Owner:
Harry
Member
Member#: 186 Location: Registered: 14-04-2003 Diary Entries: 418
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16th October 2005
Windsurfing: Tiree Wind Direction: SE (cross-on) Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Chest-high Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: Sunny spells Max Speed: Distance Covered:
Briefing at Gott Bay 9.30am...no wind so
postponed...11...11.30...12.30...grrr all this mincing very annoying cos
there was some wind and we could have gone out in Gott Bay (rest of the
group did).
Finally - decision was made by the judges - we're all going to Balephuil.
Arrived 1pm. Looked marginal so rigged the 5.9 and was going to rig the 5.2
as well on my 400 mast. But wind really picked up whilst rigging so
de-rigged the 5.9 and stuck up the 5.2 only, on its preferred 430 mast.
I didn't realise I was actually competing today until Martin ran up from
the beach saying he was on in 15 mins and my heat was the one after! Oh
shit I'm actually going to have to sail in a competition...
Heat 1 -
Was going to use Martin's FSW84 for the heat, and use the 20 minutes
beforehand to go out on the water and warm up. But wind was mucho picking
up so in the end Martin wanted it for his heat instead of his FS100.
Mad panic swapping sails between heats ensued, so that I could use his
FSW84 for my heat. Because of this I had to launch a long way downwind in
the comp area.
2 jumps 2 waves counted. I didn't do much but sailed OK, and stayed in the
comp area unlike the other 3 people in my heat. Despite this, I didn't get
through.
So...repechage heat -
Martin didn't get through his heat either so he was in this one as well. He
was still on his FSW84 so out came the Bee. I catapulted straight after the
gun...but then sailed well, had a couple of dodgy wave rides, one big
normal jump, and then when I noticed the red flag was up to signal only one
minute to go, on my last run out, a wave shaped up nicely, and....forward
attempt!!! On port!!! On my Bee!!! And amazingly...it was my best attempt
yet!!!!!! Got more rotation than any previous attampts, really felt good,
even though the end result was the same (feet coming out of straps then
splat). Maybe cos on port I am sheeting in with my stronger right
hand...?
Was not enough to get through though. Slightly annoying since James (fellow
competitor) said he was hardly planing all heat and yet he got better
scores than me. My top score - 1.5/10 for a wave-ride! Woohoo!
Watched the amateur final then went out again, but wind was dying was
crap.
Competing is BRILL!!! :->
Your sailing mentality just changes completely during your heats. No longer
is going for forwards a problem. Even though I came, er, 7th...was so
satisfying, really feel like a part of the event, not just a random Joe
Punter tagging along. Plus straight away got to know all lots of the other
competitors in my heat and others, and chatted lots to John Hibbard got
lots of useful heat-sailing tips off him.
Before today I had thought that forwards were only ever going to happen in
starboard tack 4.5 weather on my Quatro. But now I've realised I can go for
them on any small board, and port may actually be my better side. Probably
something I would never ever have found out if I hadn't entered this
competition.
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