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An hour or so later, the wind whistling in the rigging, we slipped lines and departed from the Hamble, motoring eastward up the Solent into a tedious but manageable chop. Given the distance before us, I elected to keep motoring despite the F5-6 breeze (anathema to a relative purist) and we made it to the forts in minimal time. As the sea state built, we made sail (3rd reef) and began beating out towards Selsey Bill: these are my old stomping grounds and yet I still found myself surprised to discover the Cambrian Wreck SCM unlighted - as the chart suggests it always is. As the off-watch crew settled down for an uncomfortable night's rest below, we blasted past Bembridge and headed upwind past the Nab Tower, covered by occasional spray and generally having quite a wild ride. I went off watch around 0330 and found myself far more afflicted by seasickness than normal for the rest of the morning--to the extent that I was very grateful to have another club skipper (indeed two) available as watch leaders!

By mid-day we were running downwind before a strong breeze, and the sea state was at the upper end of 'moderate' but at least coming mostly from one direction; with third reef in the main and a reefed genoa, we were cruising at 8+ knots and hitting peak speeds quite a bit higher with waves. The sun came out for our passage past the White Cliffs of Dover and we enjoyed a light lunch before our late evening arrival into Ramsgate. A shower and a trip to a local cultural icon, the largest Wetherspoons in the United Kingdom, for dinner, were well received.

We slipped at around 0845 on Sunday and had a fast third-reef blast downwind across the Thames Estuary. My habitually complexity-avoidant approach of blasting round the outside of Kentish Knock and simply shaping up for Cork Sand at the top was not popular with the navigational committee, so instead we saved a couple of miles via Fisherman's Gat and a poled-out dead run up Black Deep. A fast reach up to Harwich and a beautiful sail all the way up past the A14 bridge followed, and we made it into Ipswich just after 6pm (just too late to refuel).

All in all, despite a majority of the crew doing at least some vomiting, we had a good trip--at least I enjoyed it--and we had a good fast passage round despite an initial headwind. Thanks in particular to Jake and Alessio for making it a very low-stress trip for me despite occasionally slightly challenging conditions.”