The twenty strong fleet of yachts taking part in the 2009 RYA Sail Cruise arrived safely in Cherbourg on Monday evening following the first leg of the week long cruise.

Yachts from across the South coast congregated at the Royal Clarence Marina, Gosport on Sunday 7th June before heading off, bound for Cherbourg in fine weather.

The crossing went well for all but one of the fleet, ‘Blue Bat’, a Sadler 32, who unfortunately encountered a large tear in their sail, but repairs were quickly underway on arrival at port.

However it was a rainy welcome at Cherbourg leading to a sightseeing day getting soaked but luckily the sun began to creep through the clouds just in time for the Tuesday evening party, giving crews the opportunity to share stories of their crossing.

First timer, Annette Madison crewing on board ‘Stardust’ a Moody 36, hailing from Bideford in Devon said: “We’ve never crossed the channel before and really wouldn’t have wanted to do it alone. We wanted some support for the first time so the cruise was a perfect choice for us.”

Sponsored by Hamble School of Yachting, in association with Yachting Monthly magazine, the annual event gives sailors of all ages and experience the perfect opportunity to broaden their sailing horizons and is particularly appealing for crews embarking on their first channel crossing, providing the reassurance of sailing with more experienced crews.

After its rest day in Cherbourg and a quick check of the weather, the fleet now (Wednesday 10) heads off to St Peter Port, Guernsey, before heading on to Braye in Alderney, and then finally home on Saturday 13th June.