Generalities

AvRM organised a rally in Manche from 23 to 29 August 2023 on the theme of the Channel Islands, here is a summary.

Participants

Nine boats were originally registered, one boat withdrew because its repairs were not yet complete, and another unfortunately had to cancel at the last minute due to COVID. Finally, seven boats met on August 23rd at Port Les Sablons in St Malo.

• RM 880 Rytmic, on board: Philippe and Pascale
• RM 890 L'Eliobrigus, on board: Michel and Marie-Claude
• RM 890 Olan, on board: Georges and Isabelle
• RM 890 Tiny Viking, on board: Olivier, Bernard and Stéphane
• RM 1050 Henvel, on board: Jacques, Sylvie and Alain
• RM 1050 Hippocampe, on board: Philippe, Jean, Patrick and Nicolas
• RM 1070 Blackbird, on board: Serge, Catherine and Didier

that makes a total of 19 people on board

Course

The original planned route is shown in red, while the route actually taken from St Aubin (Jersey) to St Peter Port is shown in blue due to weather conditions.

Procedure

• August 23rd, meeting in St-Malo

The seven boats met up at the visitors' pontoon in Port Les Sablons, St. Malo. The harbor master's office had very kindly reserved berths for us, marked with the name of AvRM. The participants got to know each other over a first "seafaring get-together" organized on the pontoon, which allowed them to chat about their RM boats, other sailing topics, and the program for the coming days.

• August 24th Chausey

The weather is very changeable, and we alternate between sailing and motoring to reach Chausey and pick up mooring buoys in the Sound off Grande Île. Along the way, our expert Didier had a great catch of 12 mackerel!

Picking up the buoys wasn't easy because of the current. The dinghies were inflated, and the crews set off to explore the island. We were able to take the path that circles it and discovered the Renault castle, the lighthouse, the fort, the house of the painter-navigator Marin Marie, and the pretty little houses at the foot of the lighthouse. The crews then gathered in the sunny garden of a café with a magnificent view of the countless islets and rocks of Chausey.

• August 25 Jersey

We set off from the Sound at dawn, admiring the sunrise as we crossed the archipelago through the Beauchamp Channel, which offered us an extraordinary landscape. Upon exiting, we sailed close-hauled on a port tack, then two long legs in a Force 4 wind brought us to St. Aubin's Bay in the south of Jersey. The boats arrived in good formation, and we dropped anchor in front of the Fort. Landing with the dinghies was quite complicated, as was returning, since there was no pontoon. It was quite an experience carrying the dinghy and engine in the muddy seabed, with welcome camaraderie among the crews! But as a reward, we enjoyed a shower and a drink at the Royal Channel Yacht Club, and finally, the rally dinner at the Boat House under a radiant sun.

• August 26 Jersey

After a rolly night at anchor, with force 5 winds and choppy seas, and after some discussion, we agreed to cancel our visit to the Écréhous islands. At Tiny Viking's suggestion, we all headed to St. Helier for a quieter night in the marina. We explored the very touristy town and met up again in the evening for a second seafood drink aboard Blackbird, followed by enjoying the famous fish and chips recommended by Tiny Viking near the harbor.

• August 27th Sark

The journey to Sark was made in force 5 to 6 winds under staysail and one reef in the mainsail, with a choppy sea. The tack of the genoa ripped on Hippocampe, which was making a spectacular upwind run, having left a little later. Eventually, all the boats arrived almost simultaneously, and we anchored in the sheltered Dixcart Bay, surrounded by dramatic cliffs. The trails around Sark offer extraordinary views, both of the cliffs and through valleys that feel like the Amazon rainforest. We visited the unmissable La Coupée Bridge, the church, the prison (the smallest in the world), and the village. We received a cold welcome at the pub where we took refuge as the rain started to fall, so we headed back to the beach to return to the boats and dry off.

A peculiar event occurred while we were at anchor: Tiny Viking was proudly flying a yellow flag, and I warned him that it could get him into trouble—and sure enough, it did. A few minutes later, an immigration officer contacted Tiny Viking in English over the VHF radio: "What about the yellow flag?" He then informed him that his customs declaration was incorrect and that he was almost certainly carrying prohibited goods, putting him at high risk of being arrested and imprisoned in Sark. The customs officer then offered a plea bargain in exchange for Ricard or wine. Tiny Viking was ready to accept this deal when it turned out to be a joke, the perpetrator of which remains unknown to this day!

The night was a bit bumpy but not too bad.

• August 28 Guernsey

With a northerly wind, we rounded Sark to the east, heading for Herm, a few miles away, hoping to find a sheltered anchorage. Unfortunately, Herm is a small island that offers no shelter from a northerly wind, so we had to abandon our stopover plans and decided to head to Guernsey a day early. We docked at the waiting pontoon; several boats were taking advantage of the attractive diesel price of £0.84 per liter to fill up. Eventually, we all moored in Victoria Marina. The third and final post-lunch drink was aboard Blackbird, enlivened by a round song composed and masterfully performed by the crew of Hippocampe.

• August 29 Guernsey

A bit of souvenir shopping in the morning and we meet at Hauteville House at 1 p.m. for a guided tour in French of Victor Hugo's home, austere on the outside but very baroque inside. Finally, we meet in the evening at 6 p.m. at the Guernsey Yacht Club in front of Château Cornet for a last pint to celebrate the end of the rally and chat about future adventures.

Balance sheet

The weather conditions did not allow the stopover at Ecrehous or Herm, but the program was able to be respected in its entirety and we were able to admire the spectacular and varied landscapes of the Channel Islands.

The boats and crews were of a remarkably consistent standard.

All participants had a great week of sailing and sightseeing, with a strong spirit of camaraderie, and all are asking to repeat this type of adventure in the future.

Organizer

Serge Prat