RRD FSW 87L

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After my successful trip last year, I convinced Ash to join me for a weekend over the channel in Wissant. We parked the van at the only campsite in the town and while there were facilities, it certainly wasn't five star... Both days were great winduurfing, but the sun was shining on Saturday so that's when I took the pics. I was on a 5.2 and the 85FSW for most of the afternoon - the cross on conditions with a heavy current running down the beach and huge chop on the outside certainly made me appreciate how idillic Baja was. Sunday was a little windier, so I went with 4.7m and it turned out to be the right choice. Spent most of the afternoon swimming after trying to get back up the wave clew first for a top turn. Made a few and it felt good. Going to do my flatwater homework now...

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With the media hyping up crazy storms and 50 mile an hour gusts, I put the evo in the van and headed to avon beach. Of course, it was nothing like the beeb would have you believe. Clear blue skies and 20 knots. Perfect 5.2 weather. I'd expected some of the Atlantic swell to make it down the channel but it turned out to be fairly flat. Maybe I was a day or so early. Still, there were enough ramps for jumping and the odd bottom to top turn. The wind was cross-on so getting back to the lip meant some clew first switch stance action.

After the wind had already blown down a tree across the A3, getting to the coast was a more of a challenge than normal. It was the Fat Face Hayling windsurfing festival this weekend and by the time I arrived, there were already plenty of vans and tents parked up on the beach. Although it was dark, the wind was howling and the rain still lashing down.

I woke early to the sound of more rain driving against the van, checked the forecast and decided to get on with it. Measuring the wind at 18knots, although I'd taken the Evo down with me, I opted to stick with the 87FSW and a 5.2. There was a clear swell breaking on the bar and my combination turned out to be perfect for the first 30 mins or so. Then the wind picked up. Really picked up. And it was gusty, one minute not a lot and the next bang...

Still, the waves were rolling in and everyone was getting some decent rides and airtime. By the time I came in at lunchtime, I could barely hold on any more. Checking Chimet it turned out the gusts were over 40knots...

Having completed my cycling leg in the London triathlon (20km in 44mins incidentally), I rushed down to the coast hoping to get an evening sail in. Only I ran out of diesel on the way down. Two miles from the petrol station. The breakdown man was a little shocked when I told him I'd misjudged it traveling some 50 miles after the light went on...

Anyway, Sunday morning was awesome. In the water at 7.30, the wind just got stronger and stronger all morning. Besides a quick break for a bacon sandwich at 9ish, I was in the sea till 11.30. First time I've been on the FSW87 for some time and I made more tacks than I missed which shows the practice is starting to pay off. I also made a fully planing gybe so same there! Eventually, I realised I was already an hour late for a friends BBQ so I had to leave... Gutting.

You wouldn't think so with the weather we've been having recently... more like Autumn. Not that I'm complaining mind. Probably the only person that isn't. This weekend saw (yet) another low pressure system tracking across the UK with the full force scheduled to arrive Sunday morning.

With that in mind I jumped into the van Saturday afternoon for a low tide warm up session in advance of the big day. After much deliberation and discussion with guys coming off the water, I rigged a 6.2m and took the FSW 110 out. Turned out to be the perfect choice. Two hours of evening blasting ensued, I made most of my tacks and gybes.

Sunday, was full-on. I rigged a 4.2m and took the FSW 87 (having left the Evo at home 'cos I didn't expect it to be windy enough...) Turned out not to be too bad, although I was crazily over powered when the squalls came through. We also had a small swell coming though. No massive, but great for backside riding - at one point i was sailing a mile or so along the sea front getting in 20 or 30 turns. Admittedly, they were only boom or so high but still great fun. The ramps were bigger on the outside, probably logo high and relatively soft. At one point I bailed a jump and while lying in the water a guy comes up over the next wave an pulled a forward loop almost over my head. What a sight. Fantastic!

Oh and bumped into Jem as I was de-rigging. He was planning a three-beach marathon, but didn't even have the energy to travel to Pagham with him, let alone West Wittering after that...

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Earlier in the year, I was getting a bit worried that global warming was starting to disrupt the normal flow of low pressure systems across the Atlantic to the UK. Only time will tell us if that really is the case, but today we finally had a decent weather system hit the UK. It was certainly blowing. Stacked on 4.7s, a solid 25kt wind, head high rolling swell, clear blue skies and full sun. Today was one of those special windsurfing days when it all comes together.

You know it's properly windy when there are people standing on the beach trying to psych themselves up to go out. After an hour and a half or so I came in for a break. When I went back out, I changed down to a 4.2 which kind of helped, but it was still full on. Gybing was a nightmare - bearing away picking up speed with the board bouncing all over the place...

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Fed up of North Easterlies and with another one forecast this weekend it was time to try somewhere different. So I hopped in the van and caught a ferry to France. Wissant is sometimes referred to as the 'Hawaii of the North' and is ideally suited for both a North Easterly or a South Westerly.

Saturday was a stonker. 5.2 was just about spot on. The sun was shining and a small swell rolling down from the North Sea - perfect for riding and jumping. I only came in when I could no longer hold on!

Monday was also forecast to be good, so I was at the beach for 7.30am (in the pouring rain this time). Unfortunately, the wind never came, instead hovering at the top end of a force three and really gusty. So it was back on the ferry, a little rough this time, and back home. Weymouth next weekend, hoping that brings more great conditions...

Four sessions over three days. The wind was always gusty and the waves not always there but excellent sailing none the less.

I did have a couple of moments though... One sailing the outgoing tide when the wind dropped and I was trying to waterstart. When I did manage to get up and going again I'd missed the headland - luckily a few runs upwind and tacks and I was back to shore safely!

The other was on the far side of the estuary. I'd sailed over to sail the waves on the bar, but when I got there I was in the wind shadow of the cliffs. When I fell in it took me an age to get up again - and all the time battered by decent sized waves... Urgh. Anyway eventually I made it up and wobbled back to the beach for a rest.

A great forecast led to a trip to Cornwall and as an added bonus I got to meet my new nephew. Shame the wind didn't deliver. Saturday was flat and I only managed one planing run, Sunday was supposed to be ballistic so we went out on 4.7s and Evos but could barely keep moving let alone plane. Changing up to the RRD helped, but really it was large sail whether.
Also, I nearly ended up round the headland. It's difficult to appreciate how quickly you drift off the plane when sailing on an outgoing tide at Daymer. Luckily several tacks saw me make it back to the beach...

Seems like an eternity since the last time I was out, but finally the wind has returned. And what's more there was sun too. Sunday provided a chance to head back down to the South coast and my regular Hayling haunt. Although the wind was a week late for the Fat Face Hayling event, it was good to get out and there was a decent crowd around. Hopefully the sign of things to come before winter sets in!