Anyone coming to Borth this weekend. Good forcast. I'll be getting there for the Friday afternoon session.

I think I might do Bala for the day on Sunday. It should be a nice n choppy SWly.

In fact I can't remember the last decent SWly?

Love to join you fellow Midlanders but for some long forgotten reason, during the winter I choose to spend my Saturday afternoons running around muddy fields with 29 other fatties, chasing an oval ball. I'll struggle to get a pass for Sunday too.

The FON weekend in October is now just a distant, albeit pleasant memory. It would be good to re-demonstrate my mastery of:- rigging in a gale, how to transform your treasured Mistral Flow into a lethal glider, how not to gybe etc etc.

Living in Droitwich, Bala is probably no closer time wise than Borth ..... but I've never sailed there before and want to see what it's like. l'll see what I can do - maybe come up with the family on Sunday.

So I might see you there Andy.

Cheers

Nick

Nick, that would be good.

I haven't sailed Bala in a long time. It only works in a SWly but the valley creates a funnel so it can be good.

I launch from the main car park just past the leisure centre.
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?X=292000&Y=335000&scale=25000&coordsys=gb

I too will be sorting out my pass out from the kids. I might have to bribe them on Saturday maybe McD's, sweets anything they want really...!

There looks like a decent swell for the weekend and I don't want to trash my kit or my self so I thought a quick trip to Bala and back to Shrewsbury before dark!

Cheers,

Andy

I hope you're not both chickening out and going to Bala on Sunday becasue Borth will be too big and scary!!!

If it does get as big as the charts look as though it will, then we may sail from the estuary and out towards graveyards, as that means we launch in flat water, sail out through the flat water in the channel and then have a big area of flat wter to play in behind the Dovey Bar, but also have waves breaking on the ear and at both Ynyslas side and Graveyards side of the estuary mouth. This means we can play in the waves as much as we want, but also retreat to the relative safety of the flat water whenever we want... And, if you get munched by a wave you end up geting washed back into the lagoon behind the bar which is much nicer than swimming after your kit in the rip off the Golf Course Car Park!!

Lets just hope the forecasts are right.

Al.

Chickening out .... me!? The waves were big enough for me back on the 4th so God knows what they'll be like on Sunday.

I'd love to come to Borth again Al, it's just a time thing!

However, we've got a rare night out (sans enfants) on Saturday so I'll see if I can work my charms! Out of interest, what are the tides doing on Sunday... the estuary might be more realistic for us mortals!

Have fun,

Nick

LOL.

High tide is about 2.30pm. As I said, if its too mad on the sea-front we'll launch from the estuary as well.

Don't drink too much on Saturday!!

Al.

I'll decide on the day, I wanted a quicker trip this weekend although it is very tempting.

Nick, if you like I can U2U my mobile number to you so you can txt me to find out where I'm headed.

I'm not launching from the golf course in that swell, not yet anyway.

The tide isn't very big this weekend so it might be shallow in the estuary but I get what you're saying about going out through the channel, sounds good!

That's cool Andy, think I'll decide on the day too..... the odds are 50-50 at best though!

Cheers

Nick

If you end up at Bala and see the elusive Radical Rob, then let him know we've missed his grumbling here at Borth.

Al.

Will do Al.

I haven't seen Radical Rob since last winter. It was a freezing cold day, air about 6 degrees, water in negative and we were the only ones out...

Al - r u oing to be out this Sat ? - I fancy a bit of kitesurfing

Do you think do think the estary or the golf course side will be best on Sat ?

Alex

Hi all... i'd be up for a sail at Borth this W/end but have had a cold since the FON meet on the 6th...nearly a month of having a cold,finally went to the doctors yesterday,hopefully these pills will work soon!!! Have fun every one that does get out,sounds like Borth has been & is still going off....

Spence...

Sorry to hear about that Spencer....must have been something in the water.

The forecast is still looking good for tomorrow, and maybe even for later today. And, the surf was going off big time yesterday.

Will you be able to make it to Pembrokeshire in a couple of weekends time??

Check out this thread http://www.forces-of-nature.co.uk/forum/viewthread.php?tid=869. It looks as though I'll be there on my own at the moment.

Al.

Hi guys,

here I am back again in Telford. The forecast looks very promising for tomorrow and my family agreed to come along, too.
So I hope to meet a few of you there tomorrow. Al, will Anna be around as well?

