Page 78 - Wish Stream Year of 2019

Exercise WINDY CADET
OCdt Hughes
As the Sovereign’s Parade of CC191 fin- ished, the Cadets of CC192 marched off the Old College Drill Square, out of the Intermediate Term, away from rifle drill, and towards Christmas leave. Of course, before being let loose on their families and friends, RMAS Officer Cadets are required to conduct some Adventurous Training (AT). The purpose of which is primarily so we don’t bore those in the wider world with our extensive military talk. However, it is worth mentioning the added ben- efit of broadened horizons and new confidence AT can bring. And so, it was to the new horizons of Gosport that the Cadets of Ex WINDY CADET were greeted as they began five days of sailing in the waters of the Solent.
For our first day, Ex WINDY CADET delivered on the promise of its name with gusts of up to 25Kts (29mph for you land lubbers!). With novice sail- ors and less then well-seasoned seamen aboard the good ships Bombardier III and Ocean Wave, the decision was made to use the first day in port to teach or refresh ourselves on the basics and plan our movements on the seas which lay before us.
The sailing was to be overseen by Bombardier Middleton of the Royal Artillery, who had issued each boat a ‘treasure hunt’ of tasks to be com- pleted in order to earn points. The tasks ranged from taking pictures of the crew at various loca- tions such as alongside nifty nautical navigation aids, within sight of the famous Needles, and even with a crew member at the top of their
mast! The boat with the most points would win both pride and a cup of Starbuck’s finest coffee.
With planning and preparations complete, on our second day we set off and braved the fierce winds. Too fierce for our sails sadly, but calm enough for us to motor past the sights of Ports- mouth. After a day hunting various landmarks, and posing for an appropriate length of time for pictures, we arrived at harbour in the sailing- famous port of Cowes.
For our third day, our prayers to Poseidon bore fruit, the wind lessened and we began to truly sail. Tacking, Jibing, Reefs, and Haliards soon became second nature as our nimble vessels glided west to the far reaches of Yarmouth. Here, we encountered the OCdts of CC193 enjoying an introduction to the wonders of AT and shared with them hard won experience of the seas.
For our fourth day, we struck for Port Solent, hurriedly chasing any points within a booms reach of our boats. As we entered the port, we were treated to an introduction of the tricky navi- gation tides and locks, and greeted by the final results of our mad dash for treasure. Inevitably, the Bombardier III won by a hair, with absolutely no instructor bias at all.
As the sun rose on our fifth and final day, we bid farewell to our boats with a thorough clean- ing and cosy moorings. Returning home ready to bore the wider world with our extensive talk of sailing.
76 SANDHURST