Ex COCKNEY SAILOR XLIV, XL and XLVI were three University of London Officer Training Corps (ULOTC) offshore sailing expeds run in the Solent across consecutive weekends. Each weekend involved 2 yachts with ULOTC officer cadets (OCdts) onboard sailing from Gosport into and around the Solent.
One of the yachts was used to run an RYA Competent Crew course for 4 OCdts and an RYA Day Skipper course for one with a visiting examiner from an external unit. The OCdts onboard this yacht (White Knight â a J-109 yacht belonging to the Royal Armoured Corps) stayed constant between the three weekends as they progressed from weekend to weekend, slowly ticking of the syllabus and building in both skill and confidence!
The second yacht, Ilex (a Sapper X-34) was skippered by an OCdt who had built his qualifications through numerous expeds supported by the Ulysses Trust. The crew on this yacht rotated from week to week, exposing more novice OCdts to offshore sailing and covering the core aspects of sailing skills.
The following reports were written by novice OCdts on each of the expeds. All our OCdts are incredibly grateful for the support from the Ulysses Trust and hopefully these reports show how much they can learn and grow from these opportunities!
Ex CS XLIV â OCdt Sharma-Joenk – Ilex 16/01/2025
Upon arriving at JSASTC we first learned the names of the different parts of the boat since clear communication is critical onboard and had a safety brief concerning the use of life jackets, fire on board and the general purpose of AT. Afterwards we spent some time learning how to tie a few essential knots and understanding why each was used in certain scenarios under the direction of Theo, our Mate. In addition, he showed us how to set springs and slips on the bow and stern, which are used in different methods for leaving a mooring based on the orientation of the boat and its position relative to the wind and tide.
17/01/2025: After a brief night of sleep, we made the ship ready to sail. This involves a variety of things like engine checks, moving halyards and preparing the sails and associated sheets. Once this was complete, we spent most of the morning âpontoon bashingâ as the Skipper put it. This meant practicing coming along aside and leaving a mooring with all the associated steps and commands that need to be carefully co-ordinated to ensure safe and efficient manoeuvring. Once the Skipper was happy that the three novice sailors aboard werenât going to wreck his boat(!), we left port and headed for the Solent.
In sight of HMS Queen Elizabeth and her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales we raised our sail despite the minimal wind and began tacking and gybing drills, learning the associated commands to familiarise the crew with their different responsibilities. After a brief lunch we sailed/motored to Newton Creek. Along the way conducting, man over-board drills, a critical element of safety on board. Upon arriving, we made several runs picking up buoys, which proved more challenging than expected! We had to be extremely careful to prevent the line from snagging the propeller, were it to go under the boat. This was made doubly challenging when the Mate dropped the hook overboard, which the skipper thankfully managed to rescue with his speedy reflexes! This was followed by some night navigation to our final mooring. Arthas and I were responsible for shining torches at potential obstacles such as sandbanks and buoys and making them known to the skipper to prevent any accidents.
18/01/2025 On our final day, we made an early start to get breakfast in Cowes, although upon arrival none of us had accounted for nothing being open on Sunday! So, we contented ourselves with some sausage rolls from Costa Coffee. Unfortunately, there was very little wind on this Sunday, so we resorted to motoring back to JSASTC, refuelling and cleaning the boat for it to be handed back in good time. But at the very least the novices spent some time at the wheel, getting a feel for how the boat moves and learning to correct course appropriately.
We ended the trip on the comedic note, with the novices demonstrating that they could row the dinghy a small distance as a prerequisite for their Competent Crew. This was made exceedingly challenging as the dinghy wouldnât remain inflated, so it was the job of one OCdt to continuously pump up the dinghy while the other rowed. Fortunately, nobody fell in and we were able to head home with some delicious Nutella sandwiches, courtesy of Tom!
Ex CS XLIV â OCdt Philips â White Knight
Upon our arrival to Gosport, we were met by our skipper for the weekend, and it would be an understatement to say we immediately knew we were in safe hands. He revealed to us that he was a highly qualified sailor in the British military holding the qualification of yacht master instructor of which only four personnel hold.
Fascinated by the vast breadth of knowledge we were aware he must hold, we initially underwent various briefs about the safety of the boat, from life jacket use to the different kind of flares. While this was interesting, it definitely put the adventure in adventure training as the excitement and a slight bit of anxiousness came over us novices. We were immediately at ease back on the boat as we got to know Jase (our skipper) more, and by the time weâd spent the night in Gosport on the boat, crew morale was at its peak (Ethanâs fajitas potentially being a large part of this).