I think I'll be at the beach by around noon time.

Looking forward to a good session with wind, waves and friends.

Joe

PS: Say hello to Radical Rob for me, if you happen to see him. Thanks.

Hi Joe... I'll be here, as will Anna, and Steve is here too. Richard will be out windsurfing too I should imagine, and Ben is up for it too.

We've got my parents staying this weekend, so I don't know if I'll be able to sail all day. I'll probably go out first thing in the morning. If its really windy and a proper SW then we might sail from the Lifeboat Station.

Al.

Al,

No sign of Radical Rob at Bala and there were quite a few people out there. Don't know what's happened to him!

Andy - sorry I couldn't join you at Bala on Sunday ....but I couldn't get a pass in the end. Even if I had I was in no fit state for sailing after a bruising game of rugby on Saturday.....still aching now! Think doing both in the same weekend is unrealistic so will have to decide on one or the other. The way I'm feeling now a shortened rugby season (mid nov-mid march) looks favourite option!

Al - sorry to hear about your expensive swim ... did the mast go thru the luff? .... must have been hard to let go of the rig......r u insured for it?

Nick,

You didn't miss too much, not the best conditions, very up and down wind. I thought it was Bala being crap but it turns out it was the wind!

I used to play football on Saturday afternoons but retired early for windsurfing! I also worked some Saturdays back then so I wasn't always available for football. Now just have to wait for the wind to blow, you just can't win...

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nick
Al - sorry to hear about your expensive swim ... did the mast go thru the luff? .... must have been hard to let go of the rig......r u insured for it?

---

hi guys
i've been sailing in bala for a while and yesterday (sunday) was the most amount of windsurfers i've seen there in a long while. Probably something to do with the lack of SW's!!!! Anyway, i was super chuffed cos i got out on my mistral shift (did anyone here notice me? if so hi! )for the first time since buying it in May and I wasn't all over the place either (some might say otherwise). I had a super day. Glad to see there is such an active bala/borth crew!! i'd really like to sail borth, how far from bala?

cheers
rhys

Its about a 40-50 minute drive from Borth to Bala (so I guess its the same the other way!!).

You'll be able to sail in more wind directions, the wind will be les gusty, there can be waves if you want them and the water is warmer!!

See you soon.

Al.

Sorry Rhys, I don't recall seeing you out there but like you said there were a lot of people out on Sunday!

It was a bit gusty. I can recommend Borth especially the estuary to start with. The wind is cleaner, the water is warmer and I think you improve faster if you sail there.

Where do you travel from. I go to Borth via Welshpool, Newtown etc and it only takes me about 20 minutes longer than going to Bala but it depends where you're starting out from.

Definiately give Borth a go. Ask here for advise on tides / wind etc and I'm sure there will be one of us around to sail with.

Hi Ryhs,

I used to have a lot of fun at Bala, no tides, and little chop.

If you are considering the Estuary have a look at the tide times, as you need to sail 2 hours either side of high tide.

Al posts the times on the Home page, so this is always the best place to start. And to tell everyone else you are coming, (its nice to sail in a crowd)

The Estuary works best in NE winds but is ok in other directions, particularly when there are mast high waves on the front , you wouldn't want to lose your rig would you....

[Edited on 4-11-2003 by Dave]

hi
what were you sailing on AndyW? maybe i saw you. i'll wear a chicken suit next time, i'm sure a lot of people will recognise me then. I live in Ruthin which is a good half an hour away from Bala. Does anyone else always seem to manage to get behind slow drivers/caravans/tractors on the way to bala or is it me being unlucky, unbelieveably annoying. Everyone seen the new pictures of rhosneigr from Sunday on windsurf.co.uk, looked fun. Also, is everyone having problems with the boards website?

hwyl
rhys

Rhys.... AndyW has posted an entry in the diaries on this site... He was sailing a 113 litre Mistral Flow and a 5.3m Arrows Trixx.

I haven't been able to get to the Boards Website either.

Hopefully we'll see you here in Borth soon.

Al.

Rhys,

The Trixx was yellow and the Flow was blue if that helps.

The traffic, well you either set off earlier before the Sunday drivers wake up or you over take them or both!

Clearly the risks take when overtaking are directly proportional to the wind strength and adrenaline levels in anticipation of a good session.