31st May: Folkboats and X-Boats

It was Cowes Classics weekend and a race or races involving Nordic Folkboats and XODs came close in to Lepe Country Park as they tacked against the current.  There was also at least one YOD which apparently Yarmouth One Design, have 9 boats surviving, and race from the Royal Solent Yacht Club in Yarmouth.

Folkboats look to sail very well and I like the hull shape.  I might have chosen on to own except they have a keel and diamond stayed mast, all impractical for my jetty in the River Itchen.

After that we had the unusual sight of one of the Isle of Wight ferries, Red Osprey, cruising along the Isle of Wight shore.  She looked empty and was presumably on some sort of sea trial.  The next weekend it was a different ferry, the Red Eagle I think, which spent some time at and west of the Newtown Creek area.