Participation

Eleven RM vehicles with 24 people participated in the rally from June 13th to 19th, 2022:
OLAN (RM 890)

• L'ELIOBRIGUS (RM 890)
• GAELLIC (RM 900)
• SUZANNE 2 (RM 1050)
• TADEC (RM 1060)
• AMAROK (RM 1070)
• HATOUP (RM 1200)
• GUINIC (RM 1200)
• 2CATS (RM1200)
• AQUAMARINE (RM 1260)
• CHAVETTA (RM 1350)

Chronology

Monday, June 13, 2022

The flotilla met at the Vauban port in Camaret-sur-Mer on Monday, June 13th. A pontoon had been reserved to accommodate all the boats. The flotilla at the pontoon proudly displayed five large pennants in the colors and logo of the AvRM on their masts.

In the late afternoon, a festive aperitif brought all the crews together, with the exception of GUINIC, who was delayed in Brest due to a windlass replacement. He would join us the following day, once the repair was complete. Over a magnificent Iberian ham, generously provided by Martin Chapus (VIRGULE), who unfortunately couldn't join us for this occasion, lively discussions ensued as everyone discussed the next day's Channel crossing. It's worth noting that two skippers were undertaking this crossing solo (GAELLIC and SUZANNE 2).

Tuesday, June 14

The departure from the port of Camaret sur mer took place a little before 9 a.m. to pass the Saint Matthieu point around 9:45 a.m., take the Four channel and reach the Grande Vinotière around 10:45 a.m. The course was then set at 329° to sail along Ouessant via the Helle channel with a North-Northeast wind of 15 knots.
The crossing was sailed close-hauled in a single tack, without difficulty, except for SUZANNE 2, which experienced an autopilot failure. A somewhat tricky situation for its solo skipper. The fleet remained close together throughout the crossing, except for the larger RM boats, which pulled slightly ahead. Contact was always maintained between the boats, either visually or via VHF and AIS, a reassuring factor for those crossing the Channel for the first time. The passage through the Ushant shipping lane was easy, as there were few tankers and cargo ships that day, in either direction.
Apart from the 2 fastest boats, the flotilla arrived in a remarkably compact group at 6 a.m. (English time, UTC + 1H) in the port of Hugh Town in Saint Mary's.
Within about an hour all the boats had found a buoy to moor to, with the buoys becoming available one after another.

The following day, all the participants met for the crew dinner in a historic restaurant, the MERMAID, with the traditional Fish and Chips on the menu, washed down with a good English beer.

A gust of wind

With the arrival of a northeasterly gale, five boats prudently chose to seek shelter in Penzance, on the Cornish coast. The other boats, except for OLAN, remained at anchor in Hugh Town, doubling their mooring lines. OLAN, meanwhile, resumed its crossing, pressed for time. A drifting rope caught in its saildrive forced it to be towed to Roscoff from near the shipping lane.
So it was with the regular shuttles that the main islands were visited: Tresco with its famous botanical garden in the old Benedictine abbey, Bryher more wild and Saint Agnes, full of charm.

The lush vegetation of its islands, protected by the Gulf Stream, is extraordinarily beautiful.