Round the World Racing

Vic and Andy joined Toucando for the weekend.  They arrived on Friday morning and we made a fairly prompt start heading for Yarmouth.  We got in some sailing after Calshot, but the wind faded to almost nothing as we passed Newtown Creek, so the engine was required to get us to Yarmouth.  We had a pleasant stop there, but decided against going on to Poole on Saturday... it would have been a long motor.  Instead we went to Cowes, passing through some racing fleets on the way.

A race heading our way in the Solent

A view from the High Street in Cowes

The flagpole and a couple of starting cannons at the Royal Yacht Squadron

A boat shed

On Sunday we set off for Southampton.  There was a useful easterly breeze, and we sailed fairly slowly across the Solent and up Southampton Water with a view to seeing the Clipper Round the World racing yachts head out of the city down to the Solent.  We loitered off Weston until the ten racers emerged, followed by HMS Invincible and hundreds of small boats and spectator craft.  For a while the wind picked up to a Force 5 as they made their way to the start line.  We left them to it and returned to our mooring on the Itchen.  Thanks to V&A for a pleasant weekend cruise in the western Solent.

Vic on the hem of Toucando, with a Cornish yawl in the background

The Clipper Round the World Race fleet coming down Southampton Water