Sailing Florencevideo
Sailing North Sea Challenges – South from Shetland | Sailing Florence Ep. 228
April 2, 2026 · 36 min · 50K views · Shetland Islands
Sloop Florence heels in North Sea swell at dusk
What this video covers
Matt and Amy depart Shetland on a narrow weather window, racing 160 miles south to Peterhead aboard their 37-ft Oyster Heritage 37 Florence before a forecast wind shift brings 35–50 knots on the nose.1:52 The passage south through the North Sea involves confused seas off the southern tip of Shetland, a third reef in the mainsail to ease Florence's motion, and night watches through 11 hours of darkness.8:42 The forecast proves accurate: wind dies near Peterhead at dawn, but a 50-knot headwind forecast rules out continuing 60 miles to Arbroath, forcing a five-day shelter stop.11:01 The second leg, from Peterhead toward Ipswich, covers the full North Sea coast: navigating wind farms and oil rigs off Norfolk, wind-against-tide chop off Great Yarmouth, and a stop at the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club in Lowestoft.19:20 Timing the tide delivers 9–10 knots over the ground on the final 50-mile leg up the River Orwell to Fox's Boatyard and Marina in Ipswich.28:15 There, Florence ties up alongside hull number eight of the roughly 34 Oyster Heritage 37s ever built — Florence is hull number six, built 1985 — allowing a detailed comparison of original versus modified deck hardware, Treadmaster, winch placement, and rig configuration.32:33 Tidal timing on the UK coast consistently cut passage times and sea state discomfort.
Boats in this video
More from Sailing Florence
From Sailing Florence — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.
The Sailing Directory Newsletter
One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.