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Windsurfing: Tiree
Wind Direction: SE (cross-on)
Wind Stength:
Surf / Sea State: Chest-high
Air Temperature:
Sea Temperature:
Weather: Sunny spells

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 run, 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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