Sunday squalls etc

[Matt]

After a big kit lake session yesterday a trip to WSM was called for. High tide was at 1320 which was about the time I arrived, after family commitments and then being delayed for half an hour on the M5. Parked up in the sunshine near NigelP's and Adrian's vehicles then sought advice from the Windy World boys on sail size etc (they then packed up). The word was it was 'up and down' and anything from 5 to 8m would be ok some of the time. Nick narrowed it down to 5 and a bit so I quickly settled on the 5.7 and the Kombat which I was keen to use again.

I saw Nigel and Adrian in the shallows as I neared the water, they set off and it wasn't looking too windy. I stepped aboard and headed off, almost slogging. Managed a dry gybe and came back in then on the second run out a squall came over, with driving rain and strong wind. Gybed, fell in and took 4 go's to waterstart, at one point wondering what I was doing there with breaking waves all around and driving rain. Then had a manic run back into the beach. Got off the water and said hello to Nigel and Adrian (and Chris, my van seat supplier) as the squall cleared. Nigel called it a day then. Adrian and I went back out and had a few more marginal runs. Then, all of a sudden, the wind went slightly more onshore, picked up enough for me to be nicely powered up and it was game on. I then proceeded to have a really enjoyable time for an hour or so. The waves were very spaced out and a nice size for playing on, good ramps on the way out for my feeble jumping skills and then a bit of riding/lip bashing on the way in, with nice flat water in between for a bit of a blast. I finally got off the water at 1540 for a long walk back to the van.


PS. The pier was looking like a very sad heap of twisted rusty metal following the fire which destroyed the pavilion the other day.

[Ian Long]

Neroli and I were down in Kent for the weekend. Didn't get out on Saturday but sneaked a trip to the beach (in the sunshine ) on Sunday. Ended up at St Margaret's Bay, just round the corner from Dover.

Bit of a wind shadow on the beach due to the headland which meant the shore dump was a bit interesting but excellent when out. Huge swells and plenty of air time.

We took the 5.2m and 4.6m sails but were both very overpowered, I should have had the 4.6 and Neroli a 4.2, however once out we didn't fancy coming back in to change down.

Some great gybes of the swells out the back and some silly air time on the way out. Some very handy locals out with a few loops on show. As the tide dropped the headland started producing waves for the locals, however Neroli and I had to head back for family lunch commitments.

[Adrian]

I went to Avon Beach on Saturday which turned out to be dry although cold for august and windier than expected so went Evo 75 and 4.7 for about 4 hours. sadly only chop as no waves came out to play but a good blasting session and plenty of chop hopping. Met sme guys I was in El Medano with last year. pete was getting round his loops but ot sailing away. Thought I would get my helmet and give it a go but they started complaining of neck ache a sore backs so given that I still have hand problems probably due to a neck issue I bottled it

Sundau saw me at WSM on a 5.5 with the wind going from about 15 to 40 mph. Changed up from the Evo to my 89ltr Naish just in time for the first 40 mph squall Basically the wind would drop for a bit then you would see a squall coming then get hit big time then it would steady down to a nice force 5. The squall that caught Matt saw Nigel a bit further out and me just behind. No point trying to gybe, just dropped in, turned round, waterstarted, and sailed with front hand pushing away as hard as possible and back hand sheeting in as hard as possible When Nigel got back to the beach he gave up. I have sympathy as it was very hard work but a great session with superb ramps and lots of air time.

Adrian

[AlistairJ]

I was also out at W_S_M on Sunday. Had a pretty good session, using a 6m on the Syncro wind was variable but very nice indeed at times, combined with nicely sized waves at not too bad a direction and even intermittent sunshine.

Had one memorable run out where I was nicely powered, the kit felt light in the hands, I was able to head up/down to avoid the biggest lumps easily and taking and landing small jumps with no major trauma, culminating in a dry gybe out near the former pier. So this is what its supposed to be like!

[NigelP]

Two days on the wet stuff......is this a miracle?

On Saturday WSM did not look anything like the postcards offered for sale. No inviting Mediterranean assure sea, no blue skies and funeral pyre instead of the old pier. The local paper was reporting he new WSM passtime: shops have sold out of metal detectors as everyone goes prospecting for the slot machine takings. (I not convinced this story stands up to any scrutiny though).

Lots of wind and rain were forecast, and there was less than expected of both. The beach was also deserted with just 4 boards out before high tide and four more arrived latter complaining of two hours journey times.

Fortunately I missed the worst of the rush and arrived a couple of hours before high tide: only to find there there was little wind. After a while a little breeze filled in, so I set sail on the 7.5 and Angulo Super Gu 112. It was a typical southerly, flat and gusty; but, I had a very pleasant hour blasting in and out. Came in for some refreshment at high tide, only to find the wind had dropped on my return. Someone on a 11 sq m kept planning and Ian K managed a few runs on his 8.5. I felt sorry for the late arrivals who had struggled through the traffic only to find the wind had deserted them. One guy with an Internet enabled phone dialed into XC weather which showed it was blowing above Weston, below Weston, to the East and West.....but not at Weston

Sunday was an altogether better day and i was out on the Fanatic Hawk and the 5.8. As mentioned earlier, a gusty SW produced a wonderful bump and jump session. Although I played with the downhall a number of times, this was a great combination for the conditions. There was significantly more wind than forecast and some sharp squalls, which were not on the agenda at all.

The Catalonia air force came swooping down on me a number of times - having been hiding somewhere upwind - which produced some friendly rivalry. On balance, board speeds were fairly evenly matched although my inability to go round corners and go over waves did leave me at a significant disadvantage. In my old racing days there were not many corners or waves, which used to play to my strengths.

I reached the point where I was feeling nicely knackered, but the conditions were so inviting I thought I would go for that one last sail. I can't remember why I came off, but I was being hammered by the white water as I slowly attempted to sort myself and my kit out. Being tired did not help. It was at this moment that I was hit by a wild squall that came though.

I thought of staying put while it blew itself out, however I did not fancy being blow down onto the pier (or at least without a metal detector ). I tried a half heated water start, which was converted into an immediate catapult and even more swimming and cramp. A second, more determined, attempt lifted me onto the board and with the back hand as far back along the boom as possible, I made my way home luffing all the way. 'One last run' is one of those tempting little traps I fall into now and again.

This is the second time I have sailed home like this in one season and I have only been on the water about 5 times!

Anyhow I finished the day feeling elated but cream crackered.

A cracking day out.

[NigelP]

The stats for Lulsgate show that the gusts (squalls?) were at the top end of a F6/bottom end of a F7. Doesn't sound very much on screen