HOEOCA November Rally 2016 – Bembridge

This year's HOEOCA autumn rally dinner was set for the Bembridge Sailing Club based in Bembridge Harbour on the east coast of the Isle of Wight.  The club had not used this venue for a rally setting before although many of the members had sailed into the tricky setting.

As usual the rally started off with many travelling down to Port Hamble Marina near Southampton to assemble into predefined crews on one of the four Fairview Sailing Oceanis 37 yachts.  Other crews were to meet up elsewhere around the south coast on five owners' boats.  After unpacking kit and victuals, in one case kindly delivered from the local Tesco supermarket, it was time to relax for the evening either on-board or at a local hostelry in readiness for the first day sailing in the morning.  Most of the passage planning necessary for the four day trip had already been done beforehand but weather changes and other last-minute issues invariably mean some navigation must be left until nearer the off.

It's great when several boats decide to meet up in the same marina in the evening and this rally was not to disappoint with most crews sailing into Lymington and depositing themselves around some of the excellent pubs and restaurants available within a few minutes' walk of Berthon.  The passage from Hamble to Lymington, with in some cases a lunchtime stopover in Newtown Creek, had been gentle with very little wind for the most part until the last few miles when the breeze perked up and a very pleasant sail was had.

The second day saw every crew making way for the rally dinner destination of Bembridge and a slightly more than the usual Solent navigation challenge of a tide-critical entrance through the winding harbour entrance.  Here just a few fathoms of error can prove very embrarrasing and could have provided far too much fodder for the after dinner speech.

Thankfully, the wind was slight and kind, and the crew's tidal calculations proved correct with nearly the full set of boats sailing into the entrance in close line astern formation with one or two boats having deliberately held back to make absolutely certain there was the right amount of water available.  A brief downpour threatened to dampen the enthusiasm but it soon cleared.

Once safely ensconced in a line against the allocated pontoon, thoughts turned to pre-dinner drinks on-board and that evening's fancy dress, the theme for which was Victorian with an Osborne twist.

After some light refreshment and everyone in various states of fancy dress, it was deemed time to set off for the sailing club.  With the club house at the other end of the harbour and a route by road and path of over a mile, a water taxi had been arranged.  More like a motorised tea-tray than a boat, the transport could only take about ten people and so a series of four or five trips were necessary.  On a few occasions the less than ideal hydrodynamic qualities of the craft were discovered with wet feet entailing the displacement of the inch or two of harbour water thus shipped by rearrangement of the ballast (the passengers).  After much merriment the crews disembarked at the delightful club house and the evening could really begin.

It was predicted that Ozzy Osbourne would feature highly in the fancy dress and we weren't disappointed.  There were also various Victorian figures, bathers, Dickens' characters and even a team dressed in whites playing on the fact that the club house was originally intended to be a cricket pavilion.  Many people judged the efforts to be better than many previous rallies' efforts.

A wonderful meal was washed down with an entertaining rally speech from our Commodore before eventually facing the dreaded tea-tray again and retreating to a nominated boat for that all important night-cap.

With more sailing on the last two days and near perfect rally weather throughout, a great time was had by all and well done to Roger Shinton, Rear Commodore Cruising, for the hard work organising it.

Roll on the next one!