I have been Easter sailing for nearly 20 years first in charter boats and then Brandy Bottle.  The first year we chartered a Contessa 32 and set off on a night sail from Yarmouth I.O.W across to Cherbourg which called upon knowledge and experience that we didn’t have but luckily all went well and we had a tremendous time but Tim and I resolved to do our Yachtmaster’s Certificate.

It became a matter of pride to go foreign either to France or across the North Sea to Holland and every year we succeeded.

In 1984 we had chartered Ianda shown here entering the Solent after the crossing back from Alderney.

Easter 1998 was different. Compromis was my own boat and the lads would be flying down to Nice rather than just driving driving down to Levington.

If Easter sailing had been about getting to the other side then the summer of 1998 was going to be the same and off we went to Corsica and didn’t we have a wonderful time. The three articles Legging it across the Ligurian, Bay of shooting Stars and Bonifaccio all come from that trip.

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