En France 61

 

With a splash and a snort, a lone dolphin surfaces alongside Stargazer. Seemingly, the scout for the pod.

Soon, word, that a new playmate has been discovered, spreads. The dolphins frolic for an hour in Stargazer's bow wave.

Stargazer is fast reaching, in eighteen to twenty knots true, off the Pointe de Penmarc'h.

Enjoying her ceremonial send-off, from South Brittany, by this squadron of aquabats. Effortlessly spearing past Stargazer, as she surfs the swell.

Before skimming back, beneath the bow. Stargazer's keel, the maypole, in their dolphin dance.

Stargazer had left Loctudy before daybreak. At the top of the tide. Which, with luck, will carry us for the next twelve hours.

A rainbow dawn breaks above the tumbling seascape.

The forecast easterly breeze, but with a little north in it, gives Stargazer a reach north. With tidal assistance, Stargazer making six to seven knots, over the ground. Ahead of schedule.

Through the morning, the breeze eases and backs south of east. I hoist the kite, to maintain progress, as we cross the Baie d'Audierne. Staying east of the rhumb line, in search of a northbound tidal eddy.

A little after one, Stargazer enters the Raz de Seine. Sluicing through, in the grip of its five knot tide rip, more or less beam on. With me on the foredeck, wrestling the cruising chute down. As the wind first dies, then heads us, from north nor' east.

Order is restored, by the time the Raz, in full spring tide spate, spits us out. Stargazer sets off purposefully. Shoulder down, hard on the wind. As if clearing her throat and saying, “You know better than that, skipper. Let’s move on, in a proper seaman like manner.”

She is soon slicing through the Toulinguet gap.

Between the wave sculptured rocks. . . . .

. . . . .and the western tip of the Crozon peninsula. Saving us valuable miles, versus a deep water entry.

It is early evening as Stargazer carries the last trickle of fair tide up the Rade.

And into the port city of Brest.