Flushed with the success, of shooting the pass in Pornichet's outer reef, at seven knots on a thundering broad reach, Stargazer's jubilant skipper is brought down to earth. By the sight of a race fleet coming up fast from astern. Causing him to realise that the two buoys ahead are not newly laid channel marks, but their finish line.
Stargazer left Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie heartened to discover that the forecast has improved overnight. The predicted strength is increased, from a marginal eight knots, to a properly-powered-up twelve becoming sixteen. A good day's sailing is in prospect!
Wind direction remains north easterly for the morning. Backing to north westerly by afternoon. Meaning that Stargazer will potentially be on a 'fetch' (wind angle sixty to seventy degrees) all day. One of Stargazer's fastest points of sail. Particularly in winds below fourteen knots. Due to the fact that sailing slightly into the wind boosts its strength.
Stargazer sails steadily north west, through the morning. Hugging the shallows. Both to shorten her course and to stay out of the south going tide.
By lunchtime the twin towers, at the tip of the Ile de Noirmoutier, are in sight. They remain so for an hour. Whilst the wind takes a siesta and the tide slowly turns in our favour. Soon the breeze is back. From the northwest.
It is time for Stargazer to tack north, for the mouth of the Loire. Toward which the tide is also rushing. Pushing aside the anchored shipping, in its headlong hurry. Mutely, the leviathans swing on their heavy chains.
The pass, in Pornichet's reef, was a new discovery last year. Which we cautiously explored under reduced sail. Confident in our waypoints, today we whistle through at full bore. Before putting in a swift series of gybes to clear the J-Boat fleet. In whose midst we have appeared.
Before us, the beach resort of Pornichet. Stargazer is back in Breizh (Brittany)
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