Trafalgar 200 -was it worth it for you?

[jonjo]

Re: The MOD said sorry.

[ QUOTE ]
we hung around there on our way back to Chichester whilst Queeny swanned past, then sailed round the stern of QE2, close enough to smell the fish and chip lunch ... got ourselves on Sky News /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


[/ QUOTE ]
It seems the best policy to get something out of the day was to be accidentally in transit at some critical point in the festivities ;-)

 

[BlueChip]

Our experience was the opposite of some others here, we had a great day.

Having been out on the Solent the previous day for the rehearsal we knew in advance that trying to watch the review itself by boat was a waste of time.

Come the big day we went up to the Haslar lightship and over coffee had a great view of the Queen leaving Portsmouth, took some nice photos and had a leisurely lunch on board with friends

When the tide was up enough to use the inner swatchway we motored round to a very crowded Stokes Bay and anchored in the only available space right on the edge of the exclusion zone, we saw the fly past and lots of people having anchoring problems, as the tide eased off we swung into the exclusion zone and got told to move by a patrol boat so we upped anchor and motored back to Haslar, just as well really because just after we tied up the heavens opened.

We opened the champagne and then as the rain cleared we toasted the Red Arrows - I am sure they used our berth as a waypoint because they were turning right overhead - a magnificent sight

Curry for dinner and then at about 1930 we took the surprisingly quiet Gosport ferry over to Portsmouth. Walked to the front near the hoverpad and easily got a space where we could see both the sea and one of the big tv screens also very close to the speakers.

At first it was difficult to see what was happening but we watched and marvelled as the sea battle unfolded in front of us, I can imagine it didn't make much sense to those at sea without Robert Hardy's narrative, but from where we were standing as the battle developed and the tall ships crossed slowly right in front of us we all found it quite enthralling. The battle scenes were amazing, the lighting was imaginative and the music was stirring - the finale was just awesome.

As soon as it finished we made our way back to the ferry terminal – to be met with scenes of chaos and a queue hundreds of yards long for the trains. Luckily the ferry queue was quite short and after 30 minutes or so we got across and we were back on board in Haslar by midnight. We really felt for those struggling to get out of Portsmouth, considering that the huge crowds were expected and they must have had several years to plan this event - the traffic and pedestrian management was a disgrace.

For us, the whole day worked out really well, the son et lumiere was an event that I will never forget, seen from the shore it was a brilliant and moving production. Its just such a shame that more thought wasn't given to the thousands who were watching from the sea and how their experience could have been enhanced.

 

[jonjo]

Re: DVD

[ QUOTE ]
the son et lumiere was an event that I will never forget, seen from the shore it was a brilliant and moving production.

[/ QUOTE ]
Does anyone know if a DVD of the event is planned?

 

[jonjo]

Re: Protest aircraft

Did anyone see the light aircraft trailing a banner at the Cowes end of the fleet? This aircraft flew past the Queen at the halfway turning point of the review.

My crew could only identify 3 words in outline but I doubt the message read "I love Liz". Does anyone have details of the incident? A helicopter chased the aircraft off but if it was a protest it made a mockery of all the waterborne security aggravation that depreciated the event for many of us.

 

[BlueChip]

Re: DVD

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone know if a DVD of the event is planned?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, you can order it now on the Trafalgar web site - it will be available in July.
Times on-line web site also has some excelllent phoitos available for sale

 

[muminator]

Dunno about the rest of you, but we had a GREAT time, and not being able to see every single bit of it did not matter too much. We'd planned to sit out at anchor, but looking at the forecasts, decided that all that time bouncing around worrying about yours and other people's anchor chains , and your guest's nausea, might, possibly, spoil our concentration of the event. So, along with some good pals of a like mind, we headed for Ryde Harbour and stayed there from Sunday to Wednesday morning having a very jolly time. Advantages: shore facilities (including some very nice eateries), big screens to see some of the close action, barbequeing on the quay in company, and walking out across Ryde Sands at LW, feeling like you could just keep on walking and climb aboard some of those gorgeous vessels for a quick cuppa. Only downside really was the easterly wind chucking enough sand onto our foredecks for a pretty decent sandcastle competition. We will be picking T200 sand out of our boats for the next six months, I reckon.

All those nay-sayers, you missed a lot of fun. You just had to know how to find it.

Sue

 

[isandell]

Re: The MOD said sorry.

I agree about the lack of small boat lane (we were on nothern side). Some of the marshalls insisted that we went between the moorings rather than the more seamanship way of keeping to the edge of, but outside, the moorings. This was, BTW, after the review was over.

Ian

 

[Salty]

Timing is everything

Sounds like a nightmare for your friends. Also sounds like they turned up right during the break and had to leave before the son-et-lumiere started, so its not surprising that they didn't see anything. I was on the shore, and you benefitted from massive PA systems broadcasting the 'story', big video screens showing the details of what was happening on the boats, and a magnificient view of it all - as long as you were tall enough to see over the heads of the eight people in front of you.

But - public transport was a shambles, as ever. I planned to go by train, until I cross-checked my last train details with the event timetable and realised that I would have to leave before the son-et-lumiere (as did your friends). So I drove instead, and despite the dire warnings of gridlock found getting there, parking and getting out to be fine. Not sure if the public transport failure was the organisers responsibility or the rail companies' ? But once again, the idea of relying on our public transport would have proved a joke.

 

[mikemacdonald]

Re: Timing is everything

Have to agree with timing. We got to Southsea War memorial at 1100 in time to see HM depart, staked our place at the sea wall, and camped there till it all ended, a most fantastic day, good company around us, probably the best view we could have had, plenty of food and tea wagons/ loos close by and all free!
Took 2 1/2 hrs to get away from Southsea, who cares, you can't squeeze 1/4 million people into a small island town like Pompey and then tell them all to go home at 10.30 without some problems.
Congrats to the Navy, wonderful job. And what is so uplifting, 35 Navies saluting the Queen, and the previous night the First Sea Lord hosted 50 heads of Navies to dinner on HMS Victory.
Proud to be British, proud to be a part of the sailing scene.

Multihulls, the only real boats.