La Hirondelle 61

 

An armada, of paddle boarders and canoeists, advances on the inner harbour. Riding the flood tide.

As it first fills, then overflows, the winding rivulet, which is the channel. Banishing the peche a pied hunter-gathers to higher ground. Catch buckets and 'winkling sticks' in hand.

Slowly the historic craft rise, from their mud berths, to the top of the rough stone quay.

Arriving amid the colouful bustle, of Pornic taking the air, on a summer’s weekend.

La Hirondelle 60

The cutter hangs, jibs aback, mainsail adroop on a smooth sea. Which blends into a cloudless sky.

The blades of the wind turbines are still, beyond the anchored shipping, waiting in St Nazaire roads.

A gaffer motors by. Out of L'Herbaudiere. Stern squatting, as the propeller churns the water away, from beneath the transom.

Passing Stargazer in the narrows, off the tip of the Ile de Noirmoutier. Where we are making use of the gentle conditions, to try out a shortcut, inside Les Boeufs reef.

Stargazer's speed has slowed to two knots. Derived from a favourable tide. There is nothing for it, but to motor in.

Past the twin towers, which guard the northernmost outpost of the Vendee.

Into Breton waters. The beaches instantly golden, rather than silver. The craggy granite shores now topped with broadleaf woodland.

To arrive in Pornic. Where slate roofed, stone walled, Breton cottages mingle amicably with pantile topped, whitewashed villas, of Vendean influence.

 

La Hirondelle 59

 

John Passmore proudly shows me his selfie, taken with GGR winner Kirsten Neuschafer. Whom he met whilst collecting a bulk delivery, of copies of his latest book. Which has now been translated into French. Ours is a chance meeting. I had seen him, arms full, grappling with the pontoon access gate and tapped in the code. 

Recognising the name on the book's cover, I blurt out "are you the John Passmore, of Heavenly Twins fame?" Which leads to an invitation, for a beer. 

John, it transpires, is in Les Sables d'Olonne by way of a return trip, from Baltimore (Ireland). En route to a graduation celebration on the Isle of Wight, in a week's time. Waiting, like Stargazer, for wind.

He raced to the south west tip of Ireland, from Plymouth, whilst competing in this year's Jester Challenge. (An annual solo race, for small simple boats, named after Blondie Haslar's junk rigged Folkboat). Aboard his Rival 32 Samsara.

A (distant) successor to the twenty six foot Heavenly Twins catamaran, Lottie Warren. The boat I associate John Passmore with. Remembering the headlines, in June 2000 when they capsized, in seventy five knot (hurricane force) winds, north east of the Shetland Isles. John survived for twenty four fours, clinging to the upturned vessel. Whilst incessantly raked by breaking seas. 

Until he was airlifted off, semi conscious, by helicopter. To be flown to a nearby oil platform, for resuscitation. The nearest that John comes to mentioning the episode, is to remark, whilst recounting a later adventure, "of course I really shouldn't be here at all." A viewpoint which, it appears, he has translated into a 'live-life-to-the-full' philosophy, ever since.

Including the completion of an Atlantic circuit (aboard Samsara), as an alternative to covid lockdown. And the subsequent 'shielding' guidance, to septuagenarians, such as John 

Photo Credits

Kirsten Neuschafer  John Passmore selfie, Samsara under sail & John Passmore at sea selfie - courtesy of John Passmore: oldmansailing.com

Heavenly Twins under sail - courtesy of CatamaranSite.com

Post rescue - courtesy of bbc Scotland news.

La Hirondelle 58

 

Is this the effect of El Niño? Shaping Stargazer’s cruise.

Breezes are light and from the north, in the Bay of Biscay.

With occasional days of dramatic thunder squalls.

Weather best suited to wandering the waterfront.

Whilst keeping an eye on the forecast.

Watching for a fair breeze.

La Hirondelle 57

 

There is more than one way to go single handed round the world ocean racing, in Les Sables d'Olonne. The Vendee Globe fleet (which start and finish here) do it in high tech, foiling, sixty foot IMOCA's. Arnaud Boissiere's new (to him) boat (formerly Samantha Davies' Initiatives-Coeur) is in port refitting.

So too are the salt stained circumnavigators of the Golden Globe Race (GGR). (Which also starts and finishes here). Don McIntyre, the race founder, calls it “Sailing like its 1968." Rules stipulate that entrants must sail long keeled, production, GRP boats, designed before 1988, without the use of electronic navigation equipment. Offering an alternative, more accessible, route around the world.

