The DSUK's RIB crew skippered by Charlotte New left the GunWharf Quays at Portsmouth on 20th September 2006 to race towards the starting line some five miles off the coast. There, some fifteen competing yachts were warming up by sailing around the area just before the starting line, and we were able to photograph most of these yachts at a very close range. Surprisingly, we were the only one RIB crew at the starting line

Mike Aston, Joe Healy, Stuart Rogers and Andrew Taylor were present in the crew.

About fifteen minutes before the starting gun was due to go off at 11' o clock, there was no sign of the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) yacht. We realised that there was something wrong, and so we raced back to search for it. Sensed a huge relief, it was found coming on the way, apparently having overcame the trouble with the main sail an hour earlier.

Two Tall ships belonging to Jubiliee Sailing Trust were anchored nearby, but two committee boats were also there acting as the starting marks. Coming from nowhere, a squadron of jet planes came to give us some ten minutes display even though we were the only one speculating craft at the starting line! Mike tried to wave to some of the permanent crew aboard one of the Tall Ships, which he sailed on in a one week trip in Gran Ganaria near Tenerife one year earlier.

Immediately after the gun went off, we trailed the NDCS yacht for about one mile and then broke off to return to the GunWharf Quays. We continued past the marina to explore the navy yards at a distance of some fifty metres away, and then returned to the marina, where we spent two or three hours in the champagne lounge room at the Ha Ha bar, one of the most exclusive bars at the front. No wonder, we went home very broke, and Charlotte braved the rain to bring the RIB home to the River Hamble some twenty miles away!

Andrew Taylor
DSUK Committee Member