Miss Tippy’s Round the World Voyage begins
By Brian and Sheila Norton, Oyster 56, Miss Tippy
Once our new Oyster 56, Miss Tippy, had been We had travelled to Torquay to join the Biscay Triangle Rally,
commissioned, the weeks prior to our departure from which was due to cross the Bay of Biscay to La Coruna.
Ipswich were filled with trips to Fox’s Marina and their Joining the Rally gave us a sense of assurance as we
well-stocked chandlery, supplemented with arranging embarked on the longest single sail we had undertaken as a
boxes of spares organized by Natasha Rendell from family. Sadly the weather conspired against us and the Rally
Oyster’s Aftersales department. It was quite a challenge went to Brittany while we had to peel off with another
to stow all our booty before departure! Oyster, the 46, Solway Mist, to cross the Bay of Biscay to
La Coruna.
While we were packing up the house and finishing school,
Brian departed Ipswich and sailed straight into 30-knot We set off on July 24th with a westerly wind of 15 knots
headwinds through the Dover Straits. Despite close and a low expected in from the Atlantic. By the next day the
encounters with a buoy at the end of the River Orwell and wind had changed to a South Westerly and our two intrepid
shifting sands by Knock Deep, Miss Tippy handled the Oysters left the main rally group to head off for the
conditions well and arrived in Brighton intact and eager notorious Bay of Bones! We stayed in radio contact with our
for more. new Oyster friends, Allan, Shirley and David Cook and their
cousin Clive. Solway Mist with her gleaming blue hull was a
With our family of three children safely stowed on board we reassuring sight on the horizon when visibility allowed.
left Brighton on a rainy day in July with Annie’s friend, Lottie
Roberts (aged 9) as extra crew. The children ceremoniously As the wind stayed head on we lurched up and down
threw their old worn and tattered shoes overboard to signify towards our destination but Miss Tippy kept us safe and
the end of prep school and the beginning of their new life protected from the elements.
on board Miss Tippy.
The water washed over the decks while Annie aged 9, in her
We tacked out a long way south of the Isle of Wight in on board role as our cook and hygienist, made bread. The
S/SW winds of 17-22 knots and had a cracking sail on a kids sang ‘Drunken Sailor’ while water chopped and sloshed
beam reach. Miss Tippy sailed like a dream with our two around the hull. At all times we trusted Miss Tippy would
youngest crew (both 9) taking turns at the helm as we were carry us safely to Spain whatever the weather. She sails so
roaring down the coast at speeds of up to 11 knots. well and is able to cut through the waves so gracefully that
even our voyage against headwinds and the big Atlantic
Eddie Scougall, Oyster’s Customer Care Manager, joined us swell was comfortable. After three days of wet and cold
in Torquay and spent a couple of days with us, answering beating we were visited by dolphins and within 15 minutes
questions thrown up by our initial voyage and taking us the wind changed direction and with palpable relief we
through the maintenance regime. The only mechanical things spent the final day of our crossing on a reach. We reached
we had to look after on previous boats were engines and La Coruna in fine fettle and spent a few days relaxing there
plumbing. Miss Tippy involves a step change for us in terms after our big voyage.
of boat complexity. Those couple of days with Eddie,
together with his constant support via phone and Skype However, we were soon off again around the notorious
have proved invaluable as we have got to grips with the Cape Finisterre and down the Portuguese Coast towards
maintenance required. Gibraltar. En route we anchored in several of the idyllic rias
30 www.oystermarine.com
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