One reason why the web site hasn't been updated recently is because I've been ill, in fact I had to go to hospital. But that hasn't stopped me sailing (for yes, at last summer has arrived in the UK, only 2 months late!)

In mid August there was another "Round the Island" race. This time it was two handed. About 100 monohulls and 5 multihulls took part, including the Banshee Backlash, fresh from the Round Britain Race, and my Eclipse. Not much wind, in fact it was the worst possible conditions for multihulls as we were all undercanvassed with full sail, but had too much for masthead drifters.

Despite that we did well on a close spi reach down the Solent and by Hurst Castle we were still ahead of a 8m Dragonfly and not far behind the Farrier trimarans. Backlash was some way behind. After passing the Needles and coming onto a beat we did even better, overtaking many of the monohulls that had started 1hr before us and also overtaking a F24. But then it all started going horribly wrong and I still haven't worked out why. We just couldn't stay ahead of monohulls that we had beaten easily a month earlier. Worse still the trimarans pulled ahead and even Backlash started gaining.

As it was a slow race we arrived at the forts, effectively the channel markers at the east end of the Solent, at the top of the ebbing tide. Everyone bunched up and it took 10 minutes or so to break clear. A long bout of short tacking along the sand spits then followed. That's OK as we can tack as fast as a monohull, but we weren't happy to be forced aground by one boat and have to tack away (when on starboard) by a non racing port tacker! And I was definitely unhappy with myself to have totally misjudged the approach of a ferry which cost us 200 hard won yards from a Dehler 41. So by the finish I was pretty disappointed. Backlash was only 20 minutes behind so easily beat us on handicap. So I was VERY surprised to discover later that Backlash had won the race and we'd come second.

The last Tall Ships Race of 2002 finished at Portsmouth, only a few miles from Cowes. So after the race we sailed over to watch the Parade of Sail. The wind was very light and sadly although the tall ships hoisted sail they all motored to and fro. Mind you, that could have been a blessing, for reports later said there were 700,000 people on the shore and 6,000 boats on the water.

Then it was off down to the Scillies again (you may remember I went there for Christmas). It's still a wonderful place to cruise, but as always it's hard to do any sailing when there. That is because either it's too windy to risk moving away from shelter, or it's calm - and anyway all the anchorages are only a mile or two apart and it never seems worth hoisting sail.

Arriving back in Millbrook I saw that I've now sailed over 3,700 miles in Eclipse in the last year. It really is a very comfortable cruising boat, so much so that I'm living on it now full time, and have rented out my house.