff. We