Pirates and Spanish galleons, gangsters and chrome glistening Chevrolets, folk heroes such as Che Guevara and Fidel Castro: Cuba has long held a fascination. After a month cruising in Jamaica aboard Distant Drummer, our Liberty 458 cutter-rigged sloop, we were in Montego Bay and waiting for a fair wind to carry us north across the Caribbean Sea to the island which was once the jewel of the Spanish Crown.
We'd planned to break the passage from Jamaica to Cuba at Cayman Brac, a rocky island about 80 miles east of Grand Cayman. However, north-east trade winds funnelling through the Windward Passage were forecast to veer and strengthen during the week making the anchorage there untenable. So we set a new course direct to Cienfuegos on the south coast of Cuba, and as we departed Montego Bay and headed north-west the conditions for the passage could not have been better.
A fresh breeze on the starboard beam and a moderate sea made for a fast reach across the Cayman Trough, then as the wind eased and veered in the lee of Cuba we poled out the jib and had a beautiful run-up to the Cuban coast. We entered the lagoon at Cienfuegos and zigzagged our way between the red buoys which mark the channel to the city on the eastern side of the bay. Anchoring outside the marina we went ashore to complete the entry formalities, which were straightforward as the marina is a one-stop shop for the harbour master, customs, and immigration.
HISTORY ON EVERY CORNER
Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av Yachting World.
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Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av Yachting World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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NIKKI HENDERSON
WHERE DO YOU FIND HANDY BILLY WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
MATTHEW SHEAHAN
IS OLYMPIC SAILING ACTUALLY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS A SHOWCASE OF THE SPORT FOR BOTH COMPETITORS AND SPECTATORS?
Building fleet for Baltic Sea Race
The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, a 635-mile race out of Helsinki, Norway, saw varied conditions and a new benchmark course time set.
New cruising charter 'Odyssey'
Charter company Dream Yacht has launched a new round the world supported cruising programme for yacht owners which draws on the company's extensive network of charter bases.
Mixed fortunes at Marseille
The Paris 2024 sailing regatta saw mixed fortunes for many favourites - some confirming their dominance, others crashing out as variable winds played havoc.
The yacht Bayesian
Bayesian is one of Italian yard Perini Navi's 56m series, originally named Salute.
Seven dead in superyacht sinking
Seven people are dead following the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, a 56m/184ft British-flagged Perini Navi, off the coast of Sicily.
5 EXPERT TIPS HELENA DARVELID ON MULTIHULL CONTROL
Performance multihull racing is growing hugely in popularity. Helena Darvelid shares some key learnings with Andy Rice
PALMA'S FUN FACTOR
FUN ON AND OFF THE WATER IS AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION AT THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA, WRITES PHIL RILEY
SWAN 88 DREAMCATCHER
GLOBAL LEADERS AT THE SEMI-CUSTOM END OF THE PRODUCTION SCENE, NAUTOR SWAN INVITED US FOR THE FIRST SEA TRIALS OF ITS BIG NEW 88
