Blog

It was great to have such a good turn-out at the Summer Programme Launch Party last week! Excellent to see a mix of new and familiar faces, and lots of people came with exciting questions and enthusiasm to see where we would be taking Skylark this summer. Of course, those of you who were there, and anyone who has since checked out our Instagram page, will know that the secret is now out and we will be circumnavigating the UK and Ireland! This is set to be an awesome expedition starting on the 27th June and spanning twelve weeklong legs, with a different skipper and crew sailing Skylark for each leg.

previous Summer programme photo

Incredibly, after only a week nearly half* of all places have already been filled, so if you’re thinking of signing up then make sure to get in there quickly and secure a spot on one of the weeks. See further down in this email for the link!

The 2021 Summer Programme was the last time CUYC did a UK-based Summer Programme and that year the club took Skylark along the south coast and onwards to Devon, Cornwall, and the Scilly Isles. On a personal level, that was my first sailing experience with CUYC and my first time on a yacht for several days as an adult. I won’t forget the memories I made on that trip any time soon. Besides the Scillies themselves being absolutely gorgeous in the English summer, one memory that particularly sticks with me occurred whilst sailing back towards the mainland through a beautiful clear night on a single tack. In the black of the night, white phantoms of sparkling light moving through the water approached the boat whilst we were under way, flying alongside under the ripples and skipping in and out and around from under the hull as we sailed forwards. It took us a few moments to realise that these were dolphins! With it being the middle of the night, we could not see the dolphins themselves, and what we rather were seeing was the light emitted by bioluminescent algae that they were agitating as they moved, giving this ghostly ethereal appearance.

Last summer I spent a week sailing in the Inner Hebrides, and what an experience that was. Some of the sunsets over the Scottish landscapes were among the best I’ve seen in my entire life; and the view of Ben Nevis from a boat on Loch Linnhe is one that really impresses on you the mountain’s size. The message here is that there is so much to see on these isles and you really get a new and different perspective exploring them from a boat. I’ve signed up for my first experience of sailing in Ireland this Summer Programme. I highly encourage you all to get involved, and remind you that CUYC is totally beginner friendly!

*Now ~70% full, some weeks with waiting lists.