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squiz
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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3688
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20th July 2009
Windsurfing: Lepe Wind Direction: ssw Wind Stength: 20/33 Surf / Sea State: choppy to huge Air Temperature: 20 Sea Temperature: 16 Weather: sunny periods Max Speed: 28.96 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 11 (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Leave campsite early and head for Lepe the closest water and one of my favourite spots in the Solent.The trouble with taking your
windsurfing gear on the roof of the van is you never have the right gear for the conditions :( so with only force 4 forecast set off
with the xantos and falcon 90 and 2 sails the x-15 6.4 and 7m with the aim to try and get to Poole for some water water blasting,but we
had Rob's kite gear with us and could'nt be bothered to fight our way to Poole.Abit of a mistake in the end but hindsight is a
wonderful thing!!!
So back to Lepe,meter reading 16/22 kts sideshore and a local said rising to force 6/7 later !!! So I had no choice but to rig the 6.4
and go out on the falcon as the tide was high and the rain had stopped.It did'nt seem too bad at first even if there was a big swell
running down the middle of the Solent,so after afew short runs decided to try for the Isle of Wight !!! I made it okay but the trip
back was scary in the big sea and increasing winds,I did have to swim after my gear once and had to rest a couple of times but
eventually made it back to the mainland all be it a mile plus up wind by the entrance to the Beauleiu River where I rang Mag on my
mobile to tell I was still alive !!!.This is usually a good flat water spot but with the wind gusting 33 kts it was lumpy,I had several
fast broad reaches heading back to Lepe but gave up just short of the white cottage on the beach as the wind was getting crazy !!!So I
walk back to the van to find Mag has locked herself out of the van with the RAC on the way !!! So return to my gear to de-rig and am
helped back to the carpark by the beach rescue :) the van is opened by the RAC but it is too windy to tie gear on roof, so put gear
inside and head to our friends for tea.So an interesting days sailing,breaking alot of my speed times which is hard to believe in the
wild conditions !!! So a top top weekend away :)
Here's a quick summeryof the rest of a special weekend :)
It started off on Thurs 16th drive down to camp in New Forest.
Fri.17th Rob's graduation from Southampton Uni (a first :) ) a great great day - the proud parent thing !!!Meet up with Rob's mates,
their parents and his girlfrield (Maddy) for a meal.
Sat. 17 mega walk in the new forest missing rain, invited to Maddy's parents riverside apartment (where Rob is living next year while
he does his phd) for lunch then the Solent in their 20' rib!! as we leave the R. Ichen we saw one of Robs mates on the Isle of Wight
ferry!! Make it as far as Calshot where the bad weather and choppy sea makes us turn back. My turn to drive the boat (the first time
for 20 years when I used to drive the Felixstowe Sailboard Club rescue boat). This was good fun and we had such a laugh getting soaked
and doing some quick turns. Then back to Southampton to watch two huge liners set off on their cruise and we were soooo close:) Meal
at the apartment and back to the new forest where the barrier was closed and we had to sleep outside the campsite. I missed a good day
windusurfing at Poole (where some good times were posted ) but it was worth every minute as we had such a good day.
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