Five boats took part in this year’s Solent extravaganza – 4 boats from CLYC (a mix of sailing and motor) and for the first time we had a boat join the cruise from our affiliated club, the Royal London Yacht Club. Fifteen of us altogether plus sea dog Yossie. We were fortunate to enjoy sunny days and some variable amounts of wind.
After a gentle sail westwards down the Solent the boats assembled in Lymington for “Pimms on the Pontoon” prior to supper at the Mayflower where we were joined by more CLYC members who lived locally. The pub did us proud with twenty of us sitting down to dine together – altogether a great start to the Cruise.
The next morning the four sailing boats set off for a brisk sail to Cowes, but due to the wind and tide the motor boat was unable to join until the following day. We enjoyed a convivial meal at the Folly where once again we were joined by additional CLYC members. All was well until we returned to our boats to find all the power was off and the beer was in danger of getting warm. Despite resets, power could not be restored; the culprit – a cable trapped between pontoons which had frayed through and cut off all power. (I plead the fifth!).
The wind subsided and the sail to Bembridge was benign although it came up again in time for the BBQ. We battened down the marquee flaps and enjoyed a great meal together. Once again the cooking skills of our members were impressive!
Saturday saw two of the boats leave Bembridge, though the rest of us remained for the “Rock the Boat” event in the evening and after considerable G & T fortification onboard one of CLYC’s boats, set out on a very chilly evening to listen to the music but we didn’t last long – a combination of the cold and the earlier hospitality!
Sunday was Armed Forces day and we were fortunate to see the Red Arrows despite the low cloud. Departure was planned to be abeam Ryde in time for the Spitfire and Hurricane display. The timing proved perfect and the Spitfire seemed to use my boat, Kittiwake, as his turning marker – did he know the Skipper was an ex-RAF display pilot?
In summary, an outstanding and very convivial Cruise with excellent weather and we were particularly pleased to be joined by a boat from the Royal London Yacht Club. We would be delighted to see more boats in the future so do think about attending next year’s event.