Zen Again 77

 

Stargazer prances past the weathered red Richlieu tower, accompanied by a stampede of white horses. 

Seventeen knots, of afternoon sea breeze, arriving abruptly. As if a switch had been thrown. As Stargazer glided beneath the arches, of the Ile de Re bridge. Her skipper unable to resist an anxious upward glance.

The clearance, beneath beneath the central span, is ship scale. But appears mast scraping, viewed from the deck.

Stargazer left Les Sables at first light. With the fishing fleet. The lane marker laying safety marshals, already mustering on the pontoons.

Beyond the breakwaters, twelve knots of night breeze greets us. Blowing directly from astern. Which reduces its effective 'pushing power' to eight knots. Because of Stargazer's forward motion.

As the day heats, small shifts in wind angle send Stargazer jinking and gybing. To stay on the rhumb line (shortest distance) route.

The forty footer Stereden, which followed us out of Les Sables, favours 'sailing the angles.' Taking a longer, zig-zag route. Sailing faster but travelling further. 

Through the morning the sandy beaches of the Ile de Re slip by. Stargazer and Stereden neck and neck. Stereden is a larger (therefore inherently quicker) boat and she is sailing 'hotter' angles. But her longer track cancels her advantages.

The presage (in hindsight) to the sea breeze turbo boost, is a shift in wind angle. Which allows Stargazer to deploy her cruising chute. This adds a knot (twenty five percent) to our speed. Settling the impromptu sailing duel, in Stargazer's favour.

One ship is loading, none are on the move, at La Pallice, on the other side of the bridge. Allowing a 'racing line' to be adopted (with the help of five metres' rise of tide) into the La Rochelle channel. Its entrance marked by the ornate octagonal Richlieu tower.