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Minorca sailing: wind conditions?
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ajbaldwin View Drop Down
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Posts: 51 		Post Options Post Options   Quote ajbaldwin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Minorca sailing: wind conditions?
    Posted: 10 Dec 14 at 10:00am
Sounds like a few people got unlucky with wind conditions.
 
As I said I was there in September this year and it was unseasonably hot so the wind was not as strong as I was expecting.
 
My typical day there was:
 
Morning session sail a single hander hiker usually a 100, if we went out to sea then a Vareo
 
Afternoon I would sail with my wife in a double hander, usually a 400 on the odd very windy afternoon then a 200.  The first week I was there they had Pete Vincent out as a double handed coach who is a very respected coach back in the UK
 
One of the best things about Minorca sailing is you can book a one to one lesson with an instructor from 4 pm so every day I would take out a 800 with an instructor.  In terms of the quality of instructors, I sailed with a guy called Luke who placed Top 10 as a helm at the Euro's in lake Garda and knew his stuff
 
Minorca is expensive compared the other sailing schools, but also has the best choice of kit.
 
The main selling point for me with Minorca sailing is they have an excellent nursery for young children with qualified British child minders.
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jaydub View Drop Down
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Posts: 267 		Post Options Post Options   Quote jaydub Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Dec 14 at 12:38am
Wildwind is more focussed on the cats, but if you want a laid back holiday, excellent socials and as much high wind practice as anybody could want then it's a great place.

The format at Wildwind is very much focussed on beginners and improvers in the morning and then getting as many people as possible out 'joyriding' in the afternoon with the instructors.  The vast majority go out in the cats, so if you're a dinghy sailor you do get pretty much your own choice of the boats or some decent 1:1 time with the staff joyriding either the 200s or 500s.

I don't think anybody is going to argue about the dinghies not being better at Minorca or the tuition not being more structured there.

At the end of the day both companies have their own USPs and both operating very successfully as independent operators in their own market niches.  Long may that continue.
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Posts: 172 		Post Options Post Options   Quote dohertpk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Dec 14 at 11:54pm
Yeh it was a toss up between Wild Wind and Minorca. Wind conditions certainly sounded perfect on Lefkas but was very unimpressed by their dinghy fleet - they seemed to have only one of everything, certainly of the performance boats (RS100, 800, 49er etc.). No Mustos either which I'm itching to sail. I want to learn as much as possible while I'm out there so Minorca's more formal structure seemed the better bet. Fingers crossed for decent breeze now!
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Posts: 68 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Bellingforth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Dec 14 at 11:41pm
The best guaranteed wind location I've been to is Wildwind. Local conditions create a gentle onshore breeze in the morning, and then strong cross-shore wind in the afternoon.  Went there a few times about 10 years ago to (successfully) introduce Mrs B to dinghy sailing.  At the time they had a reasonable selection of dinghies, but tended to encourage people to sail cats.  Instruction is very informal - their emphasis was on having a fun time.

Went to Minorca a few years back.  Mrs B joined the Laser fleet & I ended up teaming up with a L5k sailor, so we had a great week swapping ends in a RS800.  I think it was in May, and I recall the wind being generally strong enough for twin wiring, apart from one day when it blew dogs off chains & we were relegated to a L2k!!

Minorca is very structured which is good if that's what you want.  They ran a number of 'different' things at 4pm - I enrolled in the 'introduction to windsurfers for people who can sail' course for an hour each day.  This was exactly the right amount - I'd have been knackered doing any more, and by the end of the week I was able to hook in.

Quality of boats & training is best at Minorca.  Wildwind is best for wind & social.  (comments based on holidays a long time ago!!)

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Jack Sparrow View Drop Down
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Posts: 2965 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Jack Sparrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Dec 14 at 6:49pm
But as I said. If you want to sail a hiker its fine. If you want to focus on perfecting your trapeze helming technique it's a waist of time and money in my opinion. Fine if you want to go for a jolly on a twin trap boat. But not if you have a specific high performance focus.

