Mark Rosenthal

Delayed start due to F6 gusting F7 winds up until 11:00. The club was holding its annual jumble sale and try a sail day so it was a very crowded carpark! We eventually goot the crew, Tess, Sam along with his son Nathan and me to the top of the groyne but by then it was the Launch Driver’s lunch time, so a short delay waiting to be taken out to FlairIV. When we got onboard we decided to have lunch while we were on the mooring and then to go through the checks before leaving the mooring with the engine running but sailing on the main as we navigated through the various moored yachts. We had decided to do a ‘round the cans’ sail to give Sam and Nathan some experience of what happens in a race. With the jib unfurled we sailed downwind to the club start IDM [inner distance mark] and then followed course 2, which took us close to the Viking Cruise ship berthed on the Aluminium Pier. Sailing between this and the berthed Ferry gave a demonstration of the effect of two large ships close together in a strong SW wind. Sailing down to Penrhos mark the winds were gusty and showed the crew how to manage sudden gusts and counter the healing action. As the buoy is in a shallower area of the opening to the Cymyran Strait we watched the depth on the instruments and discussed the depth below the keel and the likely dangers. After gybing round Penrhos we headed due North to the Meath buoy, tacked round and back to Clipera before sailing back into the New Harbour to the finish line. Once over the line we picked up Sam Meade from the club rib and sailed around in the more sheltered waters of the harbour. Sam J then offered to do a mast climb to try and fix the new steaming light unit but this was unsuccessful as the position of the choc block connector made it very difficult to set the multi strand cables into their appropriate location.

For preparation for racing on board for 17:15 with Eric. Remainder of the crew arrived in good time so we left the mooring before 18:00 to familiarise the crew, sailing off on the main. At the 5 minute warning we unfurled the jib carefully planning our approach to the start line. Flair crossed the start line about 7 seconds late on the downwind leg but soon was leading the field out of the New Harbour. Race officer Dawn had set course 1 which gave us a long downwind leg around the end of the breakwater then a tight reach to Penrhos, a broad reach to Clipera and a windward leg back to the finish. On the leg from Penrhos we were informed that the James Joyce ferry would be departing in 15 minutes and the Stenna ferry was inbound shortly after. We notified Port Control of our intention to cross the TSZ before the ferry movements and were given clearance. A great evening sail with FlairIV first over the line by a long way!

The crew ran through the essential checks before going up on deck to ready Flair IV to leave her mooring. With the brisk winds we put in a reef while hoisting the main and with the engine running but not driving we came off the mooring on port tack quickly turning to port and sailing between the adjacent moored yachts. Once clear of the moorings we deployed the jib and contacted Holyhead Port Control for clearance to sail out of the New Harbour across the TSZ. We were informed of the inbound Stena Ferry but as we were making 8kt boatspeed I stated that we intended to sail on to Clipera ahead of the approaching ferry, which we were monitoring on the ChartPlotter. The wind conditions outside the harbour were stronger than predicted and we turned to windward to put a second reef in the main. Our plan was to sail towards North Stack but as the tide was now turned we decided to sail to Langdon Ridge cardinal mark and then head back to our mooring for lunch as it was too choppy with wind over tide to be comfortable out in the open waters. With three well executed tacks in the conditions we made it back to the New Harbour and the crew managed the furling of the jib and the dropping of the main while I helmed under motor back to the mooring. Conditions on the mooring were ideal for a calm lunch although there was a bit of wind chill with the strong winds.

We had a delayed start as the engine switch alarm did not work. After searching and cleaning terminals we finally got the engine started and left had a significant battle our mooring under sail anyway. Winds in the harbour were southerly F3 allowing us to make good progress out and across the TSZ to Clipera Buoy. We then headed out towards Langdon Ridge as the tide was now beginning to flood. From Langdon we set up the cockpit table and had our lunch then, having left it a bit late we turned to sail back to the harbour but as the wind was dropping around Carmel head we had a significant battle to break free of the tide race, now at mid tide. We noticed a double canoe too close in to the shore for us to assist. As the paddlers were struggling and going backwards we decided to call the coastguard. Helen kept a lookout for them until we saw the lifeboat arrive at the scene to rescue them. We continued on into the harbour and back onto the mooring and were overtaken by the inshore RNLI lifeboat on thir way back to base.