Getting out on the Solent in the morning was a steep but incredibly rewarding learning curve. Going from practically no sailing experience to crewing a boat on the busiest commercial waterway in the world was quite the jump however steering the boat felt like an enormous responsibility (even though the path was a straight line so even my novice sailor skills could keep to it â or at least try to).
Sailing west along the south English coast we saw hovercraft, commercial ships, ferries, and other yachts. We also learnt how to detect collision courses, the basic principles of sailing and once this was understood we moved onto jibing. Now while having a huge metal pole swing six inches above your head doesnât sound like the most relaxing thing, it was enthralling to learn about the different sail parts and positions as well as the principles behind tacking and jibing, all mixed in with a bit of adrenaline as we sailed towards the mouth of Beaulieu River.
Making our way down Beaulieu was an experience in of itself as the beautiful scenery and calm waters made for a peaceful journey down to Bucklers Hard. After some coming alongside and slipping practice (a process that while initially rocky only got smoother as the time went on) we disembarked and were shown a lovely church and museum that our skipper was particularly passionate about. After a well-deserved shower and rest, dinner was served and following a lovely evening to concrete the crew morale we went to bed excited for a busy day tomorrow.
While waking up at 4:40 may not sound ideal to most, itâs fair to say we were all buzzing with excitement as we embarked on out two hours of (slightly stressful) night navigation. Dodging buoys, boats, and maintaining the correct depth in the pitch black with nothing but a singular torch was no easy feat however with Maddy behind the wheel we made it out of Beaulieu River and set sail across to the Isle of Wight.
Arriving in Cowes, we disembarked for a coffee and rendezvous with the other crew of the sister boat for a short catchup on their endeavours. After a short exchange of stories, we parted ways and after some more slipping and coming alongside practice we began the sail back to Gosport. On arrival into Gosport, itâs fair to say we were all shattered, just as we were shown a bucket and mop. The crew managed to keep their morale up (with some more of OCdt Shawâs cooking) and the boat ended up spotless, an unexpectedly rewarding task.
Overall, the weekend was brilliant and a great introduction to sailing. Having Jase as our skipper was a privilege and I speak for the whole crew when I say learning under some so experienced was an honour. I very much look forward to the next weekend and to growing my experience even further!
Ex CS XLV â OCdt Mayne â White Knight
After our arrival in Gosport, and onboarding our kit, we got straight to work in practicing our coming alongside drills. We also spent time revising our knots- especially the bowline enabling us to be slick in our efforts the next day. Having talked through the plan for the weekend and meeting our new instructor Bernie, we started to make dinner. Izzy showed her newfound culinary expertise making a curry which the whole boat thoroughly enjoyed. Having listened to Bernieâs multiple dad jokes in the clubhouse, and being quizzed on some Comp Crew questions, we made our way back to the boat ready for our slip in the morning.
We set to work immediately at 0700, getting the boat ready and performing some more coming alongside drills. Here Maddy took control, with Bernie there to supervise. We came alongside a few more times, practised utilising the environment we were given to moor or slip such as using the wind to push the bow out enabling us to have a stern spring without the use of the engine.
Following this, we set off with Maddy at the helm, heading off into the Solent with our course set for Lymington. Before we headed to our final destination, we went and explored a little more of Portsmouth Harbour, learning how to pick up a mooring buoy, and making Ethanâs day by looking at the frigates and destroyers. After a quick tea break and slipping from the mooring-buoy we set off again from Gosport into the Solent. During the sail, the two Tomsâ headed down into the saloon to prepare lunch. What we thought would be an easy task turned into more laughs and chaos than we could have imagined with the boat keeling to the port side.
As we continued to tack our way down the Solent, we made good speed and time with the wind behind us with around 19knts of wind. After reaching Lymington and phoning ahead to secure a mooring spot, we thought to spend some more time out on the water to make the most of the daylight hours. Given a part of all our qualification is understanding and practising man overboard (MOB) drills we set about first talking through the theory and steps in the drill before completing one. Here the motto of âsee one do one teach oneâ was implemented with Bernie showing us how it was done before Maddy taking control and then helping us on our competent crew learn how to do one efficiently. After multiple attempts and practice, we headed into Lymington for the night. The mooring here was tight with pencil pontoons and boats either side. With a slow and steady approach, we managed to moor up and utilise our coming alongside drills we had performed earlier. Here we put the boat to bed, got cracking on another dinner and used the very nice shower facilities Lymington had to offer. I think speaking for the whole crew the heads were a highlight, with heated floors and excellent showers allowing us to all properly warm up after being bitten by the icy wind of the Solent. We again heard some rather interesting jokes and phrases from Bernie with highlights being âsweating more than 3 Para on a spelling testâ or âthe devils dandruffâ when asked if he took sugar in his tea. Settling down for the night we met up with the other crew before hitting our beds ready for the next day.
