TO CHERBOURG!

On July 11th, 2021 the time has come - we pass the lock of Lloyd Marina in Bremerhaven at around 5:00 p.m. on this hot, humid Sunday and set sail for our 480-mile trip to Cherbourg as a double-handed crew. Destination Cherbourg again with respect to COVID-19: Because of the entry regulations to the UK but also the difficulties of returning from the UK to the Euorpean Mainland, the RORC had the great idea of allowing the non-UK participants to have their boats registered and checked in Cherbourg so that they don't have to enter the UK and won't have a problem when returning from there. The armada assembled in Cherbourg for the race is then supposed to cross the 75 nm across the Channel to Cowes on the day before the start of the FASTNET RACE and enterr the race there practically in style of a running start without any previous contact with land.

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So we're heading to Cherbourg on Sunday -  doing final repairs and improvements right up to the very moment we set off, a boat is never ever finished, there are always some issues left, unless the time is up.

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Immediately after passing the lock, a heavy shower passes over us to relieve us from the heat - unfortunately it also washes away the wind. So we use the engine to Wangerooge, then the wind picks up again and we can sail with a comfortable easterly breeze The next day near Borkum the wind has gone again, to stay in our time schedule for the journey we start the engine again for a few hours until the wind is back, now from the north again.  We are making comfortable progress.

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Due to a technical problem regarding our Navichip we make a stop-over in Den Helder, where we arrive at dawn on Tuesday. Mooring and helpfulness at the Royal Navy Yacht Club are fine, as is the support of the local yacht Chandler (and if you want to know something about the cryptic secrets of combining B&G plotters with a Navionics chip and French chart material, please feel free to contact us, now we have a clear view of this combination of equipment too). On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. the tide goes west again and we leave Den Helder. Now we have a northerly wind, initially around force 5, later 25 - 30 kn, it's going to be a great halfwind shute under G2 and reefed mainsail, in the 24 hours after setting off we log some 180 nm, it's a lot of fun, but it's a physically strenuous work at the helm. And the night is pitch black, it's just after the new moon and we have a closed cloud cover. We don't notice any of the storms that flood parts of Germany, but we have great sailing weather without rain. And as we pass Calais on Thursday morning, the sky has opened up perfectly again and I'm impressed of the scenery at 4 am as I start my watch, it's just magnificent.

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After passing Cap Gris Nez, we have great sunshine, but the day also brings us gradually decreasing wind, we have to use the motor a little again, later the wind is back and we can sail efffortles again. In this alternate conditions we sail into the last night, sometimes with engine support, sometimes without, but finally shortly before sunrise the situation stabilizes and we can hoist the gennaker again. A fantastic picture to start the day under this sail with the rising sun from aft.

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On our arrival at Cherbourg, a regatta is just starting, we make our way through the field without hindering anyone and, exactly 48 hours after we left Den Helder, we are moored in the Port de Chantereyne, 320 nm further to the southwest!

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We don't have to make much use of our somewhat rusty knowledge of French language: Laurence at the reception desk has lived in Germany for a long time and speaks excellent German. This way and thanks to her friendliness the formalities of pur stay are completed even more quickly. Exhilarated, we go to the bistro above the harbor office, actually get a nice table for two on Friday at lunchtime, even without a reservation, and reward ourselves for this successful passage from Bremerhaven to Cherbourg with a snack of oysters from St. Vaast - life is fine!