Ancasta cruise

[Chamaerops]

We finally returned to the Solent this evening after staying on after the Ancasta cruise. We left St Peter Port at 16.05pm and arrived off Hamble Point at 20.05pm, 4 hours later. Little Russel was flat, the Alderney Race flat and the channel crossing flat. The only lumpy bits were in sight of the Needles before arriving in a totally smooth Solent.
The experience gained when cruising in company has led to both the knowledge and confidence to travel cross channel solo in a 29 footer. It is all about timing!

 

[Montemar]

When crossing the channel and assuming a slight sea what would be a typical cruising speed?

 

[Chamaerops]

It depends on the boat and the circumstances.
Yesterday in calm conditions with a flat sea we did about 26-27 knots initially so that we cleared the Alderney Race while it was still slack tide after less than an hour. Over most of the journey across channel we were doing 24-25 knots. In the later part of the journey approaching the needles we did about 22-23 knots and then in the Solent we were doing 30-35 knots and even exceeded 40 knots briefly (not cruising but fun).

 

[Switch]

We finally returned to the Solent this evening after staying on after the Ancasta cruise. We left St Peter Port at 16.05pm and arrived off Hamble Point at 20.05pm, 4 hours later. Little Russel was flat, the Alderney Race flat and the channel crossing flat. The only lumpy bits were in sight of the Needles before arriving in a totally smooth Solent.
The experience gained when cruising in company has led to both the knowledge and confidence to travel cross channel solo in a 29 footer. It is all about timing!

Sounds like you had a much nicer return trip than the rest of us - we were cruising at times at just 16kts in what were pretty lumpy conditions (wind over tide) most of the way. You're absolutely right about timing.