Forty craft set off from Pwllheli and Abersoch beach May 5th Bank Holiday week-end for the first Northwest RIBsters event of 2007. The fleet was predominantly RIBs but several sportsboats also joined the group.

The cruise plan was to depart Pwllheli at 09:45hrs, pick up several launchers from Abersoch at the beach and make way around the spectacular Llyn Peninsula to Porth Dinllaen for lunch at the Ty Coch. First we navigated past the St Tudwal's Islands in Cardigan Bay, across Hell's Mouth and then a passage thro' the infamous Bardsey Sound. And all before lunch at the Ty Coch, which is only acessible by either walking, or with a special residents vehicle permit. The very best way to get there though is certainly by boat.

Porth Dinllaen is probably one of Britain's best kept secrets, both its scenery and location are quite remarkable. Several hard boats regretably turned back from the overfalls at both St Tuds and Bardsey Sound but it was the right call as they felt uncomfortable in the rip tides. The RIBs performed exceptionally well, as they always do.

The Llyn Peninisula is a designated area of natural beauty and we were very pleased to have such good weather for the cruise. A south easterly F2-3 on our starboard quarter going out was the culprit in creating some wind over tide. Bright sunshine but hazy visibility kept Anglesey out of sight once we had cleared Bardsey Sound. The run back was to be a lot calmer. I find it always is, once the crews have had some lunch and a fine beer!

The organisation was excellent and all down to the hard work of Ian Greenwood of Peninisula RIBs, the recent World Record holder for the Circumnavigation of Anglesey, who worried himself over each and every boat that turned out for the day. Well done Ian. A fantastic number of top quality photographs were taken by John Wormald and these professional photographs are available for purchase by visiting: http://www.photoboxgallery.com/minxpix.

John can be contacted from his photogallery of the event at: MinxPix or by emailing john@minxpix.co.uk, if anyone should require any enlargements or special requests.

For their general help and support the organisers wish to thank:
Llyn.Info
Peninsula Ribs
John Wormald MinxPix
HotRIBS.Com

May 2007