On Friday a couple of boats made a tour of the harbour, from Cobnor up to Dell Quay, then on the ebb to HISC and out of the harbour, then back to Cobnor on the early flood, arriving as the sun went down.
The evening social was lovely, around communal BBQ’s which then turned into camp fires (far enough off the ground to leave the the grass unharmed).
Saturday the camp started in full, and at 11am, 5 boats sailed to Dell Quay, in the flood through the moorings against the easterly wind. We were made very welcome at Dell Quay SC, and sat on their sunny verandah, eating lasagna and cake. The return journey was a drift for most of the way, with a southerly wind picking up near Deep End, so we decided to run to Bosham for an ice cream. We arrived at Bosham SC’s concrete slipway in the teeth of the ebb tide, gained ice cream and made the beat through the moorings for home just as the fierce ebb was slowing, arriving at about 17:00.
The evening was again a lovely gathering, with two members joining us for the campfire on the field from their yacht that they sailed around from Portsmouth. We finally found out how one of them broke their finger.
Sunday morning saw six boats head out into a westerly wind, and the spring flood was too fierce with the little wind to make out to Chalkdock, so we settled happily for Dell Quay again, with the wind from completely the other direction. A dead run in very light winds, and the sea breeze built behind us and we arrived at Dell Quay at noon. Fortunately their racing fleet was just away and we were welcomed for a second lunchtime to DQSC’s verandah, more lasagna, piri-piri chicken and lashing of hot tea and coffee. We left at the top of the tide, 13:20, and the breeze stiffened to a F3 for the beat through Chichester Pool, and the reach along Itchenor Reach and back to the camp.
All this on both days was in horizon to horizon sunshine, and dry sailing in shorts and t-shirts.
Good weather, good company and lovely sailing.