Monday, 19th May, 2008. Four members from Northants Police arrived at Halsar Marina, Gosport to climb aboard the Hayley Louise, a Bavaria 36' yacht owned by Phil Osborne. Besides Phil, the crew comprised Michelle Robinson, Kevin Colman and retired officer, Dick Sivers.

The forecast had been for good weather, an easterly wind for the coming days with a possible change by Friday.

An excuse for the trip had been to observe the PSUK National Offshore Sailing Championships that week based at Cowes, Isle of Wight. The event takes place during May each year and currently the fleet is made up with all the same class of yacht chartered from Sunsail - which, in theory, makes for equal racing. A good number of Forces are represented but not Northants; this could change as the Sailing Section plans to compete in the Met Offshore Championships held in the same class of yacht in October, 2008 and thus onward with a view to competing in next year's National Championships - again next May, on the Solent.

Phil, apart from being skipper, has evidently a great knowledge of the Solent and will be our secret weapon when it comes to understanding the currents, tides and particular conditions which pertain to the Solent. With the arrival of Kevin in the Sailing Section, we now have a qualified and competent second skipper - a crucial element of the team. Also on board and getting further experience of helming and general handling of the yacht was Michelle who had recently qualified as an RYA Day Skipper. Dick took up the slack on board, whose main job involved running around the deck with a fender to avoid us bumping into anything. It was almost 30 years since he had been on a yacht but this time there would be no sailing across the Channel shipping lanes in the middle of the night - hopefully.

So early afternoon on the Monday we set off from Gosport and after a quick trip around Portsmouth Harbour to get used to the handling of the yacht, Dick was guided out into the Solent to helm across the Solent and make for Cowes: a nice, steady run down-wind with little to do except avoid the ferries, 'cats and hovercraft which constantly traverse the Solent.

So there we were late afternoon, safely berthed and our first beer consumed. The evening plan was to attend the race briefing at Cowes Yacht Haven and find out what was planned for the Tuesday. This required us to take a walk from our marina at East Cowes, through a housing estate to find the chain ferry which crosses the estuary of the River Medina and into Cowes proper. Not so far really and little legs coped well with longer legs striding to avoid missing the next ferry. Whilst we had been sailing from Gosport to Cowes, the fleet had completed three races 'round the cans' during the day and at the evening briefing, there was some discussion between the Race Officer and the crews taking part whether the conditions allowed for a 'Round the Island' race. Based on the fleet's experience last year when they had struggled to complete long 'passage' races, the Race Officer erred on the side of caution - and safety - so decided on a course going just outside of the East Solent and rounding the Nab Tower. The briefing over, we made for the 'Duke of York' to enjoy an evening meal.

Tuesday. Up around 7am (or most of us). Ablutions performed and breakfast completed, we cast off to 'follow the fleet' and observe their tactics as they made their way to windward, then rounding a mark, coming back towards us on a spinnaker run, rounded the leeward mark again before make their way up-wind and out of the Solent to round the Nab Tower. Meanwhile a bit of queasiness felt by the writer going below on the Hayley Louise whilst clumping our way up-wind in a choppy sea, for which the remedy was quickly getting back on deck and contemplating the horizon before nausea took over. Easier said than done. After viewing the fleet for a while, Phil tacked off and set sail for the quiet waters of Wootton Creek and lunch with the boat tied to a handy buoy. The afternoon was spent tacking up-wind towards the eastern entrance of the Solent whilst in the distance the PSUK fleet were returning from the Nab, making for a mark near the northern shore then the final downward leg to a finish just by Cowes Harbour. By good fortune we were right by the finish line to see an exceedingly tense and close finish between Cleveland & PSNI. After more than 7 hours racing there was literally just a few feet separating the first two boats over the line. At the 'gun', a cheer went up from the Cleveland boat; all remained quiet on the yacht from Northern Ireland. While the rest of the fleet finished, we made our way back to the East Cowes marina, tied up and sat aft in the evening sun to enjoy another beer before making our way across the river via the chain ferry to enjoy another meal together at the same pub.

Wednesday. Up early again to cast off just before 10am and make our way towards the start line to view the day's first race. Another day of fair weather, adequate wind to make life interesting and no rain... In order not to interfere with the race-start we reached north across the Solent and found ourselves approaching a little gaggle of boats making their way west towards the Hamble.

Adrian Flanagan's wife keeps a close watch on the final stretch.

At breakfast on the radio, the morning news had given us the clue to what we were witnessing;  a lone sailor, Adrian Flanagan was just completing the first solo circumnavigation of the world via the Arctic Ocean north of Russia. Returning towards the start-line, we then followed the fleet tacking its way east up the first beat, then ran downwind with them for the first part of the race, then hove to, to watch them struggle with spinnakers. There was no point in getting tangled up with the race and we left the East Solent to make our way west running swiftly down with wind and tide in our favour until we reached Newtown Creek, an unusual shelter comprising salt-flats and not much else. The water looked pure and inviting for a swim. A number of yachts had the same idea for lunch but we managed to find a spare buoy and gently approached to tie up. Despite the wind being east-south-east, the hills surrounding the creek were not high enough to make for a windbreak and the boat swung around on it's mooring. Quiet though the creek was, out of the blue came a motor boat to exact a fee for mooring for our lunch, after which we set sail east until we had sight of the Needles, then backtracked to make a landing at Yarmouth for an overnight stay. The marina was quite busy with lots of youngsters running about on tiny inflatables. Coming ashore via water taxi, we bumped into Roger Badcock who had come across on the ferry from Lymington. He recommended a local hostelry for eating where we ate to the  accompaniment of the locals using the very best (worst, that is) terrace vernacular, chanting and generally yawping at the television showing the Euro Champions League football final. Juveniles - of all ages - wearing red shirts with the likes of  'Rooney' printed on the back will give you an idea of which team was supported, whilst others quietly hoped that the Blues might just win the eventual penalty shoot-out. Back to the yacht for a little peace together with port and Brie before turning in.

