Who was out this weekend?.....

Was out in the 12' skiff yesterday, some at the back, some at the front, some in the wet stuff.

Borrowed Neil's Laser Funboartex thingy and looked like a total amatuer.  Got to the middle of the pond and gave up trying to tack after 4 attempts.  Nearly ended up sailing backwards into a racing mark so gave up and gybed instead.  Got back to shore, pulled all the foils up, and what does it do? TACK!!!! 

Great value however and good fun, and a good boat to learn to trapeze off.

So take that "Laser" then, you would be more than welcome to produce GRP one-design dinghies of modest quality and dubious value, and if I was a high ranking member of ISAF or other similar yachting governing body, I would welcome your boats to my events with open arms and a knowing smile.  But...if you were to start telling me about tunnel hulls and flippin' rotating wing masts, whilst spoutin' off about your foils that can go in any slot and talking to me about asyflippinmetric spinnakers, I would say...

Well we had a good one, the race started in a Southerly onshore but with
big black clouds off to the right and the forcast also threatening a shift
during the day sometime, we worked the middle and right. Managed to
hold off a five oh and the RS400 that normally nails us, thanks to a long
quite tight 1st reach.

Long story cut short it did eventually shift as we were coming down the
2nd reach with Steve spinning on the wire as we literally ran into the
header and rain. Lucky we were still in the lead and the five still at the
gybe mark, we managed to just pinch up and tack round the leeward
mark as it switched right off shore allowing us a twin fetch beat and run..

And a twenty minute lead HA.

Don't you love it when a shift comes good for you.

I was out!

Blym, Nice F4 gusting more  ... Had the Vareo out for a few hours, then was offered a go in a Blaze ... Which I just couldn't refuse as the wind had lightened up a bit.

I'm gonna admit it was fun .. but I was nearly killed in a gybe ... That boom is TOO LOW!!

Quite good fun in that breeze though.

Was out at Hunts yesterday (unexpectedly) had a real blast in the (unforecast) breeze.

Was absolutely flying, managed 2 2nd places behind our (man who wins everything, I even kept him honest in the races so he couldnt just relax once he hit the front.

Paul

Well today is known as the glorious 12th and the grouse got a days reprieve (well it is Sunday afterall and it is not fair to shoot the little blighters while they are praying).

So I went sailing instead on the Contender. Force 4 in the morning and I came 3rd (and not out of 3 either!!). Pretty good sail but I had a lot of weather helm due to a lifting rudder that is difficult to get at the right angle.

Then swapped to a fixed rudder in the afternoon and the weather helm disappeared. Just as well as the wind picked up to a F5/6 and I was flying - got a 2nd.

What a glorious day it was and I now ache all over and especially my right arm (too much pumping on the starboard reach!!)

Why can't all days be like today????

Edited by Contender443