Tide Ride

Think the shallow area was to one side, it was a bit hard to tell from the shore exactly what was where. All credit to the race team for the job they did over the weekend, but I think their one major mistake was trying to run the races on the Winner in the conditions.

One 800 bust their bowsprit on the sunday, though that was just tube failure rather than hitting the bottom. He said it's not the first he's had go since he got the new version of the boat.

29ers were also racing on Sunday (course nearest to the club after the moths I think).

Multiple 29er rigs broken on Saturday, also a lot of damage in the 800s racing on the Winner (the only fleet to try and race there before they moved that course further into the harbour). Watching them from the club there was very little water over the bank, and a lot of v nasty chop. At one point at least 3 boats stacked up on the sand bar in waist deep water, again several busted rigs and at least one exploded dagger board.

All in all a great effort by the club to get through the amount races they did in pretty testing conditions! I imagine Noble are having quite a busy day today though.

All fleets got racing on the Sunday bar the 29ers. Came seventh in the B14 fleet...

...less said about how many boats were actually racing, the better

As forecast, the wind did die off quite a lot, below fully-hiking conditions.

Last couple of races got a bit lumpy, the wind (as forecast) swung round to the North and filled in, so there was wind-blown chop running against swell from the sea and against the tide that was still coming in. We were doing OK races 3 &4 until we had to gybe for the bottom gate. Swimming, mast in mud, more than five minutes behind the leaders.  It was really annoying in race 3, as although we'd got to the top in last, spotting that it was a two-sail reach to the gate meant we didn't waste time hoisting and dropping the kite.