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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3070 |
10th August 2018 Windsurfing: Point Clear Wind Direction: Who knows - W ??? Wind Stength: 10/25 Surf / Sea State: flattish and rough Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: squally showers :( Max Speed: 24.95 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 23.91 (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise) Friday 10th August – windsurf ** Point Clear – squally showers :(. F2 Xantos 310 with Tushingham Lightning 8.5 and 44 cm fin. F2 Ride 282 with Tushingham Lightning 7 and 38 cm fin. 24.95 knot max., 22.67 knot ave., 10.94 knot hour, 20.26 knot mile, 44.30 km., 14.91 knot alpha. The forecast for today was steady for several days WSW to SW 15/20 and with an OK tide I decided to go to Point Clear and take the bikes so we could stay over in Essex for a ride on Saturday. Left the house at 8.30 and after a stop at Lidl for supplies we arrived at the Green at 9.40 with Simon and Tom rigging 7.8/8.1 which seemed a bit large as there was a good onshore wind but it can be deceiving as it accelerates up the sea wall, we also still had sunshine. The tide was already well in and I could have got here a little earlier so quickly rigged 7m for the 282, missed breakfast and headed out. I soon found out that this gear was way too small, after a couple of runs in the lagoon not planing I walked out across the shingle bar to try the open sea which was no better so I headed back to rig big. The wind seemed to build so I had one more try on the small kit but still no good so returned and soon rigged the 8.5 for the 310. By this time, it had clouded over and we started to get squally showers which played havoc with the wind strength and direction:( Out on the big kit, one run across the lagoon, no good so out to sea where the wind had picked up so I continued past Brightlingsea and up the River Colne with Simon Chippington. One minute you were sailing up the Colne then the wind switched and I found myself reaching in flat water past Rat Island into South Geedon Creek where I have never sailed before. It is a nice spot for flat water but I ran out of wind near the end of the creek:( I had several runs across the wide Colne and back up the Creek but the wind was all over the place. I the end I beat out in patchy winds past Brightlingsea. Then at East Mersea I hit the wind again but with the tide now going out the sea was big and very choppy especially in the channel which was busy with yachts! I had a few runs from the lagoon to East Mersea which were OK as you could gybe in flat water at each end. With the big kit becoming a bit of a handful I decided to head ashore, that was a lucky decision as the sky went really black with thunder and lightning with wind gusting to 30 knots! I sat in the van while it blows over, everyone else had gone home except for Brian Marsdon out with 7.4 and having a lot of trouble!!! :( He managed to struggle ashore in the end and I walked over to help him ashore before returning to de-rig two sets of kit. I could have rigged smaller but with no one else sailing and the tide dropping packing up was the best option! A warming cuppa in the van being buffeted but then the black cloud moved over and the wind dropped so lucky I wasn’t out on small kit then. Another sailor had a crap day, after trouble with his boom Keith Farmer then put a hole in his nice 8.5:( We then left Point Clear as the sun returned and headed to Alresford Creek to park up for the night in our sheltered spot on the Quarry road. We then did a couple of mile circular walk down to the Colne in warm sunshine, we have had every kind of weather today. Back to the van for corned beef and beans, we know how to live, another quick shower before the sun returns. Hopefully the weather sorts it’s self out for tomorrow so we can bike into Brightlingsea and back on the sea wall! Sunday looking breezy lets hope it’s better than today, I just picked the wrong venue with the wind mainly in the west not brilliant at Point Clear, some mates had a much better time at West Mersea, win some lose some! Photo Gallery Here |
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