I am told by the Rally organisers that there is a good photo of us at the
start of the Gibraltar leg, the site is www.yachtrallies.co.uk
I have just checked the site and there is no photo maybe it will bi included
later.

We were expecting a force eight at the start it was a bit more than that see
the official report..

Only 4 of the 15 yachts decided to start so it was a bit of a disapointment
but understandable under the circumstances. Nevertheless we voted to go. We
expected the gale eight but experienced twelve hours of winds in excess of
40knots and around 4 hours of storm 10 we recorded max winds of sixty knots
well reefed we were pleased with the way the yacht behaved, with just a
small amount of main and a pencil of staysail. We hand steered for the
duration of the storm and did not have any bad experience. I was on the helm
at one time everyone down below my watch partner David was making a
sandwich, when a series of large waves swept the boat the first two I
managed to correct in time but the third one came before I was able to
recover I saw it coming for me and just had time to shout OH SHIT!!
I and the yacht was swept by this huge mass of foam the deck completely
disappeared as it swept through. I looked down at the cockpit floor
expecting to see it full of water but there was none it was amazing. David
down below said it sounded as though we were hit by an express train.

The rest ot the voyage was perfect conditions with good sailing winds and
very little motoring. We were first into Tenerife but the largest yacht so
it was expected. The Oyster 70 and Swan 65 did not start with us for various
reasons.

The last 24 hours was unusual in that we had some extra passengers four tiny
little birds taking a rest we think that they had been blown out to the west
when crossing the straits and flying south had not found Africa. They were
very trusting and one settled on my shoulder tucked its head under its wing
and promptly went to sleep another two perched at the foot of the mast and
one settled under the dhingy on the stern. The one on my shoulder we made a
little nest for it and it spent the night under the sprayhood by the
companionway inches away from us. In the morning Tenerife was only a few
miles away and off they went in the direction of the island.

Bye for now Brian

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Brian's Travels Index