Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race 7 - 21 August 2006
Cowes - Muckle Flugga
Click here for Chris Beeson's Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race Blues
Click here for Muckle Flugga - Dover Click here for Dover - Cowes
7 August: a cracking start and opening leg down Solent, leading IRC 1 and ahead of a Ker 11.3 and Pogo 40. (photo: Dan Craddock)
8 August: After carrying the kite overnight, now hard on the wind heading towards Lizard. Would crew have been smiling if they knew there was another 1700 miles beating before the finish? Bob, Sarah, Dave and Tom. (Photo: Kerri Whitehouse)
8 August: Skipper takes a nap (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)
8 August: Eddystone - with the rock under Smeaton's Tower clearly showing, MH made a detour to leave the rock to starboard -
others didn't, and benefited from less tide and were better placed for the wind shifting into north west. We protested, before later
establishing that there's enough evidence that rock may cover a few times a year so that we'd probably lose the protest.
8 August: Helen, Dave, Chris, Ralph (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)
9 August: Standby watch - Chris, Helen and Ralph. (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)
9 August: Heading north west across the Irish Sea (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)
9 August: Wet stuff crossing the Irish Sea (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)
10 August: Wind warm enough for drying boots. Ralph, Bob, Tom. (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)
10 August: News that Sarah has become Member of Institute of Structural Engineers is reason for celebration. Navigator checks weather on skipper's PDA. (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)
12 August. Crew starting to show signs of wear and tear with endless beating. Chris comes off watch somewhere up the Irish west coast. (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)
14 August: Heading north east between Hebrides and Shetland Islands (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)
14 August: Ralph, Chris, Helen and Tom dressed for the weather - northerly wind, with nothing but sea and ice between MH and
the North Pole (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)
15 August: 1800 "Grey is the new Blue". Rounding Muckle Flugga. Waves breaking around base of Out Stack glimpsed
briefly 100 metres off. (Photo: Sarah Fawcus)