UK-Cherub Forum
Off Topic => Lead Luggers => Topic started by: phil_kirk on May 28, 2014, 10:25:32 PM
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On 31st May Jeremy Warren and I am are setting off from Weymouth to sail around Britain. We both sail at Thornbury Sailing Club, our modest vessel is ‘Hafren’ a Wayfarer sailing dinghy. We plan to complete the circumnavigation in 2 months, whilst doing so raise money for the RNLI and a local charity The PAPPA Fund. More details on the website.
Previous successful attempts have only considered sailing in day light stopping each night to camp etc. We intend to sail continuously for 2-3 days at a time (weather permitting) allowing us to cut some large corners and make better use of periods of favourable weather. With these two benefits we hope to round the mainland of England, Wales and Scotland in the fastest time for a monohull dinghy.
To make this more possible we have modified the Wayfarer a little (yes some carbon is involved).
We have enlisted shore support with two friends acting as routers. They will advise us on weather, tides and develop a strategy for each leg. They will also be able to advise us of suitable harbours, beaches and notify harbour masters of our intended arrival.
To learn more about our adventure, follow our progress and donate to our chosen charities please look at our website.
www.xtremedinghycruising.com
Also follow us on twitter at Wayfarerhafran
and on facebook at xtremedinghycruising
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I'm impressed Phil and Jeremy. These days everyone is up to raising money for charity, and good on em - but you just raised the bar.
Good luck, We'll be watching from the comfort of an armchair or a laptop in a warm bed, donations at the ready !
I had no idea you would go to such lengths to get off child duty !
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Have a great trip guys, I did some of this back in '81 as part of a team windsurfing round Britain. My stint was from Falmouth to Bangor in N Ireland. Memories fade but what a time we had!. We had a liveaboard Moody 44 team boat (that couldnt keep up) and a 22 foot rib that also, at times, could'nt keep up!
Good website as well. I will be monitoring your progress.
Best of luck, fair winds (a steady F4 and beam reach all the way round) and 20 degrees should do it.
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Looks like Phil and Jeremy are going well. Only 5 days in and they are already round the SW corner of Wales. They're currently somewhere off Fishguard.
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yes its looking good for them, they could even have the kite up for the next 3 days, hopefully.
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What people will do to get out of sailing with me.
Both Phil and Jeremy have risked sailing with me and now the only thing to do is sail around Britain.
They are doing really well.
Good luck and get back soon, wee need all the practice we can get.
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They've just passed New Quay, where we have had several Cherub National Championships. They're currently 30 miles offshore, out of sight of any land. Even the thought of that in an open dinghy gives me the heeby-jeebies! Respect is due.
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Hope the guys are ok. The satellite tracking shows a bit of gyrating in the middle of the north channel of the Irish Sea since about 8pm. They now appear to be heading for the nearest land south of Larne in the dark. Maybe a bit if gear failure. Plenty of shipping round there if they had a major issue.
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The boys are heading for Cape Wrath....a 'turning the corner' moment
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They're now past John O'Groat's and have rounded the corner at the top of the Scottish mainland. Downhill all the way home from there. Looks like they're on target to absolutely destroy the previous record too.
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there is some good stuff on twitter, some you tube footage as well. the guys are going really well. congrates to them and the team.
Anyone fancy it in a Cherub?
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Amazing progress.
I hope that Phil does not get this luck with the wind shifts at the nationals.
If so I am following him every beat.
Have they dropped the kite yet? It looks like they will fly it for the next few days as well.
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We'll be ok as long as he brings the wayfarer!
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I gave them a wave as they passed the mouth of the Tyne this afternoon. I was at work in the centre of Newcastle and they were about 3 miles off shore at the time, but at least the thought was there. :)
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My Suffolk coastguard mate and his colleagues are watching out for them...won't be long at this rate.
Awesome job guys
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I gave them a wave as they passed the mouth of the Tyne this afternoon. I was at work in the centre of Newcastle and they were about 3 miles off shore at the time, but at least the thought was there. :)
FYI - Neil I have just stood up from my desk and saluted you
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Why thank you kind sir.
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Looking like they will be back for Weymouth.
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Hi Sarah here, not Phil! I do have a log in & I'm sure I wrote it down at some point, somewhere!
Thank you those of you who are following Hafren's progress.
I love your comment Graham about him getting out of childcare duties. You can't begin to imagine the number of brownie points he has to earn back! Especially as I've had a torrid time with Alex not sleeping.
But hey ho they are on the home straight now having rounded the last corner that was Kent. As you can see from the website are thrashing the previous record this has been hugely due to the wind which has provided them with great sailing. Who would believe you could go sailing for over a month & get to fly a spinney for such a huge proportion of the time? It is also the time they have spent sailing at night which has made progress so good and the great work of their on shore navigators and weather gurus. The Hafren team have achieved something quite impressive so if you have a little cash to spare please take a moment to donate to their charities the RNLI and PAPPA fund through the xtreme dinghy cruising website that way the team's efforts will have achieved some good too. Thank you. :)
See you at the Cherub Nationals though unfortunately not from a boat but from the shore as I'll be 7 months pregnant Dave and Phil will be out again (watch out they'll have had no further practise at their manoeuvres!).
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Hi Sarah...make he has a shower at Castle Cove before you even think of going near him ;)
Stunning progress...just off Bognor Regis
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I will raise a glass as they go past this evening.
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They obviously heard you Clive, but it takes about a day to turn a that boat and they appear to have stopped in the Lymington channel at 23.45. Hope that wasn't the ultra viscous ferry.
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Their efforts so far,
Hafren; 9 out of 10 definitely the boat for the job.
Phil full marks for persuasion convincing Sarah and work that it was a good idea and the overnight sailing thing was very impressive. Getting most of the way around Britain with only down wind legs is a skill I hope he brings to the nationals.
For me in the game of impressive feats though Sarah makes Phil's effort look like just popping down the shops for a bottle of milk.
Looking after a little boy who isn't sleeping while expecting and on your own, now that's impressive.
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Agree to all the above.
Alex is enjoying having me back.
Thanks for anyone who was following our progress.
When we arrived at Lymmington we were escorted in by 5 boats of which 1 was Pete Barton in his Blaze.
The trip taught us a few things. good boat prep meant that nothing significant broke. In fact the boat was good for another rounding. Good nav prep saved time for sailing afloat and made it quicker to make decisions.
Detailed weather info is always desireable but not always available due to phone reception etc. XC weather and weather online etc. were pretty accurate except when it went really light and when local geography affected the wind.
We were very lucky with the weather passing through Scotland during their heat wave (it was less cold).
Some parts of the country are vey remote which affected how hard we sailed the boat. (most of the time we were not pushing to the limit to avoid breaking something or having to concentrate hard on helming.
There were several occasions when we both fell asleep at the helm. (Jeremy a few more than me).
Everyone we met was really helpful.
Cape Wrath -Scrabster was a memorable down wind leg, surfing waves all the way and there were some quite big waves. Only 1 other ship sighted just after cape wrath so no chance of rescue for a while if the worst happened. The VHF and mobile reception was also limited.
As you would have seen we were able to cut pretty much all of the corners around the UK and only sailed greater distance when we were beating or affected by strong tides or very light winds.
By the middle of the trip we were prepared to sail in stronger conditions at night but this was partly helped by the increased amount of
light up north. So in hindsight we could have cut a few more days off the time but not many.
North of Kyle of loch Alsh and Abberdeen we had 24 hour light/day light.
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our round Britain challenge has been shortlisted in Yachts and yachting's annual awards.
An amazing honour.
If you can please vote for us.
www.yachtsandyachting.co.uk/awards2015