Assessment

The Assessment Sail was quite different to that which I had expected. Other training sails had been gruelling, whereas this was a lot easier in many respects and more fun, so the difference was undoubtedly due to the absence of the December chills and strong winter winds and cumbersome layers of clothing. The days were lighter for longer too, unlike in the tropics where dusk falls between 6-7pm.

I arrived once more at Queen Anne's Battery and headed for Toshiba II. I had been aboard the yacht for only half an hour when I was despatched to go shopping to Sainsbury's for stores. In the past, I had arrived at the station, gone to the marina, sailed and then gone home. At last, I could take a look around Plymouth en route!

The following morning, Friday, consisted of a briefing above and below decks as usual and a gentle sail in the afternoon. Saturday saw a mixture of sun and fog. We had a comprehensive talk-through about the rigging all of the lines, a talk on trimming during very light winds and all the crew went up the mast, part of the way if not all the way! We spent time taking winches apart, packing spinnakers and other sails – not so easy with the huge genoa. This was managed by passing it between the foot of the mainsail and the boom.

Sunday was sunny and foggy again. Up went the spinnaker again and we learnt more about the trimming of the various sails. With the fog closing in and a warning to all shipping to "stay at home", we anchored in the Helford river for the night'.

On the Monday, we motored back along the river and out into clear water, after some hours passing Wolf Rock, south-west of Lands' End. It was sunny and clear but there was little wind by the time we reached the Lizard lighthouse. For once, we were able to don shorts and T-shirts and had time to admire a 20-foot basking shark. That evening was spent moored in St Marys, on the Isles of Scilly with Pen Duick, of Eric Tabarly fame, as a neighbour.




	...help with a harness from "Junior".......



		..it.s a long way up!



	.....just to prove I got there - the top of the mast!

Tuesday was sunny but dull. The wind was 3-4 in the afternoon as we headed south-east for a buoy off Ushant. Man overboard was practised and we discussed how the watch system was to be implemented and what it entailed. There are various possible systems, but ours worked like this: 6pm-10pm, 10pm-2am, 2am-6am, 6am-12noon, 12noon-6pm and soforth. An odd number of watches ensured that the crew alternate their watch times on a daily basis.

More fog on Wednesday sent us into Fowey where, once alongside, the Skipper gave out a written test to discover what we had learned about sailing and the Challenge yachts up to that time. Thursday morning revealed the delightful place that Fowey is, with its steep banks covered with houses which blended easily into the scenery. The watch system continued and later in the day, light winds enabled us to go kite flying once more.

Friday gave us an opportunity to practise 'man overboard' with a difference, in that this time, we each had a chance to helm through the whole manouevre. That evening I had to leave early to catch the train back to London, in order to catch the flight to Brunei via Singapore early the next day. All in all, it had been a pretty exhausting 'holiday' but I aim to put my feet up when I am older!