Cowes to Hamble - Day 81

Cowes to Hamble - Sunday 31st July 2011 - Day 81

We left Cowes Corinthian Yacht club with their burgee flying bought by Bill who decided he wanted his yacht club represented along with mine.

Folly Inn

Seemingly everyone who comes to the island has to visit the Folly Inn which is a half hour motor up the Medina river.  You pass the many boat yards and sailing schools as you travel up with the chain ferry also moving to and from east Cowes.
The Sunday lunch in the Folly was excellent and the walk along the river bank afterwards was very pleasant.
We had to leave at 15.00 as lots of others were going off to see the main attraction out in the Solent.

Ferry to Southampton leaving East Cowes

As you pass Cowes along with other leisure boats there is the small matter of watching the movements of the chain ferry, car ferries and fast craft ferries.
It is fascinating being in amongst them all and doing your best to stay out of their way. Not wanting the embarrasment of receiving five short blasts on their hooter, informing they do not know what you are about to do.

Clipper Yachts

In the Solent the big attraction was the start of the round the world clipper race.  We arrived an hour before at the start line which was off the Royal Squadron Yacht Club. There were lots of other boats taking pictures of these magnificent racing machines.  There were ten boats actually taking part in the race with the first leg being to Rio De Janerio in Brazil.  The weather was just right for the start, with a fine clear warm sunny day and a steady breeze.

Clipper Race Start

We moved to a position to able to see the start which went of at 16.30.  All the following fleet moved along eastwards with them and it was a magnificent start with horns blarring, helicopters flying overhead and every type of boat trying to keep up, and we wish the racers well on their adventure.  We gave up early and began our journey back to the Hamble River and had to find our way around the Bramble Bank.

P & O Cruise Liner Aurora

On the way to the river we were part of the Hamble Scramble, this is where lots of boats head back on a Sunday evening after their owners who mostly live in the London have finished their weekend sailing.  They drive back to London for work the next day.
At this time, the elegant 'Aurora' came down Southampton Water, now this is how you should travel the world.





There was only pub in Hamble which we had not visited and not to be out done, we strolled into the village and finished off a magnificent day in a lovely atmosphere.