Overfalls

[oldbilbo]

Long time ago and far away....

...the pro skipper of HMSTY Lord Portal ( a Nicholson 55 ) had me take my bunch of lads - on a week's 'Adventurous Training' paid for by Her Maj - through the Portland Race W to E in an established westerly F7 ( or F8 ) under spinnaker, which we'd held since south of Plymouth. There was a good ebb running, and 'LP' was rolling her side-decks under and shovelling it up green.

Afterwards, secure in Lulworth, I asked him why on earth he'd insisted I helmed through there/that. "So you'd see what it was like, and never do that again...." And I never did, in the 40 years since.

I came across this pic which, although taken in L'Iroise to the south of the Passage de Fromveur, reminds me graphically of what we encountered.

 

[Robin]

Long time ago and far away....

...the pro skipper of HMSTY Lord Portal ( a Nicholson 55 ) had me take my bunch of lads - on a week's 'Adventurous Training' paid for by Her Maj - through the Portland Race W to E in an established westerly F7 ( or F8 ) under spinnaker, which we'd held since south of Plymouth. There was a good ebb running, and 'LP' was rolling her side-decks under and shovelling it up green.

Afterwards, secure in Lulworth, I asked him why on earth he'd insisted I helmed through there/that. "So you'd see what it was like, and never do that again...." And I never did, in the 40 years since.

I came across this pic which, although taken in L'Iroise to the south of the Passage de Fromveur, reminds me graphically of what we encountered.

I once did something vaguely similar when rounding Portland eastbound under spinnaker in our then W33, although in a tad less wind perhaps, it was I think the start of the 'you are never having that thing up again with me on board' period. I think she was referring to the spinnaker that she insisted I took down immediately, which was really fun but which I did and wished I hadn't because I was not allowed to raise it again once clear of the Bill or indeed for several months thereafter.

 

[Roberto]

That is "Toul an diaoul", the devil's hole, a few miles SSW of Ouessant. Picture taken during the "Course des phares", 2002

 

[Downsman]

I love looking at photos like that..when I'm warm and dry..
First time I went round The Bill East to West I was about 3 miles off in my old steel Gaff Cutter, weather fair but breezy. Even so we still rolled our way round...Next time I was probably 4 miles off in poor conditions, wind against tide...Blimey! glad I wasn't closer. Now (different boat)I'm usually 5+ miles off so either I've learned from experience or my courage is slowly fading away..

 

[Redshank Evo26]

I went around Portland almost exactly a year ago, on route to the RTI race, we went around the inshore passage, wow! Cliffs 20 yards to port, breaking waves 30 yards to starboard and a smooth, high speed conveyer belt of water with us on it! Our SOG was 12 knts for several minutes, with about 5 of that being boat speed! I must admit we went around about 1 hour into the flood, which is not ideal, but it meant we were able to carry the tide all the way into the Solent, just having to punch it for the last mile or so into Yarmouth IOW. This is on an Evolution 26, lifting keel cruiser racer.

 

[Sandy]

Darn, I can't see the picture

 

[Roberto]

Darn, I can't see the picture

If you can see youtube, here is the video of the same moment (at about 1:00 onwards).

 

[snowleopard]

Bring me my brown trousers.

 

[Tomahawk]

Snowey...
You are a cat petson... Isn't there just a little bit of you that wants to do it like that?

 

[[2068]]

Blimey: mental note made to never go anywhere near there in anything more than F2.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

If I ever have to be there , I will make sure that I will never be on a small heavy boat; conditions like that need a very light bigish boat to ensure that the boat does not get covered with walls of water and able to glide on the surface.