Have you been out today?

[Dennis]

Out with crew today, Roger, friend and neighbour.

Forecast not too bad should stay dry until about 18.00 with winds generally light E-SE.

Set off at about 11.30, almost clear sky, warm sunshine, wind about F1 easterly.

Gentle sail to the far end of the lake (Bakethin) running, goosewinged most of the way.
Pick up a mooring buoy @ 13.00.
Lunch in cockpit (beer, sandwiches), nowhere better to be on a day like this.
Set off again @ 13.50 and beat ESE back down lake.
Wind now about F2 ESE, boat sailing well and tacking through (a true) 90 degrees. Full mainsail plus staysail being used.

Tie up to the jetty alongside a Drascombe Drifter at Leaplish @ 15.00 and go ashore for a comfort break (the problem with drinking beer with lunch!).

Cast off again at 15.20 and continue to beat eastwards. Enter The Belling (inlet) and pick up another mooring buoy at 16.10.

Make brew of coffee. weather still fine with intermitent sunshine.

Finally cast off @ 16.45. Wind now a steady F3 easterly.

A good reach due south across lake at 5kts (full mainsail, staysail and genoa) before entering Whickhope (inlet) and heading west for the yacht club.

12.7 Nm, max speed 5.6 kts and moving average 3.0 kts.

[Ru88ell]

Launched on the slip at Mylor this morning and sailed to Falmouth Marina singlehanded in 20kts. One reef and staysail only. We flew!

[Michiel]

Went out this afternoon, in a stiff (sea) breeze.
Probably similar conditions as in Russell's last posting.
I prefer to have double reef in main, stay and yankee, as to single reef with stay.
Personally, I find this a more relaxed sail-plan.

What is the general concenses on reducing sail.
I prefer:
1. full sail
2. 1st reef, stay and yankee (my genoa is ripped!)
3. 2nd reef, stay and yankee
4. 2nd reef with stay
5. time to go home!;)

Another reason for preferring this plan here is that in the Med. the conditions can change very quickly.
What, one minute is a stiff sea breeze can within minutes change to something challenging.
This way, the reef is already in, and rolling up the yankee is done within seconds.

Especially, as most of the time I am sailing single-handed.



Michiel

[Ru88ell]

Sailed from Falmouth Marina to St Mawes for a day of lying in the sun. A beautiful day, but the wind varied from nothing to F3. I kept track of the Olympic sailing medals via Twitter.

The engine packed in just as we were coming back; diagnosed as the spark plug being only finger tight. It worked again as soon as I'd had a spanner on it.

Back in Falmouth Marina tonight. Meeting Richard, owner of Nettie #50 tomorrow.

[James Badcock]

Having watched Olympics for a few days, sailed back from Weymouth to Chichester harbour. Incredible downwind sailing in force 5/6, stop in Yarmouth overnight. Big seas but boat coped perfectly, despite worrying clonking from centre plate ( see other post). One reef and both foresails.

[seasickwhale]

Hi all,

every holiday comes to an end. So now I am back to tell the tale.

We just spent three weeks in Morbihan (south Brittany) and had all the weather there is on offer. We sail the “Baie de Quiberon” (see attached kmz-file - unzip first)

Week 1 – RAINY AND COOL – Double reefed, no Genoa, waves 1,5 m, 4-5 Bft all week, occasionally 6 gusting 7. the first couple of days no sailing at all with the sea being too rough. Oilskins were mandatory; leaving port with the westerly on the nose got you drenched before you could even think about setting sail. Nonetheless we got a few nice trips in, going 5-6 knots with hardly any cloth at all. Visited the island of Houat for a quick beer.

Week 2 – RAIN AND SUNSHINE, WARMER– calmer weather, but still slight to moderate and 3-5 Bft. Best sailing weather with one reef, staysail and Genny. Had a wonderful sail to the little island of Hoedic with family. The trip wasn’t really planned, but on the spur of the moment we started out at 3 p.m. to an island 13 miles away. After averaging over 5 knots on a beam reach getting there, we got (over)-ambitious and allowed ourselves time for a meal that lasted – French style – for a couple of hours. As it turned out (bad) luck would have it that the wind veered, so we couldn’t make our waypoints close hauled, Our average dropped below 4 kts and light faded quickly. With no electrics on board we hoisted our LED-cabin-lantern as an all-round-white and finally made port just before midnight, having sailed just under 27 miles.

Week 3 – SUNNY AND HOT - but no wind, so “Herr Nilsson” had to be converted to bathing platform, mostly anchored and a lot of motoring. But motoring to the pub isn’t all bad.

All in all we got about 100 miles of sailing done (family isn’t quite as keen as me and my friend Thomas) which now puts “Herr Nilsson” at 1300 miles in 8 seasons. Sadly business and our distance from the sea will probably not allow for more sailing this year. I am thus already looking forward to next years “Semaine du Golfe du Morbihan” seehttp://www.semainedugolfe.com – hope to meet many of you there.

[Dennis]

What is the general concenses on reducing sail.
I prefer:
1. full sail
2. 1st reef, stay and yankee (my genoa is ripped!)
3. 2nd reef, stay and yankee
4. 2nd reef with stay
5. time to go home!;)

My usual sequence is:

1. Full mainsail + staysail + yankee (hardly ever use genoa)
2. Full mainsail + staysail
3. 1st reef + staysail + yankee
4. 1st reef + staysail
5. 2nd reef + staysail
6. 2nd reef only.

PS. A thought, maybe this should be in a different thread (Simon/Russell what do you think?)

[Michiel]

Hi Dennis,

Realised this myself after having posted it.
Did re-post it again in proper place.

[Ru88ell]

PS. A thought, maybe this should be in a different thread (Simon/Russell what do you think?)

Ideally, yes. Please try to keep this one just about where you sailed on that day.

[Ru88ell]

I've been out for the third day run running. Left Falmouth and sailed past the King Harry Ferry to Smugglers Cottage. We stopped at Channals Creek for lunch on the way. It was cloudy at first, but the sun came back later. Wind gusting up to 18kts.