2 miles
The journey to Portsmouth did not bode well. It poured with rain until we topped the South Downs and we feared we were in for a very wet ride. I am doing this ride with 300 others, one of whom is an old friend of mine. However, by the time we stopped and unloaded both our bikes the sun was out. We assembled at HMS Victory for a send off by the Red Arrows and the Band of the Royal Marines. We only had to cycle two miles to get to the ferry but it was a case of rush to wait, as we were held on the quayside for over an hour before being allowed to board the ferry that would takes us overnight to France.