Getting too cocky

On the strength of yesterdays great sail we decided to go out again today. The forecast in the morning was rain so I sat in and repaired the mainsail. We headed out after lunch it was forecast Force 5 or so and getting stronger through the afternoon. I thought the stronger winds would not come until 6pm or 7pm. However they came quite a bit earlier! The wind was from the south east blowing up the channel between Largs and Great Cumbrae.
I put a double reef in the main before we set out. It was a bit too windy for our comfort. In the end we used the genoa only and only two thirds of it at most . We tried a bit of beating across the channel then decided to run up the channel before the wind. We cracked along at about 5 knots. After about an hour the wind was getting stronger and the sea rougher so we furled the genoa and motored south back to Largs. It was very rough. Again Hilary coped wonderfully, so we think we are ready to attempt a trip to visit some of the other marinas in the area. Watch this space!