Twelfth Cruiser Rally of the 2026 Season Cowes Yacht Haven Saturday 15th August Sunday 16th The Pragmatic Art of Cruising

Published 18:32 on 24 Aug 2026 by Sue PEARSON

For the 12th rally of the 2026 Cruiser Rally programme, six boats had registered and duly set sail for their destination: Cowes Yacht Haven Marina on the Isle of Wight.
Sails may indeed have been set, but with a westerly breeze that was light and highly variable in both strength and direction, progress under sail was destined to be more aspirational than achievable. Beneath a cloudless sky, however, the sails did perform one very useful function, providing welcome shade from the relentless sunshine of this exceptional summer. Just two days earlier, the years hottest day had been recorded, and following hot on the heels of a solar eclipse the previous evening.
In these circumstances, shade could reasonably be regarded as the sails principal contribution to the passage, while their traditional role of propelling the boat forward was perhaps, rather reluctantly, then delegated to the engine. Taking this pragmatic approach to sailing, the rally organisers vessel, Hobo, had set off a day early. An engine trial was considered prudent following the fitting of several replacement parts during the week always wise when ones secondary method of propulsion involves a collection of mechanical components with an unsettling tendency to stop working in the absence of maintenance.
By mid-afternoon on Friday Hobo was berthed alongside in a bay of the northern basin of the marina that had been reserved for the rally. Altair arriving later in the evening and rafting up alongside after a trip over from Gosport.
Firebird arrived in Cowes early on the Saturday afternoon after having spent a few days in Bembridge – and a little later Frith arrived and rafted alongside after a passage from Gosport. With the initial adverse flow of a big spring tide to contend with, in the longer passage from Chichester Harbour, Windeye and then Rousillon arriving later in the day and rafting up together.
Skippers and Crews were invited aboard Hobo at 18:15 for drinks and nibbles in the cockpit before setting off on foot to The Island Sailing Club, where a table had been booked for 19:30. A very pleasant half hour was spent over pre-dinner drinks and conversation on the Island Sailing Club terrace overlooking the Cowes harbour entrance and enjoying the noticeably cooler air of the early evening. The Island Sailing Club catering again lived up to expectations with good food and service.
Sunday morning dawned with a fairly weak frontal system having produced a light north-easterly airstream overnight together with an overcast sky, something not seen it seemed for a good few weeks. Lines were being slipped after breakfast at around 10:30 as the east going tidal flow gathered pace off Cowes. Windeyes lines would remain attached for a few hours longer however waiting in the marina for the afternoon change in tidal flow in order to head off to cruise various points west.
The other five boats then departed the marina in orderly succession. Mainsails were optimistically raised and a few tentative tacks put in before headsails were rolled away as it became readily apparent that any stately progress being made towards the intended destination could be improved on quite considerably by actually pointing the boat in the required direction under engine – and with overcast skies, any additional shading from these expensive roller awnings was not then required.
Words and photos by Ron Foden.