The colourful 'Captain Gugg's," ketch rigged, Biscay 36, placed third. With her gleaming golden hull, complete with chili pepper (the spice of life?) adorned bow, she looks the freshest. Perhaps she has been treated to a post finish polish.

Behind her lies Simon Curwen's cutter rigged Biscay 36, Clara. The first boat home and leader throughout much of the race. Although not the eventual winner. Because he was forced to stop, for a week, in Chile, after a knockdown.

Which sheered the top casting on his Hydrovane self steering. (Foreground, below aft end of boom). Relegating him to Chichester Class and thus out of the GGR rankings. Although to claim line honours, after a week lost, languishing in port, is a remarkable feat.

Rafted outside Captain Gugg, is Arnaud Gaist's Barbican 33. Forced to retire at Saint Helena by a litany of: rig failure, barnacle growth and, the final straw, loss of both sextants. With no, race legal, means to navigate, Arnaud was compelled to turn north, before reaching the Southern Ocean. Returning to Les Sables using the GPS, carried by all participants in a sealed safety bag.

Jeremy Bagshaw, aboard the OE32 Olleana (an Olle Enderlein design), was the final finisher of the fleet. In Chichester Class, due to a stop in Hobart, to remove barnacles. Latest in the fleet to round Cape Horn, Jeremy holds the unenviable record (in this year's GGR) for the most storms encountered. Earning his place in the most arduous manner. 

Aboard Minnehaha, her Cape George Cutter, race winner Kirsten Neushafer lives an unassuming seafaring life. Separated, from the open-to-the-public events pontoon, by the waters of the marina fairway. Out of the limelight. Eschewing shore power, in favour of a self sufficient solar panel. Allowing the achievements, of her non-stop solo circumnavigation, rescue of Tapio Lehtinen (whose boat sank) and race win, to do her talking. 

 

 

La Hirondelle 56

 

The metallic tones, of an excitable sports commentator, float incongruously over the water. Carried fully a mile out to sea, on the wind. Coming in fits and starts. So that I had begun to question if I was hearing voices.

Stargazer had sailed with the sunrise. Slipping out of La Rochelle, the docks at La Pallice aglow.

The wind light (eight to nine knots true), but accelerated by the fact that Stargazer is sailing into it. Giving a relaxed eleven to twelve knots apparent.

However, there is to be no ‘free lunch.’ For every mile of the rhumb line course made good, Stargazer must sail one point four miles.

Tacking her way along the low sandy shoreline. First standing out to sea.

Then returning inshore. Waiting for the forecast westerly wind shift, which will bring the breeze onto the beam. That does not arrive.

Fifty one nautical miles of beating brings Stargazer to her landfall. Thirty six miles, on the rhumb line, from La Rochelle. The breeze finally backing westerly, beneath the grey clouds, of the long awaited front.

Which sweeps us into Les Sables d'Olonne.

The acknowledged home of solo offshore sailing. . . . .

. . . . .and, on a balmy Sunday evening, host to the Iron Man bike challenge.

La Hirondelle 55

 

RM are not the only boat builder in town. Amel, builders of idiosyncratic blue water cruisers, is also based in Perigny. Along with the innovative Neel Trimarans, in the Bassin Chalutiers. For sheer numbers, however, Fountaine Pajot is by far the most prominent La Rochelle yard.

Catamarans under, or awaiting, commissioning are crowded two deep on any available pontoon.

Crews of commissioning engineers swarm about their decks.

A generous hearted Fountaine Pajot technician rescued my Tuesday meeting, at the RM yard. Hearing the kerbside phone call, after the arrival of my taxi, to collect me from, rather than take me to, RM; he ushered me into his Tesla. Before carving skilfully through the La Rochelle rush hour. To arrive comfortably before the lorry left, carrying the finished boat, which I was to view.

Today the flags fly stiffly, from Saint Nicolas and La Chaine. Twenty five and thirty knots of north west wind whistling between them.

An uncharacteristic tinge of grey to the sky, as the last of the night's drizzle clears through.

Tomorrow, blue skies and a passage-

making westerly are forecast. With a fair tide for the morning.

Picture Credits

Tesla Model 3 courtesy of  automobile-magazine.fr