Wow, we were able to leave the dock today..... thank goodness, skip was getting very wide eyed and beginning to worry me! weather wasn't bril, but at least it had stopped raining. Apparently, the weatherman says that the jet stream is unusually south at the moment, hence all our bad weather, plus it is pretty cold, there is a real nip of ice in the air, incredible for June. However, "Freedom" was able to enjoy a brisk stomp down the Solent towards Portsmouth, where we could check out that the sails had been put on the right way round, and that the mast stayed up having been worked on during the off season, plus the crew could vaguely remember which strings to pull when. The bonus for us was to get out and realise that Tigre and Mariette were out having a bit of match racing for fun, they looked gorgeous. We may get out tomorrow before the next storm is due, should arrive late Thursday, Friday for the weekend!! with a bit of luck, these fronts should be decreasing..... that's according to the weatherman! In the pic of Tigre, check out the chap two thirds up the mast!!!