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I'm impressed you took my advice so thoroughly - but that Garry knows what he's talking about too. 

What I would like to say is that sailing is a tremendously challenging sport.  You have to learn to do so many skills intuitively so that you can then use your brain on the many decisions you have to take as well, especially if you are racing.  Also there are no rules which say a boat must be easy to sail so in consequence some are very difficult to control (but fast).  If you watch people sail a RS300 or Moth, Laser 4000, RS800 or 49er (and many others) they can make it look easy.  It isn't but that is part of the challenge.  You control a machine which is difficult and in environment which is forever changing and then you try and race and do it better than all those around.  It can take a lifetime to get it even reasonably good.  Finally I say fast and then maybe you ask how fast is that - say 12 mph and you probably think that is nothing.  Wait until you race a boat and find yourself doing that sort of speed alongside your competitors - it feels a lot faster than anything you'd ever achieve in a car or on a motorbike.  You'll have a lot more crashes too - but fortunately they won't kill you, but that doesn't stop them from frightening you silly.  I love it.

If you are going to sail this time of year you need quite a bit of specialised clothing - I'd suggest you wait until after Easter and then you'll need a long john wet suit, some sort of water and wind proof top and something on your feet that won't get compleltely ruined by being wet.  I'm sure you can improvise the water proof top and the foot wear and the long john will cost you about £60.  I should go without saying that you need some sort of bouyancy aid which at first you can probably borrow.  Don't wear a life jacket - too bulky.

If you are tempted to go out in this weather and you're only wearing what I have described, then don't, it could kill you.