Solent Racing

Gaff cutters racing in the Solent, a strait in the English Channel. It runs between the coast of Hampshire on the English mainland and the Isle of Wight. These yachts were sometimes referred to as being “over-sparred”. This referred to the ratio of sail area to depth displacement. This could lead to instability at sea. The power of the sea and it’s elements has always been clear to me. I spent many days as a child on a sailboat.