After a gap of three years for a pandemic, the 10th Dieppe Dash felt like an exploration for the organisers. What were events such as Dieppe Dash going to be like in a post-Brexit post-COVID world? What were the new rules and how would they be implemented? There was still uncertainty about things like immigration and customs by the time we started.
About 20 boats entered the event and 18 set off from Brighton on a morning that promised plenty of wind for the sailors, coming from the north east. Good conditions for a fast sail and a challenging lee-shore finish for the racers. And before the sunset, all boats were accounted for, excellent news for the people on the harbour arm.
All the rally boats arrived safely, although Green Wellys, the only motor cruiser did it in two steps, via an overnight in Dover. Most of the racing boats managed to have a spinnaker up for part of the journey, which was all on the same tack. So the real skill was in keeping going as fast as possible and judging when to have a spinnaker and when not to.
The first boat to arrive was Assuage. In the IRC fleet, 1st place went to Redeye. Kokomo came second and Baradal were third.
In the NHC fleet, the single-handed Emocean was first, with Blue Bird second and Ascent third.
Our concerns about difficulties arriving in France were unfounded. We were met with the same warm welcome as usual. And the weather was glorious. We have already set the date for next year. See you in Dieppe then!
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