Royal Thames Cumberland Cruise — 28 June '09

28 June –05 July

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Cumberland Cruise

The Cumberland Fleet set sail from Osborne Bay on Sunday the 28th June following the closing lunch of the Cumberland Regatta, to escort westward sailing yachts and to visit institutions on the South Coast.  Pennants were moved from backstays to spreaders and participating yachts moved to the beautiful moorings at Newtown Creek and a personal welcome from the Harbour Master.

The following morning the fleet sailed on the tide to Poole Harbour with a predominately southerly wind, arriving in time for a tour of the RNLI training facility. The RNLI extended a huge welcome at the state of the art training centre in the heart of Poole which includes a lifeboat simulator and even a tank accommodating overturned vessels with trainees inside. More than one sailor was heard to remark that they might never put to sea again. Fortunately the hospitality offered by cruise leader John McMonigall's Saba at the ensuing pontoon party soon restored the necessary Dutch courage required for the next day's trip to Weymouth.

The sail across was uneventful save for a few fog patches and some rather heavy rain. The Royal Dorset Yacht Club hosted an generously catered cocktail party on Tuesday evening to re-establish contact between the clubs. This is an exciting time for the Royal Dorset who are actively involved behind the scenes with Olympic preparations and have moved their operations to the upper rooms of their clubhouse, which has excellent views of the yachts moored in the harbour.

The following morning we were given access to HM Portland Coastguard station where we were fortunate enough to witness their response to an unfolding situation where an abandoned yacht had been sighted on the rocks in Lyme Bay. This truly remarkable facility must rate as one of the finest and most efficient institutions. The previous day they had been responsible for saving the lives of 2 divers, a not uncommon event. It is impossible to estimate how many lives a year are saved by the calm and assured assistance of HM Coastguard. And then to Portland for a visit to the Portland and Weymouth National Sailing Academy situated at the old naval airbase. The academy is a great achievement and we were privileged to moor at the Olympic pontoon and to be shown around the entire site. The academy is already legendary as the first completed Olympic venue but few people could be aware of the challenges overcome since its inception and its enormous contribution from grass roots upwards to the sailing community. It is inspiring to learn of initiatives such as "Sail for a Fiver", where young people who have never sailed can enjoy the experience of a morning on the water. Equally inspiring is the academy's effort to put as much as possible in to the local economy through its employment strategies and determination to be a contributing member of the Portland community.

The Cumberland Fleet split at Portland, with some yachts sailing on to the West Country whilst the remainder returned to the Solent via Yarmouth.  Many thanks to our friends at the Royal Solent for their hospitality where we enjoyed a wonderful buffet lunch on the terrace in the sunshine.