And to clarify - I was specifically interested in twin trap skiff sailing. And discussed at length with the UK staff my specific requirements which they agreed would be catered for. I was very specific that because I was going with my 13yr old I didn't want to end up trapeze helming a boat with exactly the situation I ended up with! i.e. some newbie who didn't know the first thing about trapezing. I also wanted off the boom sheeting training for my son, so the 29erXX was a specific requirement. It was F***ed from no maintenance. The only other trapeze helm alternative that didn't mean waiting for a beach staff member to become available was a Musto Skiff. I did my best to sail it in horrifically shifty gusting force 5 thermal breeze, but at 5ft 3in and 70kg that ain't much fun. Basically I was shafted. 
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Medway Maniac View Drop Down
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Posts: 2788 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Medway Maniac Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Dec 14 at 5:34pm
Well, the first time we went we were totally sailed-out after one week and my hands were knackered for weeks to come.  In following years we went for two weeks and paced ourselves.  It can be a long day on the water every day if you want it to be.

Unlike many other centres, there is group sailing which keeps things going even on light airs days.  Plus there is good variety of plentiful, newish boats which are as well maintained as you could hope in such a situation.  We experienced none of the "the single 4000/800/whatever was booked to others most of the time that people have reported from other centres.  Plus there's racing every afternoon, complete with PY's and a series (though that was going too far for me - I wanted a holiday!).

People don't pay a premium price year in year out for nothing.
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Posts: 8956 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Dec 14 at 5:29pm
Wouldn't be my first choice for windsurfing, thats true.

However, as a dinghy sailing holiday with first class coaching and fun racing, with a chance to go blatting about in boats like the 800 with an instructor later in the day, it was great. We were there for 2 weeks, and 10 of those days had decent (capsizing) breeze.

However, with the weather, everyone is 1 going to want something different and 2, get something different. Hopefully the 2 things match...
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turnturtle View Drop Down
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Posts: 2538 		Post Options Post Options   Quote turnturtle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Dec 14 at 5:23pm
No, if I went on a watersports package holiday, I would want to sail dinghies and go windsurfing.  From Jack's feedback, coupled with the prevailing wind conditions cited in other posts, I can see that there's probably better options out there for me to combine the sports I love in one location.  

Edited by turnturtle - 09 Dec 14 at 5:26pm
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Medway Maniac View Drop Down
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Posts: 2788 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Medway Maniac Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Dec 14 at 5:11pm
Originally posted by turnturtle

 
good to know- stricken from my bucket list.
Wrongly, then.
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turnturtle View Drop Down
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Posts: 2538 		Post Options Post Options   Quote turnturtle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Dec 14 at 3:33pm
Originally posted by Jack Sparrow

It's either NO wind, or when it is windy, it's thermal and gusty as Cow with IBS. Plus a tonne of wind sheer due to the thermal breeze bouncing off the hills and over the buildings. It's fine if you want to get a sun tan and to bust your knees hiking or kneeling in the bottom of a Laser. But it's a totally rubbish place if you want to trapeze helm.

It is a horrific place to learn to sail a Musto Skiff. I know I've done it there. I went in May. With my son. I would also be wary of going if you want to learn / improve your twin trap skills. Especially as a single and not as a pair. I got paired with a total incompetent who could only just about have passed his RYA 1 but wanted to twin trap. Needless to say the week with him at the front end was a disaster. Halfway through the week he bugged out back to Lasers and the whole focus of my week was knackered. I got the occasional session with one of the beach staff up the front. But eventually opted for sailing with my son in a 29er. The 29er needed loads of maintenance as did the 29erXX they had ( which they had no idea how to sail, I had to explain that the crew takes the main etc...). I'd never go back, + its expensive.

good to know- stricken from my bucket list.
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