Hafren Round Britain

[Snifter]

Thanks for comments, everyone!
They are working their way along the south coast at present, and Hafren will struggle on up the Solent later this evening against the tide to Lymington. They will rest there with friends before timing their departure to get to Weymouth on Wednesday afternoon. The crew have amazed themselves, and to be more than two days ahead of their projected arrival time of less than a week ago is astonishing. I agree with all your comments about using the favourable winds! I have been 'encouraging' them for a month to not waste a second of the most favourable winds you could ask for. However, I've got to give the world's media time to collect in Weymouth! And they need a beer.
More photos are now on the Facebook page, which can be accessed via the link on the right of the Header bar of www.xtremedinghycruising.com. There is also a link if anyone fancies donating to their chosen charities - the RNLI and the Pappa Fund, a community in Southern India supported by Jeremy's home village of Marshfield - in return for the many hours of wonderful entertainment they have provided over the last 30 days!
Temujin, Edmund (Grace, the founder of Thornbury Sailing Club) would be very proud of them although I'm sure he's shaking his head that they used a Wayfarer not a YW Dayboat!

 

[Snifter]

The easterly is blowing Hafren up the Solent against the tide, so hopefully if they keep close in to the shore they will arrive at a reasonable time at Lymington.
Some great photos were provided by Tom Gruitt of Yachts and Yachting of their approach to Dover yesterday, and can be seen on the www.xtremedinghycruising.com site by clicking on the Facebook or Twitter icon on the right of the header bar. Thanks, Tom!
They plan to leave Lymington at about 1500 tomorrow to get round St Alban, and will then rest up in Lulworth Cove before arriving at Castle Cove Sailing Club in the early afternoon.
Ok, perhaps they will regret not keeping straight on to Castle Cove tonight, when next year another Wayfarer beats their time by 24 hours, but I challenge anyone to have a go. If they get in on Wednesday, it'll be 32 days against what we thought was a tough target of 60 days. Amazing!
It says a lot for Wayfarers.

 

[MrB]

If there was ever a time to use up out of date flares it's when these guys rock up at Weymouth at the finish. Stunning effort.:encouragement:

 

[SimonFa]

Bugger, I was looking forward to welcoming them and I've just been summoned to a meeting n London on Wednesday.

A remarkable effort and I hope they get their deserved 15 mns (ideally more) of fame.

 

[Greenheart]

Ok, perhaps they will regret not keeping straight on to Castle Cove tonight...

I'd be SO impressed if I clicked on the mapping page after midnight, and saw the track slipping past Lymington and out past the Needles. Go on, gentlemen, you know you want to use that nice obliging force 3, breezing up from the east, especially for you...it'll be a crime to sleep through it...you could be at Castle Cove for breakfast!

Heartiest congratulations on an inspiring circumnavigation, anyway. Your journey must've really woken up the Dinghy Cruising Club.

 

[Snifter]

��. I agree, dancrane! They've had a great run up against the tide, and are a couple of hours ahead of when we expected them in Lymington, but it has been a long slog from Felixstowe Ferry. Let them have a pint and a rest, and a night in a warm bed before they do the last leg. (Softies!)
Thanks everyone for your interest in this trip. Jeremy and Phil really appreciate the fantastic support they've received all the way round. Doing it in a little boat has certainly captured the imagination!

 

[Greenheart]

No argument, they've had a very long day...and a very long month. I wish I could be in Lymington now to congratulate them, or in Weymouth tomorrow.

 

[Snifter]

Thanks, dancrane. They made Lymington just before midnight after 44 hours from Felixstowe Ferry with just an hour's stop in Dover for tea yesterday.

 

[Temujin]

Snifter - given that they planned to do this in double the time and have all the logistics arranged accordingly, have you suggested to them that they make use of all this and the time already booked off from work and families and just carry on and go aorund again and try and beat their own record................