Thursday. The port must have had some effect, as no-one stirred on board until nearly 10 a.m. We were in no particular hurry and eventually made a leisurely way out into the Solent. Like the previous day, the wind was still coming from the east. A decision needed to be made whether to tack east along the coast towards Cowes or go out into the centre where the main west-to-east current should carry us along. We decided on the centre channel only to be eventually confronted with huge holes in the wind and giant patches of calm water as the tide eventually turned against us. Thus we found ourselves being pushed back towards buoys that we had passed previously. It was time to turn on the motor - something every true sailor begrudges. We weren't the only ones. By early afternoon the wind started to pick up enough for us to use sail power once more and as we made our way on starboard keeping a general lookout for other boats we realised that a large ferry travelling north was crabbing its way on the tide in our direction. There followed a certain amount of conjecture on the ensuing result but the general inference was that, if possible, we would try to beat our way on the same tack and pass in front of the ferry. Of such matters are races won and lost. Our skipper kept a watchful eye anticipating that the ferry would need to pass behind us in order to make the correct route for landfall. As the ferry got closer - much closer - it was pretty obvious that the ferry captain was also keeping a watchful eye. It was going to be a damn close-run thing and the ferry made up our minds by giving a single hoot on her horn which resulted in us making a quick tack onto port to pass within some 50 yards of the captain who gave us a friendly wave as he looked down at us. We had done exactly the right thing but frankly, I don't think we would ever have made it. We'll never know. Safety is the prime consideration on the Solent; one doesn't take risks; the waters are just too busy.

We arrived at Cowes around 3.30 p.m., and this time tied up in the Yacht Haven together with the PSUK fleet who also arrived at the same time from racing. It was an early finish to the day due not only to the lack of wind that they had suffered but everyone needed to get chamfered up ready for the evening BBQ arranged by the regatta organiser, taking place at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club. No shorts or T-shirts... Although not part of the regatta, we had also purchased tickets and made our way with other race-crews through Cowes to the Yacht Club. For the occasion Phil had provided bright blue rugby shirts with an NPSC sailing logo thereon. We weren't liable to lose each other in the crowd and apart from the official PSUK Offshore Champs polo shirts, most other crews had made the effort to wear identifying tops which ranged from black to salmon pink. The weather still holding up, we ate outside sitting with one of the five Met teams taking part in the regatta. The BBQ culminated with some small speechifying and after some verbal intercourse between crews who, up to this point had spent the days calling for 'water' and generally protesting each other, most attendees then dispersed, first to the town's watering holes and then onward to their respective yachts in the marina where singing and general high spirits kept everybody awake in the marina until gone 2 a.m.

Friday. Last day of the regatta and possibly two races to be run. However, we needed to be back at Gosport for midday and whilst the fleet set off racing we followed behind, watching them make the turn at their windward mark to unfurl spinnakers, whilst we continued across the Solent towards Portsmouth. We sailed north-east trying to squeeze by Gillkicker Point to shorten the passage by creeping along the coastline towards Gosport, but the tide just failed to help us and we then tacked away from the shore, lined up two points on land to identify the formal way to approach the harbour entrance and once more made our way through the busy sea traffic to Haslar; the berth from where we had started our trip around the Solent. Everything then scrubbed down and left 'ship-shape and Bristol fashion' for the next occupants.

Advice to the uninitiated - a battered Breton cap might make you look much more experienced than wearing the common baseball cap but wearing socks gives the game away - everybody goes around with just sailing shoes or even barefoot. Anti-seasick pills are quite unnecessary until you go below deck in a rolling sea. Despite the days on land being virtually T-shirt weather, in May the winds on the sea can still be chill. A fleece with full-length arms is useful and although surprisingly little clothing is required for a week's sailing, it is certainly advisable to carry sun protection, a lip salve and head cover, whatever the weather.

The Solent is a distance from Northamptonshire; not quite as far as Mars. That is to say that the atmosphere and general environment is very far removed from our county; a different world altogether. This floating world  requires a different discipline combining personal safety with the rules of the sea. The sound of traversing ferries, helicopters, seriously expensive motor launches - some of which could be politely described as gin palaces - makes for a busy world during the day, but in the evening, the mixture of sea air with a run ashore in good company helps to make the night pass quickly and to look forward to the next day.

'Haley Louise' is available for charter but also provides the opportunity for Force members to act as crew and experience the joys of offshore sailing. Should you be interested, contact Phil Osborne or any member of the Sailing Section.

You can view a report and results of this year's PSUK Offshore Championships on this website.

R.S.
May, 2008