Guest Blog: Sailing Aboard Welcome

It was a real privilege to sail aboard Welcome and to get to know Jay and Donna as we made our way from Ipswich to Las Palmas.

We had spring tides and some tricky wind conditions to contend with as we left port, but managed to time our entry into the Alderney Race perfectly, speeding through the boiling tidal gate at an exhilarating 15 knots. A brief stop in Guernsey gave us the chance to sort out paperwork, refuel, stretch our legs, and enjoy a bit of sightseeing before heading south to face the infamous Bay of Biscay and the so-called “Orca Alley.”

As it turned out, the bay was kind to us. We were able to test the new sails, including the gennaker, and refine the deck setup using the preventer to find the optimal configuration. Welcome looked after us beautifully, as did the ever-capable Catherine in the galley, whose delicious food and cheerful spirit kept everyone happy.

We gave Orca Alley a wide berth, discretion being the better part of valor when it comes to them, and arrived safely in Cascais with rudders intact: a definite result!

The final leg to Las Palmas was a gentle mix of sailing and motor-sailing. It was wonderful to see Donna’s confidence and joy grow with every mile sailed and every sail tweaked, and Jay’s enthusiasm for the technical side leaves no doubt that Welcome is in excellent hands as she carries them and their crew forward on their next adventure.

Wishing Welcome and her crew fair winds and following seas.
Mark