 

[Snifter]

It has been suggested, Temujin, and the response ended with the word 'off'! It'll take some very tough sailors and perfect weather to beat that time, particularly as they spent so many nights at sea.
Hafren had a great welcome at Lymington last night around midnight, with a Blaze, a sailing canoe, and 2 RIBs to guide them in.
They are now rested and planning to leave about 1400 past Hurst Castle, and then take the North passage into Christchurch Bay, where it should be more sheltered. It's blowing quite hard at present, but is from the East, so with the tide they should make good time to St Alban's Head. They're going to anchor up overnight, and plan to sail into Portland Harbour in the early afternoon before landing at Castle Cove.

 

[Seajet]

Snifter,

there's GOT to be a book in this, including your excellent commentary / support; I'd buy it and it should be mandatory at every club ! :encouragement:

 

[dom]

there's GOT to be a book in this, including your excellent commentary!

Agreed; this was a somewhat optimistic challenge, which these guys have seriously over-delivered against!

There must have been some seriously low-points alongside some incredibly happy ones. Would make a great book. Now just one more leap to an awesome ending.

 

[Greenheart]

Ahoy there Snifter, what's the score now? Still in Lymington according to the Hafren website mapping...and the blog says they're not expected in Castle Cove till Wednesday?

Really should have steered south of the Wight yesterday, and used this easterly to arrive for a Weymouth breakfast six hours ago. ...said the irritating old quayside know-it-all.

Echo the 'write-a-book sentiments'. Highs, lows, photos and details...every section would surely be at least as readable as those very popular tales of mountaineering expeditions.

 

[Snifter]

Thanks all for your kind comments. It's great to know you are enjoying this as much as I am.
Hafren left Lymington at about 1400, and did take the north passage into Christchurch Bay, but the tracker wasn't working. It should be now. At one point they recorded 11kts SOG - a new record for Hafren - and had a lovely broad reach under spinnaker. I think they are having time to enjoy this last part of the voyage. They may be a day slower on the record than they might have been, but they will arrive having been able to relax a bit. It should be a good party tomorrow night!
Just thinking about it a second, they did Felixstowe Ferry to Lymington with an hour's stop in Dover! I think they are entitled to take the foot off the pedal a bit to arrive feeling good. I don't want them to fall asleep as soon as they get in!
Regarding a book, what a good idea. I loved Ron Pattenden's book 'Land on my Right' about his Laser trip round Britain. I too want to hear what it was really like going round Land's End, and the hairy moment in a force 6 off Rattray Point....but I'll do it in a (lot) bigger boat!
Also regarding gopro videos, there are some. I'll try and get a link to one shortly.

 

[NealB]

What a voyage!!

Fantastic, properly inspiring stuff.

 

[Snifter]

Look at Hafren the Video! Thanks to the guys in Jeremy's village of Marshfield who have put it together from his GoPro footage. Let's hope there is some more! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzus11JKsxg

 

[Snifter]

They've arrived in Lulworth Cove after a sleigh ride from Hurst Castle. They had some sizeable waves on the way, breaking tops coming into the cockpit, but St Alban's, although bumpy, was wind with tide, and very fast.
They are having a night ashore in a hotel, where I gather the owner is a Wayfarer sailor, so that should get them a drink or two on the house! I've also just seen some great pics taken of their departure from Lymington - where the hospitality was fabulous! - and will try and get permission to put them up on the Facebook page.
Nearly home....

 

[libellule]

respect

 

[seadog30]

I guess that the 11 Knts was though Hurst they looked like a cork / bottle.

Saw them go through the North channel and across the bay there were a number of other small boats out there but they were the only ones with a spinny up !!!

Respect

Good luck to them

 

[Snifter]

Thanks, libellule and sea dog. They will appreciate that.
I've got permission to pu the photos taken today as they left Lymington, and they can be seen on the Facebook page, link on the top right of www.xtremedinghycruising.com. It was a good windy sail, and they lived it. By the way, that's a 505 spinnaker!