Very quiet in the Solent

Sans Bateau

Sans Bateau

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Apart from the Cowes racing lot, the Solent was very quiet this weekend. We were heading back to Chichester around 16.30 and only one other boat out in Hayling bay, passed two which were heading West.

Was it Cowes week or a bit of breeze on Sat that put everyone off?
 
Fecking busy up here yesterday... But I think the 6's in the inshore put folks off the day before....
 
I was out and it was very quiet. First time out in our new(old) boat, a Westerly Konsort (Koto). Left Chichester entrance at about 10:45 with a small handful of other boats and saw virtually no-one until we got past Ryde. Chi entrance was fun going over the bar! Osbourne bay was reasonably busy when we achored up, and you could see the action around Cowes, where it was busy. Coming back into Chi entrance at about 20:00 I think there were about 5 other boats around. Drifted into Emsworth at 20:45. Cracking sail and nice weather. We thought we would get rained on but got sunburnt instead. I was really happy with the Konsort, so easy to sail and no slouch, and comfortable to boot.
 
No busier going the other way, we left Chichester just before 1.30 and got back to Portsmouth about 3.00 only 3 or 4 other boats arrived. Arrived at Port Solent lock just before 4 at the bottom of the tide and went straight in, on waiting at all!
 
Osborne Bay was quieter than a usual Sunday yesterday. The Folley is historically quiet during Cowes week. I think people keep clear of the area unless they have an interest in the racing because even if you were able to find a marina space even for a short stay, and you won't, prices are at the Cowes Week premium.
 
Didn't seem like there were no cruisers out to me! Felt like quite a few, impeccably behaved, cruisers were out enjoying the spectacle.
 
We sailed Fareham to Chichester on Saturday afternoon and back late Sunday morning. Lots of boats crossing the bar with us both ways. We waited for the first of the flood to go in at about 16:00 on Saturday and left just before HW at about 10:30 Sunday. Both seemed to be a popular choices so I thought Hayling Bay looked as busy as ever.
I think we were the only purists who sailed out of the East Head anchorage and then beat out across the bar. Nearly put my back out getting the anchor up though! But first class sailing in both directions in the sunshine.
 
flaming said:
Didn't seem like there were no cruisers out to me! Felt like quite a few, impeccably behaved, cruisers were out enjoying the spectacle.
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Yes you can count us in on that. Although on a Stbd tack I waved through and headed up to pop through a big gap in a fleet of Sumbeams on a Port run, one just one crew member gave us a wave of thanks. Not impressed.
 
galadriel said:
Yes you can count us in on that. Although on a Stbd tack I waved through and headed up to pop through a big gap in a fleet of Sumbeams on a Port run, one just one crew member gave us a wave of thanks. Not impressed.
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Sorry to hear it.

In possible mitigation, it wasn't an easy day to go yacht racing, very puffy and quite a lot of shifts. I suspect they may have had their hands full!
 
flaming said:
Sorry to hear it.

In possible mitigation, it wasn't an easy day to go yacht racing, very puffy and quite a lot of shifts. I suspect they may have had their hands full!
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They were sailing down wind, I think they were Sunbeams, red sails no spinnakers, all looked pretty relaxed. Its Ok, I wont bear a grudge.
 
I thought it was really busy! We dodged c.100 racing yachts on our short passage down the solent. Tried to be kind and get out of their way. They take themselves very seriously though and don't seem to remember the col regs. Ah well, we tried.

Saw ICAP Leopard out - incredible sight

Anyone else see the Trimaran (hydrofoil?) doing 20 kts upwind?! Never seen anything like it!
 
I'm with Way. If you include the "racers", the Solent seemed pretty busy on both Saturday and Sunday. At least some of them woud have been "cruisers" on any other weekend, so an unfair comparison to ignore them.

Mostly the racers were in the west and central Solent, which just happened to be where I was. Spent most of the two days trying to work out how I could do the least impact on boats racing when they were strictly the give way vessel to me.

Got one thumbs up from a boat that I passed to leeward to avoid stealing their wind, only to be followed a short while later by another boat (racing in a different class, him on port tack, me on starboard) hurling abuse at me for stealing his wind, despite the fact that I had taken care to allow about a dozen of his fellow racers to pass to windward of me and I really could go any further north (downwind) without coming a cropper on Lepe Spit. The former racer was near the front of his pack. The latter was in one from last place in his. Says it all really.:)
 
Sailed into Cowes a couple of weeks ago and was very surprised to see so many empty moorings in Cowes Roads. It certainly didn't look like that many boats were out sailing.

The following morning we were the only boat in sight in the Solent until we got to Yarmouth. But it was half three so it's understandable that no one else wanted to catch the tide at the Needles from Cowes.
 
galadriel said:
They were sailing down wind, I think they were Sunbeams, red sails no spinnakers, all looked pretty relaxed. Its Ok, I wont bear a grudge.
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Redwings, Sunbeams have kites.

And yes, in that case I suspect I'd be slightly irked too!
 
Way said:
I meant we dodged 100 personally out of the 8000 that seemed to be out there.

Yeah I agree Angele. I got pretty f****d off in the end. We tried out best and really got no thanks. Actually we did once. Still, there were so many fleets out there it was very difficult to head west without changing course a lot.
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Well I saw 2 cruisers alter course for me. And I thanked both.

So I'm going to assume it was you and Angele, and thank you again! Thanks, it was much appreciated.
 
flaming said:
Well I saw 2 cruisers alter course for me. And I thanked both.

So I'm going to assume it was you and Angele, and thank you again! Thanks, it was much appreciated.
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Pleasure! what boat were you on?

I wonder what will happen the day there's a collision. No insurers going to say "oh of course it was their fault, you were racing". Also, I hate to sound negative but are these races really worth the (passive) aggression?!
 
Way said:
Pleasure! what boat were you on?
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An Elan.

I wonder what will happen the day there's a collision. No insurers going to say "oh of course it was their fault, you were racing".
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It's happened before. Any claim for damages etc would be judged under the rules that apply. RRS between racers and COLREGS between non racers and racers. It says so in the rules, so it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

Also, I hate to sound negative but are these races really worth the (passive) aggression?!
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I think with racing you either get it or you don't. For me the good days on the water with big fleets of well matched competitive boats (and Sunday was an especially good day) more than make up for the tedious carp than go along with it.

Doesn't mean you have to agree.
 
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