Menai Straits

This was the highpoint of the race for me. We left Victoria Dock in 7th position thanks to the superb running Pat and Paul put in on Snowdon. The plan was to stay on the mainland side of the strait and creep along in the shallows out of the tide. The only rocky area on the chart was up by the Brittania Bridge so we dodged along in and out of moorings and through fleets of children training in Oppies in Port Dinorwic. Out in the adverse tide the big asymmetrics gybed downwind and we crept closer as we approached the first bridge. There were four boats out in the channel including Journeymaker and GFT Adventure. EADS was stuck on the middle span of the Britannia Bridge. Flying our blue and red symmetrical spinnaker we sneaked along the shore. About 50 yards from the bridge I could see the tide ripping about a metre off the port bow, and Patrick was shouting "rocks off the starboard bow". Heart in mouth I steered through. With one bump on a rock we made it through at the first attempt. We carried on past the Swellies Rock and crossed over to the left side of Menai at the Platters passing the photographer in his RIB. Due to our invisible force shield he could not capture our image but we popped out ahead of everybody except EADS and one other boat. The wind then died away at Puffin island and the whole fleet bobbed in the Irish sea for the next 12 hours. And so ended our moment of glory.