Solent - Saturday 28 June 2008

[lucky ribster]

i hope to be out on saturday

does anyone plan to go out ?

andy

[John Kennett]

I'll be in Chichester Harbour on the Billy no mates SIB picnic if you want to some and say hello!

John

[Nasher]

Saturday is out for us this week I'm afraid, both the smaller Nashers have Cricket Matches for School.

We may however take their SIB up Fareham Creek on Sunday.

Nasher.

[Pete7]

Might be quite busy in the Solent first thing and later in the afternoon

http://www.roundtheisland.org.uk/web...home&page=home

[Neil Harvey]

I'm fancying a jaunt out. Since my new backrests are not yet finished, I don't have to run round like crazy to get the ply boards made and off to an upholsterers!

[nigelt]

I'll be out. Watch a bit of the RTI and heading to the Folly for lunch.

Nigel

[Neil Harvey]

good plan. Definitely out at some point, depending on how early I can drag myself out!

[Neil Harvey]

Andy, I think you made a good call bailing today.
My boat was already in the water when we spoke, and Gareth talked me into going out anyway. It was blowing a hooley, reasonably calm down Southampton Water on the way out, rough heading west in the solent, so I turned round and went east, into the path of the homecoming round the island yachts. What a sight!

It was no rougher than conditions I've been in before, but I took loads of air today coming into the wind! I even nearly flipped it off of one wave that came from nowhere A gust of wind coincided with the takeoff just at the wrong moment! And I was being so careful - only doing 17 kn or so. Me thinks I need a bit of bow ballast.

[lucky ribster]

i wanted to go today but with the wind like that i thought its not worth it

i went back down stokes bay at 16.30 and theres a yacht up on the beach with lots
of damage.
i see out of the 1750 boats that took part in the race only 1526 past the finish line.

andy

[Neil Harvey]

Originally Posted by lucky ribster

i wanted to go today but with the wind like that i thought its not worth it

i went back down stokes bay at 16.30 and theres a yacht up on the beach with lots
of damage.
i see out of the 1750 boats that took part in the race only 1526 past the finish line.

andy

lets just say I have never heard the coastguards so busy on Ch 16

[LURCHER]

We were out around Bembridge ledge at about 0930 1000 and headed towards At |Catherines in a fairly lumpy sea and about F5 SW . At one point there were 4 Maydays and a Pan Pan going on ! We reckoned it would take us 45 min to get to the nearest one so we stood by as Bembridge all weather life boat launched and was heading towards St Cat . Best speed we could do was 18 kn in big seas .
This taken from RTI website .
4 boats were dismasted;
5 boats were damaged and needed a tow;
1 boat sank;
1 boat upturned / capsized;
11 Man Overboards
5 injuries including one person lifted off by helicopter to Southampton General with a head injury - we understand this person is now out of danger;
5 boats grounded

Busy day alright

[BassBoy]

Maybe not so bad if you consider that about 1850 boats entered, with probably average crew size of 5 or 6 (over 11,000 people on the race track!)
Given the conditions and the fact that every man and his dog enters this one (sometimes the dog is the most experienced body on board!) it's amazing that it wasn't worse.

I felt that Solent Coastguards industrial action over this (potentially scary) weekend made the point admirably. Very unnerving to find them so 'distant'.

Chased Leopard over the finish line (less than 4 hours). AMAZING boat.

[BassBoy]

For those few yachties amongst us, a few stats given to me by a friend on board.

Mainsail circa £250K
Spinaker circa £150K
Spinaker area 1000m2

It takes 8 crew to get a spinaker on deck!
The record speed for packing the spinaker is 20 minutes (12 crew packing)!

It's a different planet!