Wednesday 5 March 2008

Cold Play

Christ it was cold when I got to the sailing club this morning. It was minus 2 when I left home and although the sun was out it hadn't warmed up much. Jason Belben turned up around 10.00am and 45 minutes later we were on the water. Its good to train with Jason, he's a pro and also sails a Prowler, anyway sail wise he was using a KA MSL12 and I had a KA MSL10B on. I'd quite forgotten what sailing in february is like, and as it turns out I'd also forgotten to put the front bung in. But then we had a good couple of hours in the harbour, making our own windward leeward course using the harbour bouys. We had a pit stop for lunch at around one (where I was so cold getting back into my sailing kit I put the lot on under a hot shower) and then we were off out into Hayling bay.

A perfect 12 knots meant some good tuning runs and some very good down wind work. At around 4pm we decided to come in. I was getting cold, Jason with a drysuit was doing better. On the way back I'd forgotten what the bar at the entrance to the harbour was like, and wind against tide meant standing waves and scary fast downwind sailing. We made it back OK after a great day on the water.

Funny, you can have all the innovations you like, but nothing, absolutely nothing beats these hard yards.

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