America's Cup

In a recent post I shared with you one of my dog walks in the heart of the 'home counties'.

But you may know, if you pop by this little bit of bogland from time to time, that my other home is down on the Southcoast - Gosport (next to Portsmouth and opposite the Isle of Wight).

Or rather this is my proper home - the day job is based in Milton Keynes, hence my 'home from home' in Buckinghamshire.

And recently you may have been aware that the latest competition for the  Americas Cup has just kicked off - its a big sailing jamboree.

The British Olympic sailing hero, Ben Ainslie, is leading the British team.

And Portsmouth has thrown it's support behind the British Team. A new HQ building has been constructed right on the harbour, tucked behind the Still and West (the pub that guards the Portsmouth harbour mouth) and right next to the Isle of Wight ferry terminal.

(This fab photo is taken from a friend's balcony. They have a flat in Gunhwharf Quays and a happy evening can we wiled away watching the coming and goings of the ferry! There's the British Ben Ainslie Racing building behind.)

The racing kicked off in Portsmouth, and so it was that on a recent sunny Saturday we found ourselves on the Haslar Sea Wall at Gosport, squinting through binoculars watching the racing.

That is one of the racing yachts - with the bright red sail. And one of the sea forts that sits in the Solent off Portsmouth.  I am not sure which one this is, but think it is Spitbank Fort - once a key part of the Harbour (and Navy) defences, now a swanky hotel!

But I think this photo gives you a feel for how huge the Americas Cup yachts are - or rather how large their sail area is.  This one is the New Zealand boat, sponsored by Emirates Airlines.

I have never seen so many boats in the harbour.

We all enjoyed the sunshine.

But the next day was so awful that the racing was cancelled! It was wet and windy and cold! So cold that we had to put a fire on! And it was the last weekend in July, for goodness sake!!