Watching the start of the Fastnet Race

At the weekend I finally managed to get down to Southampton prompted in part by @racesail who suggested we should go and play on the Solent and watch the start of the Fastnet race.  We spent Saturday morning putting the sails back on after they’d been laundered and checked by Doyles and then went out for a shakedown cruise in Southampton water.

In the evening we went to eat at a mexican place just behind Ocean Village and then strolled around the marina drooling over the big racing boats.  At Racesail’s suggestion we then went and enjoyed a few swift ones at Southampton Royal Yacht Club before retiring back aboard Evelyn for a bottle of Wine.

On sunday morning, we enjoyed a proper sailors breakfast of bacon butties whilst motoring up Southampton water and arrived early onto the start line to watch the boats go through their routine of displaying their storm sails to the committee boat.  Soon the big boats arrived.  The first class to start the race was the IMOCA Open 60′s and we watched closely as Hugo Boss, Pindar and BT prepared for the start of the race.  Approaching 12:00 we headed up to the northern side of the start line and were in the perfect position to follow the boats off the start line.  It was spectacular to watch the boats pull away from us who were under engine whilst they were using wind alone.

Racesail has posted pictures he took of the start HERE

We watched all of the classes depart and then made our way back to the marina to put Evelyn away and to start the long  journey home.

Evelyn’s spray hood was looking tatty.  The mildew is getting hard to remove even with scrubbing so I’ve asked the sailmakers to quote me for a new one.  I’m thinking of having black.  What do you reckon?

Tagged as: Boaty, Fastnet