Sadly the proposed rally to Cowes on 28th September had to be cancelled due to bad weather but a few of those who had been scheduled to attend the rally suggested that perhaps we could try again the following week. Shepard’s Wharf confirmed they could accommodate a few boats so a flurry of emails went out around the original attendees to see who was around.
Five Maxis in all convened at Shepard’s Wharf on the Saturday afternoon. Aloni (Steve & Sue Harridge), Asante (Andy & Sara Horwood), Moondust (Rob & Julie Powter), Moonshine Blues (Robert & Sally Ledger) and new members, Peter & Deborah Wykeham-Martin on Wild Blue. Light winds meant that most boats had to motor most of the way and the drinks party had already got underway by the time Moonshine Blues arrived from Chichester.
Eleven people crowded on board Asante for drinks and snacks before dinner. The original rally was for dinner at the UKSA but given the reduced numbers it was decided that somewhere a bit closer might be more suitable and so at the suggestion of Peter Wykeham-Martin, a table was booked at the Duke of York pub, just up the road from the marina. The meal was deemed a great success by all and at £30 a head for two courses including (plenty of) drinks, a bit of a bargain!
Crews wandered back down the hill to the marina just in time to avoid the heavy overnight rain that set in minutes later. The wind veered west and increased with the front and it was a different day on Sunday when we all awoke. Aloni wanted to catch the tide back to Lymington so we had a quick shuffle of boats to let them out, with Moonshine Blues deciding to head out to Osborne Bay for breakfast and to wait for the tide to turn east. Those remaining had a lazy morning chatting and drinking coffee, with the added entertainment of watching the race fleet extract themselves from the crowded marina.
We left late morning on Asante and enjoyed a very brisk sail back with two reefs in the main. A north westerly wind and gusts approaching 30 knots over the deck got us back to Hamble in plenty of time to clean up and have a snooze in the cockpit before heading home.
Andy & Sara Horwood
Asante