Err... except we didn't make it to Alderney. The promising wind died off and left us motoring to Cherbourg. In truth at this point, it didn't matter. Our main aim was to get some miles under our belts - to have "started".

And the start wasn't without its little trials. The GPS hooked up to the nav system didn't want to play. No worries, we left without GPS and sorted it underway. The VHF hiccuped too, but again, was soon sorted.

Our next goal was Liberation Day in Guernsey and a plan, hatched many months before to meet up with Derek and Mandy on Ocean Tigress. It looked like the wind was going to get up, so we planned for an overnight in Cherbourg - a quick trip to the Maritime Museum and then through the race to St Peters Port.