The breeze is down to 24 knots from the west, as we leave Castletownbere. The blue-black sea is white crested and furrowed deeply by the wind, out in Bantry Bay.
A rainbow arches across the horizon. Prelude to a ten minute, 30 knot, black squall - followed immediately by clear skies and sunshine.
Stargazer clambers out over the swell; hard on the wind, under double reefed main - more mountain goat than boat, today.
Bull Rock rears vertically out of the surging seas, its creased brown flanks stream white with spume. An arc of sky blue, at its base, reveals a tunnel cut clean through the rock, by the tumbling waves.
We bear off, for the Kenmare River. It's dead downwind. We 'sail the angles,' gybing our way in; under full sail, now that the wind is free. Another black squall comes through. Stargazer's bow wave climbs aft and rises alongside us, like two white walls. For five minutes we're planing at 9-10 knots!
I dowse the jib and reach into Sneem, dodging round the necklace of green, shrub topped, low cliffed, islands, which protect the anchorage. Brightly coloured rowing gigs battle in the channel ahead. It's Sneem Regatta. I round up and drop the main, as a tall ship follows us in.
(No data signal at the moment - pix to follow if/when I find some!)
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Location:Ring of Kerry,,Ireland
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