The Grand Fondo IOM is happing this weekend, one of the many big biking events increasingly popular around the world. The finish line of today’s Individual Time Trial was placed at the bottom of the Snaefell Mountain. Good opportunity for me to check it out and get some leg training done myself.
Fair winds…
We, the bike and me, took the first departure at 9:50am BST on the Steam Railway from Douglas to Port Erin. This line operates with its original equipment (steam locomotives and coaches) since 1874! Next week is big 150 year Transport Festival on the island. It‘s all about the heritage railways, their specific tasks – very well maintained and still operational.
The 🚴♂️ ride back from Port Erin to Douglas took me through some nice villages and landscape.
Next two days will be a different biking agenda: UCI Grand Fondo – Isle of Man!
Fair winds…
Our time gate was set to 8am at Chicken Rock to catch the NE current up along the southern coastline of the Isle of Man towards its capital – Douglas. 4kn of current were expected.
The Harbour Master recommended me to keep 1nm off this iconic lighthouse and its coastline but I did not want to loose to much windward grounds under the now 20kn of wind from a NW direction. The Lady, performing a slow waltz up to now, turned into acrobatic salsa and the skipper was left with a dry throat again! Oh my lord! Pure nature! Chicken Rock stay away!
Different currents, all friendly, did throw us north towards Douglas Harbour in no time. More than 11kn speed over ground (SOG) is a new record for The Lady.
After a short welcome from Craig at the visitor pontoon we moved into the inner harbour to our allocated berth.
Fair winds…
The passage from Bangor to Douglas was a bit irritating, as we were partly just drifting along south with the tide currents to kill time. Drifting from the North Channel into the Irish Sea. Time well spent on the ocean, if weather permits. A wonderful night at sea.
Fair winds…
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