Dandelion 94

 

The Tour du Finistere a la Voile starts from Roscoff, this year. On Monday. From yesterday evening,  a stream of crews has been arriving. 

Which explains the shortage of spaces. And increases my respect for the RIB-borne berth-finders. One by one, eighty competitors add themselves to a burgeoning raft, on the events pontoon. 

The northern end, of Port Bolscon, is abuzz with pre race banter, aglow with brightly logoed hulls and agog with expectation. For the week of racing ahead. 

Which will see the fleet finish in Port la Foret, south of the Raz, in Bigouden Bay. Where we met them last year. Impatient to discover their final placing, once the handicap calculations had been run.

The southern end, of the marina, by contrast, is a haven of tranquility. Albeit designed for boats two to three metres shorter than Stargazer. Her finger berth, ending just aft of her shrouds. But, infinitely preferable to being rafted. Which is never a restful experience.

Stargazer finds herself in the unusual position of dwarfing her neighbours. And projecting some way out into the fairway. Hence the heavy fendering. For the tide runs diagonally across the pontoon. Making leaving their berths tricky, for our neighbours, whilst they have our stern to clear.

This corner of the port turns out to be, something of, a solo sailing home from home. The boats mainly in the twenty one to twenty five foot range. Often wooden. And maintained to the highest of standards. After their skippers first enjoy a Saturday morning sail, that is.These craft are no ‘marina queens.’

A German flagged Waarschip arrived, as I breakfasted (very late!). Before her skipper retired below, for the day. I am looking forward to hearing his story, once he awakes. The photograph, on Amica’s Marine Traffic AIS tracker page, places them in Peniche, Portugal, last August.