After the end of the easterly winds we could finally move Elektra out onto her seasonal mooring in Gillan Harbour. With plans of getting away again from Friday evening, so over high water l moved Elektra out onto her mooring. It was a lovely day and l thought l would go for a sail.
With a forecast of north westerly 4, and the wind blowing from the west inside the creek. I pulled up the main with a reef and sailed off the mooring leaving the dinghy on the mooring for later. As l turned Elektra northeast around Carcock east cardinal off Gillan Harbour l set a reefed genoa. Leaving the tiller pilot in control l set the sails and after one gust rolled a little more genoa in. I had noticed the electronics had decided to work today and l was playing with them unaware that a modern similar size yacht was passing Elektra to windward. I can’t have that l thought and took the helm from the pilot, game on!
Modern yachts sit on the water, more like sailing dinghies with a cabin than Elektra which sits in the water. Modern yachts tent to be quick because of this fact. And this modern yacht also had carbon racing sails but Elektra wasn’t going let her leave her behind. Over only about 4nm Elektra didn’t let her go and Elektra was pointing so much better as when we got into the Carrick Roads the modern yacht was half a nm downwind. And before she needed to tack south of St Mawes Castle had decided to motor back to Mylor.
Elektra had followed a center cockpit Southerly 42 into the Carrick Roads which l come from Fowey direction. We both tacked under St Mawes Castle and headed on a starboard tack towards Falmouth Harbour, tacking again by Falmouth Harbour breakwater, the next heading was towards St Just in Roseland, Elektra was pointing well heading for what looked like an anchored work boat, as l got a bit closer l could see it was working on a ships mooring buoy and flying a dive flag, so l gave her good clearance. Afterwards coming hard on the wind again, the Southerly still on the same tack and about 1/4nm ahead sailed quite a bit north of St Just before tacking towards Mylor. Elektra was pointing much better and sailed 3/4nm north of St Just before tacking. That little bit more made all the difference. The Southerly had to tack at the Mylor moorings but Elektra was north of Mylor moorings and could continue on nearly up to the coast before tacking again.
The Southerly couldn’t make it past Turnaware Point on her tack, so decided not to tack again, but started her engine and motored north. Elektra had a good line and was following her towards Turnaware Buoy. But l wanted to get back to Gillan. So l rolled away the genoa and dropped the mainsail, packed away the main and then pulled out all the genoa and headed back south down the Carrick Roads. Much more sedately than before running on a broad reach south and then south-southwest across Falmouth Bay to Gillan Harbour. I picked up her mooring 3.5hrs after dropping having logged 18nm.
Then to pack up, it took me 1.5hrs to get ready to leave Elektra and by that time the tide had gone out, so it took me longer once ashore.
Vicki thought l was lost when l got home, like l said there’s normally 2 of us to pack up!
Love Sailing 