Last weekend World Cruising Club welcomed this year’s ARC Channel Islands participants and prospective Channel crossers to a beautifully sunny Chichester Yacht Club for a one day Channel Islands Seminar. It was a fantastic opportunity for participants to discuss the preparations for this year’s Rally as well as to share advice from experienced cruisers and of course meet their fellow participants.
World Cruising Club Director Jeremy Wyatt kick started the day with an ice breaker which saw introductions from this year’s participants sharing stories of their sailing history. Among the fleet is a diverse mix of backgrounds from participants who had built their own yachts to those looking to make their first crossing. World Cruising Club took the opportunity to welcome back Nicola and Tim Barker of sailing yacht Current Obsession who couldn’t resist the chance to return to the Channel Islands after taking part last summer. “We thought about doing it on our own this year but World Cruising Club did such a good job of taking the stress out of the planning we felt we could sit back, sail, and enjoy our holiday!”
The morning progressed with talks from Hamble School of Yachting’s Senior Instructor and lead boat skipper Roger Seymour who covered Pre-Rally Preparation and checks. Clare from World Cruising Club followed on with talks on crew management covering everything from watches, sleep, waste management, sea sickness, and most importantly, food!
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After tea and coffee, Charlie from World Cruising Club talked over the arrival and programme in Gosport followed by Roger who gave a talk on managing emergences at sea. Participants swapped stories and shared their experience of when things hadn’t quite gone to plan!
After a successful morning, it was time to stop for lunch. There was a convivial atmosphere among the participants, socialising and discussing their cruising plans for after the Channel Islands. Hamble School of Yachting had also provided a variety of safety equipment for participants to try out during the breaks.
The afternoon covered port arrivals, programmes, and passage planning between ports. Chris and Roger from Hamble School of Yachting wrapped up the seminar with suggestions on training courses to help prepare for both the Channel Islands and future cruising. Please contact [email protected] if you would like any more information on the courses that were discussed.
An exciting buzz was in the air at the end of the day with everyone really looking forward to meeting again in Gosport this August. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for sunny weather, fair winds, and lots of dolphins!