Coordinators – Neil & Elaine O’Connor

Although Saturday 18^th April was reasonably sunny there was a cold brisk NE wind blowing for the trip to Southampton’s Town Quay.  This gave a fast passage up Southampton Water dodging the cruise liners coming into the docks and Ben Ainslie Racing out on their foiling catamaran.

Town Quay is approached via an interesting dog leg through the wavebreak into the marina just by the Cowes Fast Cat terminal.  The visitors mooring is a long substantial concrete pontoon that could easily be used to park cars on it.

We would recommend the marina.  It is all new and well maintained (including the showers) and the staff automatically come down to take your lines.  It’s about a fifteen minute walk to the centre of Southampton from the marina.

We had 8 boats and 18 people come along for the rally.  The first event was a guided walk around the medieval churches of Southampton.  This was a fascinating tour, with even those who knew Southampton well being shown buildings that they didn’t know existed.

A brief pontoon party was held in the evening – we need to go back in warmer weather to make justice of their unsinkable pontoon – followed by a buffet chinese meal at Charlie Chan’s restaurant.

All departed on Sunday to enjoy a fine sail home in the fresh NE breeze.