FlairIV launched at Porth Penrhyn in F4-F5 north north wester winds. We motor sailed NE along the Menai Strait and through Puffin Sound where the sea state got rough. Engine off as we sailed NW to Trwyn Dimnor before tacking to clear the shallows. Once on a suitable bearing to Point Lynas we tacked and put in one reef, passing a number of ships waiting for access to Liverpool Docks. To pass Point Lynas we had to put in another two tacks standing off to a lay line to Middle Mouse. Here the sea state started to quieten down although we were still seeing wind speeds of up to 25kt in the gusts. Gannet were flying around diving on the tidal currents over the rocks along with guillimots flying low and level through the choppy seas. our track ran very close to the coast through between .Middle Mouse and the coast being carried by the current. Another tack was necessary to pass Harry Furlong mark then we had a clear leg straight to Carmel Head. Rounding Carmel Head was relatively carm at an hour before the tide turned and with the wind moderating we removed the reef and sailed directly to the New Harbour entrance, checking for port traffic on Channel 14. once in the shelter of the breakwater the engine was started main sail dropped and jib furled away to motor to our swinging mooring where we were met by the Holyhead Launch.

After a pretty bumpy overnight stay at anchor I got up at 06:00 and made hot drinks for everyone and explained how the day would go. The first job was to drop the old 95% jib and put up the brand new jib. Once that was organised we raised the main, this time without reefs, and then raised the anchor to get under way. The winds were light but westerly and the tidal flow past the entrance to Porth Wen was building nicely in our favour. On a broad reach we were making around 6 - 7kt in nice flat waters. A complete change from yesterday! Due to the apparent wind angle it was decided to deploy the Code 0, Tess and Luke got that organised and then we furled the new jib and sailed down to Puffin Sound. As we arrived close to the Penmon Head light house we unfurled the jib and furled the code 0 to head up to sail to the first channel buoy. We then had a number of tacks, 9 in total, before we dropped the main and furled the jib to motor the last section in towards Porth Penrhyn dock following the 5m depth contour. Under motor the crew removed the code 0 and we tidied up what we could as we headed into the harbour entrance. Once inside the harbour we were asked to moor up alongside a fishing boat on the quay whilst the two lift outs before us were dealt with. With a bit of time to spare I offered the crew a small shot of Jura, as they had missed out last night, to celebrate getting the delivery completed.

With a semblance of order onboard we prepared to leave the mooring setting off at just after 17:00, which was High Hide in Holyhead. The winds were very much as forecast for direction but the wind speeds were, at times, way in excess of the previous day’s forecast. We raised the main with two reefs and kept to the old jib (No 2 95%). Once clear of the New Harbour and the Breakwater it was obvious that the sail plan was correct with winds on our beam reaching the high 20s. We therefore made very good progress up to Carmel Head and as predicted the passage through between the headland and The Skerries was ‘reasonably’ OK with wind now with tide. The clouds out to the west were looking ominous but we made sufficiently good progress to avoid the heavy rainfall from an anvil cloud which seemed to get stuck on The Skerries. Meanwhile the whole of Anglesey apart from the very north coast seemed to be covered in very heavy rain and clouds, while we were in sunshine with no rain all the way to Porth Wen (The Brickworks).

With an intention of sailing on the ebb tide round the Stacks and back we were preparing the boat as the strong wind weather warning came on the radio. With Sam’s 10 year old son onboard and the weather warning I made the decision to just go for a sail in Holyhead Bay. The rain held off and the winds remained around 18kt gusting 20kt so we had a good sail and a good introduction to sailing for young Nathan.

Finally we had a Wednesday evening without too much wind but this evening’s race was technically very challenging as the winds died away and at times we relied entirely on the tide! The wind was light SW giving a downwind start. The yachts which started were, once again, Hellhound, Aquilibre and FlairIV. A short course of start to Clipera and back was decided as the winds were so lite and the sunset early. All 3 yachts got a good start and were at close quarters past the knuckle but then FlairIV sailing with her code 0 steered a little higher to wind to pick up the better wind away from the breakwater pulling out a fair distance by the time she sailed beyond the Aluminium Jetty. Rounding Clipera she was well ahead and as the wind died away she was able to pick up assistance from the flood tide as it ran round the end of the breakwater. By this point both other competing yachts had retired and were motoring back into the harbour. Hellhound caught up with us just as we approached the finish line.