I have just returned from the Semaine du Golfe in Brittany, one of the major seafaring festivals of the world involving sailing ships, classic fishing boats and small sail-oar dinghies – more than a thousand vessels. It was a great honour to participate in it.

Here is the Grand Parade of yesterday afternoon. I doubt whether my tiny boat could be spotted!

The third video shows our fleet of sail – oar dinghies. My boat (red sails and white hull) is seen from 1m37 and I am seen to turn towards the bank because of loss of wind and steerage. I was helped by a nudge on the bow by a kayak and I then passed the gué without problem. It all looks very tame, but the currents in that gulf are tremendous. The sailor needs to learn how to use them to his advantage.

I have a number of photos and other links to professional videos. I arrive home shattered with tiredness. I camped on the boat each night in cramped and damp conditions, the price of independence from being shipped around each night on buses to camp sites and hotels. The pile of seawater-sodden laundry is enormous! During the course of this week, I will write a day by day account of the event as I lived through it.