Who was out this weekend?.....

Originally posted by G.R.F.

   Sunday, 3rd in a row now plus 15 kts, last couple of weeks I'd failed to 

finish, this week I was determined to get round.

And I had a plan at least.

So I got a fair start and watched as a laser 2 pulled surely and steadily away 

from me upwind, followed by the entire mackerel fleet AND my mate in his 

Phantom. 

Now he rarely sees me off, but windsurfing when it's this breezy we have a 

right battle so it seemed fitting that he'd reach the weather mark ahead and 

I overstood a bit despite a fair tide, not wanting a repeat of previous irons 

encounters at the top mark.

Bugger me if it wasn't a carbon copy of last weeks ill fated reach with the 

wing mark quite high and certainly don't even think about the kite. So I went 

high initially having dumped the kicker for the bear off, held my own by 

climbing then diving then climbing then diving, didn't get past anyone but 

didn't fall back and managed to take the first gybe casualty then reach for 

the kite on the 2nd broader reach, that the Alto would have crucified 

everyone on. 

But woa, couldn't hold it at all and had to bear off and off further whilst 

creaming the tops of waves, finally dumping it and having to climb back to 

where I left my chum as we round the bottom mark, he goes inshore I go out 

to sea .

Another beat and this time I gained a bit think I crossed him on Port, then 

the bear away onto the run and here was where I'm going to get medieval on 

his ass..

Standing astride the gunwhale panicking to get onto the plate, I'm thinking 

What went wrong there then, damn forgot to dump the kicker, I'm facing back 

the way I'd just come, got it back round then tearing down the run I faltered 

the hoist, ran straight over the kite, in again, it's easy to get back in with the 

kite as a sea anchor and facing back upwind manage to pull it back in the 

chute and off again, by this time they're well ahead of me.

Finally I get it all together and enjoy a fairly sure kite run which was over all 

too soon and required a quick drop then a gybe and round up. 

AS I swam to the boat, I thought feck it, this is going to be tricky and the 

right, reright, right again started, then I thought about a video I'd seen on SA 

where the dude sank the mast to weather so I did whilst managed to get 

astride the plate. Stood right next to the hull so it wouldn't come up until I 

wanted it to, then edged out and just as it started up, dived over the gunwhale 

into the bottom of the boat as the boom swished over, I am definitely going 

to wear a helmet in future. I think helmets are more use than buoyancy vest 

tbh and as if to prove the point a couple of tacks later smacked my head on 

the boom.

By now I'm sailing a lonely race bringing up the rear, the entire fleet

having gone past, but I'd learned a few things, proved a couple of points, so 

carried on and with no further incidents as it turned out, even clawed a 

couple of places back.

Had two more blinding spinnaker runs, only time I could use it was on the 

run and then pretty much straight to the mark, and when the hooter finally 

went I have to say it tasted better than a bullet in lessor wind.

A Good day and lessons learned..

Edited by G.R.F.