Page 79 - RSDG Year of 2023

EAGLE AND CARBINE 77
To conclude, the exercise was an extremely fun and educational experience which has rewarded those involved with an RYA qualification and the possibility of gaining further qualifications. Many of us are looking forward to going on the next course.
EXERCISE EAGLE’S ODYSSEY
Captain Cooper
As Petrel’s crew watched 2Lt Boylin vomiting violently over the starboard side, they wondered who would be next. The 34’ Halberg-Rassy, with two reefs in her sails, had been thrashing into a southerly gusting to 25 knots since early morning. It was the second of seven days’
sailing off the west coast of Scotland. Much fun was being had by all.
Exercise EAGLE’S ODYSSEY had begun a few days previously in Dunstaffnage Marina. Three of the crew were novices, whose sailing experience amounted to three days of cruising off the Omani coast. The glamour of Caribbean cruising had led them to believe that the other side of the Atlantic must be similarly-gentle: that miscon- ception had long-since vanished.
The expedition began well. Two days of mild breeze and sunny skies saw the sweep up the Sound of Mull after a short stopover in Oban. We grew into our sea legs, getting