One of the best sails I’ve had in the Mediterranean or Adriatic: nice breeze that kept the boat flat out much of the way, apart from a couple of hours after the start of the return leg. Only once or twice were we hard pressed, and what’s more the wind magically veered and backed almost on demand, just as we needed it, especially near the course turning point in the Gulf of Trieste. Even as the wind dropped approaching Venice, it was enough to keep us moving at 5 knots.
From the start at 20.30 off Venice on Thursday evening, we arrived in Novigrad, Croatia, at 11.30 am the next morning, much better than 1500 in last’s year slow race; coming back, we crossed the line under genniker at about 0900 on Sunday morning, whereas last year we arrived under engine in a calm at 1500 and, like us, most of the rest of the fleet had retired hours before on a hot, windless day.
I’m not sure whether we were still the smallest boat in the race. The yacht that came first in our class was a new entrant of about the same length but, as the photo below shows, that’s where the similarity ends: the cabin appears to be a sail locker without accommodation, and it was interesting to watch them trying to decide which of their many hi-tech sails to use for the weather expected. By her own lights, 50-year-old Spiuma nevertheless did very well indeed. The lagoon-friendly electric motor was also hardly used.
Thanks to Martin, the owner and skipper of Spiuma, and his friend Ilir, an excellent helmsman.
tide by tide 