Owner:
squiz
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Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 3081
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21st December 2018
Windsurfing: Point Clear Wind Direction: W Wind Stength: 15/35 Surf / Sea State: flat in lagoon - swell in sea Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: cloudy and very windy. Max Speed: 31.95 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 23.14 (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Friday 21st December – windsurf **** Point Clear – cloudy and very
windy.
F2 Ride 282 with Tushingham X – 15 5.8 with 36 cm fin.
F2 Xantos 295 with Tushingham Lightning 7.8 and 39 cm fin
.
31.95 knot max., 28.68 knot ave ., 9.74 knot hour, 19.36 knot mile, 42.90
km., 18.44 knot alpha.
After a little indecision yesterday, I decided to take a chance on Point
Clear today with Mag and I packing the van for a night away in deepest
Essex so I can hopefully sail two days before we head off to Liverpool for
a family Christmas get together with the wind going light so I don’t have
to take any windsurf kit! With a 10.30 you needed to be at PC fairly early
and the van actually made it this time, the clutch went last time I tried
to get here costing us £820, that’s another months pension I wont see!
There were a few sailors parked up on the Green and I managed to get over
to them despite the muddy conditions. The early rain had cleared and the
cloud was supposed to clear and the wind pick up really strong! The wind
was under 20 knots at this point and sailors were rigging sails between 7
and 8.5m so I went for the 7.8 on my Xantos 295, I didn’t want to go this
big but I have been here loads of times this year when the forecast wind
didn’t arrive so I didn’t want to be under! Neil Hurrell was first on
the water with 7.5 and couldn’t get going so headed out to sea where
things were better. Zipped into my winter suit I sailed into the lagoon and
was planing OK but not fast so I decided to try for a mile run out to sea
and sailed down the coast towards Jaywick, fell in gybing but couldn’t
find any speed as I reached very close to the shore even if the wind was
increasing. I was getting nervous now with the big kit so headed ashore,
Neil said he had been fine, so I down hauled another inch and headed out,
BIG mistake as the wind was now mental so I quickly turned and returned to
change down. I left the gear on the beach and went and rigged 5.8 for the
Ride 282 and headed back to the lagoon as it was way too windy to go out to
sea! The trouble with the 5.8 is it can be a bit on/off but I was getting
some OK runs and enjoying myself gybing but the wind went silly and I even
had to sit it out for awhile as most sailors disappeared! In the end it was
just Simon Chippington, Shaun Cook on 2019 slalom kit and me on my 1997
Ride trying some speedsailing! I couldn’t get any really good speeds, I
broke 30 knots four times but couldn’t hang on to get a good 10 second
run as you had to bear off into very choppy water!!! As the tide dropped
the water got flatter and the wind eased and I had some nice runs trying to
avoid the two kiters doing some big jumps. I went too far on one run and
ended up in 6” of water and two foot of mud which was a pain to walk out
of!!! Time to call it a day as the water was disappearing fast, time for a
chat with Neil, out of the wetsuit and then a warming cuppa with sausage
roll and mince pies, how festive! Nearly last to pack up again but
thankfully the wind was easing as we left Point Clear. So good day on the
water, mild too and hopefully get another sail tomorrow. Although this is
my 81st session of the year it’s been a poor year for speed and I have
only broken 30 knots in 5 sessions!
Walk **** Alresford Church Circuit.
We usually park up down quarry lane in Alresford but decided to stop by the
ruined church in the shelter of the grave yard tress:) We then left
straight away for a walk leaving the van at 2.15 and heading through the
tumble down church, past the quarry fishing lakes to where we usually park,
turning right and down to the River Colne with Wivenhoe to the right we
turn left and walk along the river to Alresford Quay. It is a bit muddy but
Mag takes it in her stride with her new wellies on! With the tide low,
several birds were feeding in the mud and several dirty old boats were high
and dry! Its then up the lane and back to the van for another welcome
cuppa. So we will have our 144th night away in the van tonight before
returning to PC in the morning where the wind is supposed to drop during
the morning!
Photo Gallery Here
MK Booms here
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