Sunday, 17 May 2009"Er...Captain Hook, have you seen the weather report?", my new sailing buddy asked on the phone.
"Of course! Of course! I checked and it was a F5 and I'm positive that it is going to die down by this evening"
"Er...okay as long as you're happy...Ray who knows at the club says winds are 50m.p.h...."
Pah!...Seemed fine to me when I checked on the net a week before.
In between meeting my buddy at the club house I took the wife for a driving lesson and found a beach further up the coast at St Osyth. We parked and stepped out to look over the sea wall. HOLY COW!! - it really was blowing a gale and there were massive waves crashing into the beach. This was no time for cowards or to show any fear!!!
Launch time 5:30pm (high tide of course!!). Main sail reefed and jib furled (not for long though).
No problemo!!!.
Well I say no problem but because of the wind we were restricted to a 500 yard run in front of the club house.
It was brilliant though. We raced up and down that stretch like a speed boat and for the first time, I really was able to put the boat through a few of her paces - and she through mine.
Getting out the water...there's a challenge when the F5 gusting F7 is blowing straight towards the slipway. The answer is to come in as slow as possible, turn at the last moment and make use of all that lovely mud to land on - then dropping the sales as fast as you can.
Special note - New race-sailing buddy found. He knows what he is doing which helps on this machine.
No problemo!!!.
Well I say no problem but because of the wind we were restricted to a 500 yard run in front of the club house.
It was brilliant though. We raced up and down that stretch like a speed boat and for the first time, I really was able to put the boat through a few of her paces - and she through mine.
Getting out the water...there's a challenge when the F5 gusting F7 is blowing straight towards the slipway. The answer is to come in as slow as possible, turn at the last moment and make use of all that lovely mud to land on - then dropping the sales as fast as you can.
Special note - New race-sailing buddy found. He knows what he is doing which helps on this machine.
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