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Shorts Skapa
Hairy conditions on Thursday of Cowes Week which was also the third day of the XOD Centenary regatta. We're aboard XOD Class Captain William Norris's Beatrix with Vernon Nock (64) in the front of the boat and International Foiling Moth sailor (!) Peter Barton on the helm. William couldn't be aboard that day because he was on the Royal Yacht Squadron Platform with the Princess Royal who fired the starting cannon for this special race. In his place was Yachting World editor David Glenn. Unfortunately Beatrix was OCS which was apparently made clear to William Norris by the Princess Royal as the sail numbers were duly called out. We hope he didn't lay the blame too firmly at YW's doorstep! Despite the hiccup it was a truly great day's racing followed by a superb Centenary dinner party for 400 back in Cowes.
Coming back from a weekend in Galveston we were only 3 or 4 miles from home port. Entering Galveston Bay we saw this storm approaching. Sailing with just the jib we hoped we could out run it but decided it was better to be out in the open water when it hits so we just rolled in the jib and when it hit turned away from it. No waves to speak of so decided to keep the rain out of our faces. We put the dog down below and waited for it to hit. It hit with 36 knot winds but they died down to the high 20s. The squall only lasted 10 minutes or so and when it passed we headed home. It was our first experience of a storm although not at sea as such so this was a baby storm. The first of many to come in our sailing lives I'm sure.