Starling

We are 11 days out of Las Palmas and today was a good day. Refreshed from the showers yesterday, we find that we had completed another 200-plus mile day. Had a visit from a dozen of the tiniest dolphins, passed within quarter mile of a sloop heading the same way, shook out a reef and […]

Translated from Hebrew: “You are too old, don’t even try….your experience is not good for blue water sailing.” Those were the comments when we told people we would be joining Starling for the ARC 2019. We arrived in Gran Canaria, met a group of nice people and got into action: changing sails, ropes, moving gear, […]

During the past few days I have become very fond of my knee pads, the spinnaker, and warm water. The knee pads will not stop me being first in the bruises competition but at least one area is bruise free. Me and the spinnaker cuddle up when I am too tired to fight my way […]

Greetings from the Atlantic high-then low-seas! We are 11 souls on board the good ship Starling, with approx. 300 nautical miles already behind us as we head south then south west off the African coastline. Only another 2400 NM or so to go… We have already spotted dolphins and a friendly whale, as well as […]

We left the anchorage at Cedeira just before the sun made an appearance, as part of operation: make progress west. Ten hours later the evening saw us pull into Camariñas, just north of Finisterre, where we were both grateful for the refuge from the forecast breeze and bowled away by the hospitality of the locals. […]

Starling’s crew have had a jam packed time this past week. After the acclimatising safety briefs and intense day of sail training, we spent our first night away from Falmouth anchored in the pretty Helford River – although not for long, as a 5am start called. We set off downwind across the English Channel, sailing […]

By wednesday this week it was Start Point 1 Starling 0 but yesterday a very small weather window provided the opportunity to even the scores and even the scores we did! We slipped out of Darthaven Marina in the dark and the placid conditions could well have made us question the forecast had we not […]

The inclement weather in no way deterred our enthusiastic adventurers and no sooner was lunch and safety briefs complete than we found ourselves setting off I to the mizzle. A pod of dolphins soon distracted from a slightly uncomfortable sea and we sailed cautiously under head sail as the wind was deep behind us. Our […]

A Blog put together from the whole crew on our first full day of sailing on Starling! An early start for breakfast Man overboard drills and setting up the boat had Steven hanging over the side of the boat and then off we set……. First destination Salcombe, Heading around Start Point and we decided to […]

Early, early start from Poole in the darkness, before   we slipped out into a perfect autum morning in the English Channel. The sun appeared as we hoisted the main and the number two yankee and began a much more relaxing day than the tack-fest previously mentioned here. For what is supposed to be the busiest […]

‘It’s been a while since you last sailed,’ said Bruce. ‘Why not ease back into things with a gentle coastal trip?’ His words came back to me yesterday as Chris, Alex and I disappeared into a wall of water on the foredeck as we struggled to gather in the brand-new headsails. We were nearing the […]

The crew arrived into Southampton to join the newly refitted Starling with a promising sense of enthusiasm and fun. After the normal safety briefs for living below decks and the same above, we enjoyed a hearty lunch before setting off for the shakedown sail to Cowes. It was quiet on the Solent, understandably, as we […]