Royal Air Force Yacht Club

 The rally experience continues.

 We reached Cherbourg in good time for supper. After a few close quarter manoeuvres getting used to the delayed response from the newly fitted 3 bladed feathering propeller, we berthed safely having provided a little entertainment for those considerate members waiting to take our lines. I was left to reflect how much better it was to have taken a few attempts to enter the berth than to hit another member's boat on the way in!  There is a lesson here for new skippers. Never be afraid to make a fool of yourself in order to avoid becoming an idiot. It is far more important to take time and be safe because it builds confidence and you will make a much better job of it next time around. 

 An impromptu supper was taken aboard Stargazer, courtesy of Ian Redsell's pasta prowess, with a few other club members calling in for drinks. The evening morphed hazily into Saturday morning which was taken at a leisurely pace, catching up on a few jobs before taking a traditional French lunch in a newly cleaned cockpit.

 Doing not very much takes a long time. Jonathan Markovitz & I had to smarten our pace into town in order to book a restaurant for the Saturday evening meal. Saturday evening was taken a little ad hoc as several boats had not arrived much before the evening. A number of small groups descended on the town, with ten of us gathering at the Brasserie Du Commerce for an intimate but lively meal.

Dinner in a French restaurant taken in the good company of club members continued to build the RAFYC rallying experience. Being warmed by the welcome and friendliness members have shown to me, it was a pleasure to invite people back aboard Calsara after dinner, for what has been christened the dangerous Calvados course. This surprised me, as I could not recall having any Calvados on board. Did someone remove the evidence?  On the other hand, the Armangac had become strangely depleted. One should of course, show polite discretion and excuse a little confusion which  may have arisen from a hard day's night in port.

 Emergency supplies of Calvados and Armangac have since been secured from Monsieur Gosselin's emporium in St Vaast de la Houge. It was a hard task but somehow compelling.

 Sunday brought wall to wall sunshine and an opportunity to fine tune the reefing lines on the new fully battened mainsail on Calsara, ahead of lunchtime drinks, taken on the terrace at the Capitanierie. I embraced this opportunity to meet other members, who have an enviable ability to swap tales of terrific exploits and unimaginable sailing skills. This is a theme I am beginning to understand well.

 We returned later for dinner in the restaurant to continue accounts of daring do and to sample the French cuisine. Excellent, if modestly pursued, with the next day's early start in mind. 

 Early Monday morning was a sobering experience. A dark and foreboding weather front had closed upon us, turning into a storm of lively proportions with thunder and lightening crashing around. Six boats set out. Five returned within 20 minutes with tales of high winds and storm force gusts. Several members pondered over coffee, the skies lightened and after considered discussion we slipped our lines and headed for home.

 This exercise was unexpectedly reassuring. My previous channel crossings as skipper had been single boat affairs. I suspect that without the support and experience of sailing in company with other boats I may not have left port so confidently. After eight previous channel crossings, one in bad weather and fog, I found the camaraderie and collective considerations of other experienced members to be a benefit I had not anticipated. The whole experience of sailing on RAFYC rallies had been enriched by this.             

Since acquiring Calsara last year I had not managed to get much sailing in (where have I heard that before?) and the boat, sails, rig, navigation equipment and other new gear held out mysteries for me to solve. This longer rally presented an opportunity to get to know the boat better and although there are still lessons to be learnt, the job ahead would have been that much greater if it were not for the help and support from other club members. Two or three pairs of hands makes an otherwise awkward and time consuming job simple, with the added advantage of arriving for lunchtime drinks in a timely manner.

 For new and relatively inexperienced members I could not recommend the RAFYC rallies more highly. They are great fun and add a new dimension to the enjoyment of sailing. What once appeared as cliques in the club house are now friends and sailing comrades. That's what I joined the RAFYC for; great sailing, great company and great fun. 

 Calsara will be flying the RAFYC battle flag again this weekend at the Newtown Creek rally. Members are always welcome aboard and you don't have to drink the calvados, unless you want to.