Splash & Dash Rally
1 - 11 June 2005
1. Yachts participating were reduced by some understandable late withdrawals to a core of 4 (Parker 27-Harlequin, 275s-Marguerite,
Abacus and 335-Shemar) plus a spirited and solo one night visit to St Valery-sur-Somme by Super Seal 26-Ard Righ.
2. The French ports visited having started from Littlehampton were, Fecamp, St Valery-en-Caux, Dieppe and by Harlequin and
Shemar to St Valery-sur-Somme and Treport. Abacus and Marguerite returned from Dieppe to UK and joined up for a few days
from Brighton back to the Solent.
3. St Valery-sur-Somme and Treport are reported separately, but the other French ports were pleasant , straightforward to
enter and provide a good taste of near France for a short cruise. Over the 10 days we had the full range of wind strengths
from F1 to 5/6 , so the sailing was varied.
4. I can recommend the Yachting Monthly Cruising Companion-North France and Belgium- by Neville Featherstone which gives
pilotage and what to do and see ashore.
5. Highlights of the cruise included:
- Dinner at the Arun Yacht Club at the start with the half term rally
- Dinner by Sheila on Shemar for 9 of us on arrival Fecamp after a long crossing
- At Fecamp, on the "rest day", a walk up to the Pointe Fagnet, the Seamens’ Chapel there with a gallery of shipwreck pictures
and at the request of a German gentleman a spirited rendering of "A Long Way to Tipperary" led by John Lansley next to a
2nd world war pill box
- At St Valery-en-Caux, another walk to a cliff top with a stainless steel billboard to mark the first flight Paris-New York
(37 hours), the Cave de Vin on the quayside and drinks on board Marguerite.
- At Dieppe, a good French Sunday lunch for all at a Logis de France
- The Abacus return from Dieppe to Newhaven via Beachy Head, with strong
winds on the second half with 3 reefs for a while
then sunlight and a F3 for the finish
- At Bembridge, a sumptuous BBQ on the beach below the beach huts at the entrance for the 6 of us on Marguerite and Abacus.
Those who went to St Valery-sur-Somme will I am sure sing its praises. I will try to get there another year. Any ideas for
next year’s early cruise?
Clifford Miller
This rally included Littlehampton for those not crossing the channel: