48:00.5N 4:33.2W

 

5 May Did it in one, and pie to celebrate

 

Depart L`Aberwrach 1030

Arrive Ste Evette (Audierne) 2230  55 miles

 

WSW f1/2, then backing on the nose, even after rounding the Raz. Calm and sunny, but still v cold air .

 

What a contrast to the previous day. Left an hour earlier than the pilot suggested to fight the tide for even longer to le Four lighthouse. The point of battling to Lab`wrach was that it is possible to shoot the notorious Chanel Du Four (the top end of Brittany) and the Raz de Sein (the bottom end of Brittany)  in one tide, and avoid a stopover at delightful Camaret. High pressure still dominating, so we motored all the way. Neaps, so not a huge conveyor belt ride – hence the early start. Usual tactic of full main and a course to keep it filling, so we kept up with two larger yachts (one UK)  on the same schedule for Du Four. The other Brit zigzagged down the Four – dead centre on all the turns, we did the straightest course possible shaving the reds and greens – otherwise we would have fallen behind the tight schedule. Emerged from Du Four on time – dead flat till a bumpy bit after La Fourmi when i thought we were through – a bit like off Exmouth docks on a spring tide.

 

Upped the revs to keep up the speed as wind and tidal push weakening and made it to the Raz 2000 (slack water 1947)  so absolutely flat as a pancake. (On one of our previous roundings we were late and hit a massive standing wave where the two flows meet – don’t ever want to do that again.) Despite a 80 degree turn,wind still on the nose – what have we done to annoy the wind gods? As expected a foul tide all the way to Audierne, a slow 10 miles, to pick up one of the many  buoys off Ste Evette as the light faded. Jane had fire up the new oven on the approach – no smell of burning plastic so i must have removed all the protective film, and produced a wonderful steak and ale pie, courtesey of Fray Bentos, veg and pots (and more Bass). (We do M&S stewed steak these days – just chuck in the pan so no need for the oven, but the FB pie was a return from our last self catering ski trip many years ago –(taken as one of many for when it was my turn to cook! We haven’t done self catering since.)