En France 77

 

Autumn sunshine bathes the waterfront, in the quiet of morning. My body still on Central European Summer Time, I have woken before the town is astir.

Yesterday, Stargazer set sail from Roscoff,  two hours before the dawn. Riding the eastbound tide. Climbing as high as she could, on the northerly breeze.

By the break of day, she is slipping south of Les Triagoz reefs. Making seven knots over the ground. On the rhumb line.

Slicing past Les Sept Iles, away down to starboard. The sun, though, has a glint of mischief in its steely eye. The sky turns an ominous bruised black.

Portent of the breeze backing rapidly north east and building. We tuck in a reef and tack north. No longer able to lay our course. But hoping to climb toward the forecast north westerly veer, out in La Manche. And to more advantageously place Stargazer, within the tidal gyre, of the Baie, in anticipation of the inshore tide turning foul. Off Les Heaux de Brehat, it runs at three knots or more.

West of Roches Douvres, Stargazer finds her favourable wind shift and tacks back onto the lay line.

Thundering north east. Spray flying. Our gamble has paid off. 

We settle into as fine a day's sailing as I can remember. Stargazer tearing a foaming white furrow across a cobalt blue sea. The wind singing joyously. 

We finally ease sheets, onto a reach, as Stargazer closes on Les Hanois. (The reefs which guard the south west tip of Guernsey). Picking up an eastbound tidal eddy, beneath the tall wave worn cliffs.

Sweeping down to St Martin's Point and on into St Peter Port.