Looking Back at the Spring Rally 2016

We were 45 for dinner, two of whom came via the Condor. We had four owners’ boats and five charter boats. Our channel crossings across were benign but we were not expecting such good conditions on the return journey but in the end were better than expected. Skylou sailed virtually all the way back to Fowey and the Solent boats did a lot of motoring.

What struck was how welcome we were made. It appeared that the residents of Alderney had been told to be on their best behaviour and we were treated exceptionally well by harbour masters, those in shops and restaurants and the yacht club even let us leave our shower stuff there for the day. The communication systems in Alderney worked well too as we knew about the problem that Vis a Vis had had with the net wrapped around their prop from the water taxi driver who informed us that the diver would be going down that afternoon!

Two particular incidents – our boat, Par Excellence, was hanging around the bike hire place which was closed (being Sunday!) and asked a man working on a nearby roof if he knew if the suggestion to call a mobile number was likely to be successful. He told us to leave a note but then offered to drive us up to St Anne’s in his very old lorry. four in the back, standing up! Skylou experienced much the same kindness in Trebeurden when a Frenchman drove the crew 2km each way to an ATM, agreed to come for a drink as a thank you, and then paid for his own drink!o be successful. He told us to leave a note but then offered to

It was John Kissack’s first channel crossing as skipper and a first crossing for eight other members. We also welcomed six people on their first HOEOCA rally.

So, where did the boats go?

First to arrive in St Peter Port was Blue Wolf who had attended the Moody Owners rally in Portland on the Saturday night and then crossed direct to St Peter Port on the Sunday. They then popped out again and anchored off on the Monday before returning to join us all the following day. Reach 4 The Wind first crossed to Cherbourg and left at 3am on the Monday morning and flew their spinnaker down to Sark where they caught up with some sleep before crossing to the outside pontoons.

Three charter boats, Par Excellence, D’Artagnan and Vis a Vis, crossed to Alderney and spent a lovely Sunday there (if not Vis a Vis original plan!) before having a very good sail down the race where they met Reach 4 The Wind off Sark. Some of the crew rowed across to the island and enjoyed the lovely views. Again, St Peter Port was the destination for the next three nights together with the joys of the 91/92 buses.

Skylou probably had the kindest wind direction, coming from Falmouth, and enjoyed the North Brittany coast before arriving after a cracking sail on Tuesday. Then a big welcome to In the Mood, on her maiden cross channel trip. She visited Cherbourg and Carteret on the way there.

Protégé – Chris and his crew were always determined to get to St Malo so left Braye in the small hours of Sunday and went to Jersey for a night and then enjoyed two nights in St Malo before leaving at midnight to make a very uncomfortable passage back. Faux Pas crossed to Cherbourg then spent a night in Braye before leaving for St Helier on Monday morning and managed a five hour sail on the day of the dinner.

Lastly, White Mistral sadly didn't make it. Their desire to pack a lot into the week and visit St Vaast to start with played against them when they became storm bound in Cherbourg.

At the excellent dinner at the Old Government Hotel we toasted 'Absent Friends' – the crew of White Mistral, our absent Rear Commodore Cruising and all other members of HOEOCA.

(Taken from the Rally dinner speech)