RNSA 90 Rally - The Great British Cruise Leg 1 19-24 May 2025

By Richard Farrington:

To mark RNSAs 90th anniversary, the Great British Cruise will celebrate Armed Forces sailing with a ten-week cruise around Britain, coinciding with a Royal Navy Adventurous Sail Training expedition the Great British Challenge involving several Hornet-based Service yachts and over 100 serving personnel between 19 May and 26 July.

All Hornet members and their boats are very welcome!

Its extremely flexible: you can come for a day, a week or the whole thing! To register, go to the RNSA website, Members Area, Events (May, June or July), select the Great British Cruise and fill out the entry form. If youre an ASA or RAFSA member, email rccruising@rnsa.org.uk and well get back to you.

Highlights as follows:

19 May - Leg 1 Solent shakedown overnighting at Yarmouth or Lymington (your choice).

20 May - daytime Channel crossing

21 May - recovery day at Alderney 

22 May - passage to St Helier. Informal reception at the St Helier Yacht Club (the Lord Lieutenant will be dropping in to say hello). Or head down to Guernsey, Herm and Sark.

23 May - passage to Herm or Sark

24 May - into St Peter Port where theres a whopping 25% discount on berthing for GBC participants. There are overnight races planned from Plymouth and Portsmouth which will arrive during 24 May. Evening informal reception at the Guernsey Yacht Club - details to follow.

Looking ahead to leg 2…

26 May - RNSA 90 Official reception at Portland

31 May RNSA 90 Sailing Regatta at Plymouth

The variations are endless. If you cant sail on 19 May, join us later in the week! If you dont fancy crossing the Channel, head towards Portland instead and pause in Poole, Swanage, Chapmans Pool, Lulworth Cove… and maybe join Leg 2 which heads to Dartmouth, Salcombe, Plymouth and Falmouth.

Last updated 5:21pm on 21 April 2025