The next morning, after a tight squeeze reversing manoeuvre, we were off again back into the Solent as the sun was rising into the blue skies. Sadly, even with the sails up, the wind was not in our favour with a maximum speed of 5kts causing us to have a combination of motor and wind-sailing. Here we continued to explore a new area of the Solent for us under the watchful guidance of Bernie – the river Hamble. Having understood the different way markers on the way there and being tested on the different cardinal markers we entered the Hamble and moved up towards the mooring platforms. Arriving here, we did not wait setting course back to Gosport, enabling us to return the boat on time.
Given the lack of wind we took down the main sail and practised flaking the sail. Slowly, with efficient communication and teamwork we conquered this element to sailing, folding it correctly and as neatly as we could achieve. Although not perfect, this was a large step forward and I am sure after a few more attempts this may finally be up to the high standards set.
Participating in this sailing event enhanced my seamanship skills, particularly in man overboard (MOB) drills and coastal navigation. The experience reinforced the importance of safety, navigation, and adaptability in varying conditions. Overall, this trip deepened my confidence and appreciation for the complexities of sailing. Us as crew would also like to thank all those involved behind the scenes enabling us to go on these events in particular reference to OCdt Smeaton and OCdt Wright who work constantly behind the scenes organising these trips and opportunities for all to benefit from.
Ex CS XLVI â OCdt Shaw â White Knight
After an early rise and departure from Handel Street with Bernie, our instructor, we set off on our afternoon passage to Cowes. We arrived at Gosport at 13:00, after picking the food up from Tesco. Maddy had just finished her weeklong day skipper theory course. As this was our third weekend, all the crew proactively got on with loading the boat, putting the food in the correct storage locations, and making the boat ready for a weekend of sailing.
After finishing lunch, we set off from Gosport into the Solent, making our way under sail to Cowes. There was an average 25 knots, South Easterly winds we were on a broad reach. As the winds were increasingly strong, the crew had a very good opportunity to put a reef in the mainsail (making the sail smaller, taking power out of it). Even with reef 1 in we were still travelling at a healthy speed of 10 knots. Izzy was the first crew to take helm for this journey. Tom Phillips took the helm for most of this journey through waves on our port side stern. We got into Cowes and moored up upon Trinity Landing, just off the Royal Yacht Club. But because this is an exposed area and there was high wind, we quickly agreed this was not the place to cook dinner and sleep for the night. We made our way up to Cowes Yacht Haven, where Tom Mayne cooked a tasty Chilli con Carne, although the vegetarian meat alternative handicapped his efforts.
The next morning, we were up and ready (along with the boat) for 0800. After a hearty breakfast and Maddy planning a passage (and finding out the complexities of doing so under time pressure) we motored out of the harbour and promptly put up the main sail. At this point we had all become competent at specific positions when hoisting the main, with Maddy acting as skipper, moved our positions around so each crew covered all aspects of hoisting the main. Again, there were high winds on Saturday, which meant another reef for safe sailing. Maddy navigated us up the Solent to Southampton Water where we sailed up. In Southampton Water we learnt and practised multiple drills: dropping an anchor, man overboard drills and helming in congested waters. After some lunch, soup, and sandwiches, we sailed back down Southampton water. Although the wind was high, the tide was against us, slowing us down. Naturally as it was windy all day all crew got a lot of experience tacking and jibing, in different positions, including the helm. Tom Mayne, Phillips and Ethan got very slick at such skills after this passing. Eventually after many tacks, we sailed back into Gosport harbour. Tom Phillips with the help of Izzy cooked a delicious and well-earned bangers and mash dinner. Another early night and early rise proceeded.
Sunday morning, we sailed into Portsmouth Harbour, where Maddy and the crew learnt and practiced coming upon a mooring boy under sail. On the way back to Gosport, the crew were tested on our knots and parts of the boats under the scrutinous eye of Maddy. After arriving in Gosport, again the crew proactively cleaned the boat, inside and out, put the boat to bed. As a plus, Ethan and Tom Phillips learnt how to completely derig the main and forsail, helping prepare the boat to come out of the water.
Upon arrival back, Bernie presented us with our competent crew certificates and Maddy with her hard-earned Day Skipper certificate!
