Now safely home I plan to add a few "galleries" here as a record of the best images and moments of our 3 week trip. It is all very well having a long zoom but please bear in mind most pictures were taken from a lively moving platform and sometimes in haste between essential crew duties.
This first gallery shows some views taken from Victoria sailing in the Rade de Brest 12th and 14th July 2016.
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| Grayhound preparing to enter Brest harbour the day before the start of the Festival |
I start with Grayhound because this was the first sight that had me reaching down below for the camera ("mind your head!") and because she is just stunning - later you'll see her with all her canvas up but this is how we saw her as we sailed through the Rade de Brest from the Moulin Blanc Marina to the festival site. She is a British replica 18th Century 3-masted Customs Lugger built in 2 years (2010 to 2012) using traditional materials and methods.
By way of a contrast, the Général Leclerc is an old boat and a local boat - she was built in 1948 for dredging for scallops in the Rade de Brest.
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| Général Leclerc sailing in, proudly Breton - spot the helicopter above |
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| Général Leclerc - love those matching blue spars |
She sailed all the way in to the harbour as, for the record, did we, though at this point she is clearly overtaking boat.
There are no camera photos for Wednesday, the first day of the Festival. Photos taken with the phone show that we were too busy with setting up the OGA stand, registration and welcome packs, beer and fireworks. Thursday however we went out sailing in the Rade so out came the camera again.
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| We followed this lot out of the harbour |
The white gaff topsail schooner in the middle is the Dutch ship J.R Tolkien originally built in East Germany in 1964 as a diesel-electric tug if you can believe that. She's now run as a charter vessel so presumably was carrying lots of clients out for a sail.
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| French flag on the left and Iris on the right is Dutch |
I can't show all the ships - there were hundreds of us - but sharing a few pretty examples.
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| Here we are sailing along, Iris still there on our starboard side |
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| Close-up of this crew who as you see are also photographing us |
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| Large... |
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| ...and small |
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| Turquoise water - looking for a good spot to anchor |
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| Last shot of the day as we return: our neighbour in the harbour last night, Brixham lugger Alert |
More pics to follow - next post will be some views taken from Barry's Random as we sailed out with him...
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