can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Blonde Moment - Blog 11



BLOG 11
Sines to Lagos The final leg…………
The pontoon was unusually quiet on Thursday night - no parties, no late dinners; a solemnness had descended over the fleet as we realised the forecast for tomorrow's rounding of Cape St Vincent and our approach to Lagos. (20-25 knots for our sail south increasing to 30-35 knots at the Cape and around to Lagos).
Alarms went at 5.15 am and crews slipped lines and quietly departed when ready. We waited until 6.15 am drinking tea (how very British) until the harbour was empty and all jostling for position was over and quickly slipped our lines and were soon into downwind sailing, surfing down Atlantic rollers with dolphins jumping out of the waves and turning and twisting under BM.

The wind increased all the way to the Cape and we reefed our main twice as we rounded and were joined by bottlenose dolphins, surfing alongside. An exciting reach along the south coast of Portugal with the wind at force 7, ended with a final beat to the finish line (skipper enjoyed it; crew had white knuckles) and a downwind berthing in 25 knots plus with only a couple of feet to spare!!!!! - somehow BM fitted and with the marina staff on hand was quite uneventful ...however I still believe the skipper had his eyes closed!!
A great sense of achievement - 1,209 nm from Hamble to Lagos; 11 ports of call and great friendships made with nineteen other boats and crew. It has been a wonderful experience highly recommended. A huge thank you to Andrew (WCC) for managing to rearrange every port of call; every tour and guide and restaurant and generally smoothing our path South.
Dee and Paul

PS
To our amazement Blonde Moment won the final leg in Class A!




Previous | Next