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Monday 21st October
As always, there was an almighty force 1 blowing for the first day, which was probably just as well, as most of us were still trying to recover after the hellish journey the day before. It was a beautiful day, and almost warm! So much so that I didn't need my wetsuit, and everyone was complaining about frying in their steamers, as the vicious pumping that ensued in the two races took its toll.
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Sun, Sea, Surf at Calshot |
I won the first race by a flawless (though I say it myself!) first upwind leg and pumping like a demon! (weighing almost two stone more than everyone else is not easy in light winds) As I drifted back to the shore, completely exhausted, someone told me it was a practice race!
PRACTICE!??! I KILLED MYSELF FOR A PRACTICE???!!! AARRGGHHH!!!
I came nowhere in the second race, I could hardly sail! Now I know how the Olympians feel.
Tuesday 22nd October
Again, there was almost no wind, but a beautiful day. In the morning we had a discussion on rig tuning with Guy, and in the afternoon we (well, my group) practised starts and leylines with Dave. I still prefer strong winds though.
Wednesday 23rd October
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A steady force 3 with gusts in the 4/5 region made for a lovely day, blessed by the sun again! (I love this place!) Pursuit (you try to catch the other guy up) triangles were laid, with downwind leylines being the key practice area. Of course our course was laid in the ginormous wind shadow thrown by the hanger. (while the other group's was in clear wind. Dave claimed it was for "staying with the gusts" practice. Hmmmnnn.)
After the customary races, those of us who weren't completely dead set out to rip up The Solent on our shortboards. The Solent wasn't the only thing Guy Solven ripped up! While streaking upwind to windward of Guy, I learnt a telling lesson about how far out from the shore the water gets too shallow for comfort.
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While lining up for a gybe (to avoid the rapidly incoming land!) I saw Guy disappear over the front of his board at high speed, and then stand up with mud all-over his face. His fin had hit a mud bank, and he was now standing with the water well below his knees a good thirty metres out from the shore! (I stamped on the tail very quickly, cancelling the screaming laydown, as I heard a scraping sound from the area of my own fin.)
Thursday 24th October
A brisk force 4 greeted us when we surfaced on the penultimate day of the course. I really must mention though the one thing that marred this course and that was the food. It is NOT GOOD at Calshot and I hope that "The Management" can rectify this for next year. However, the numerous drinks machines all set on free vend more than made up for this, and long may this continue!
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Today was a particularly good day as the morning was spent on a Carve Gybe clinic with Guy. The importance of these "Carve Clinics" cannot be overestimated. Out of the cream of Britains' youth sailors, (i.e. us) only about five can honestly say they can plane out of eighty percent of their gybes.
The conditions that can supply opportunities for Carve Gybeing however are few and far between and it is no co-incidence that all but one of these star gybers are from "oop north".
In the afternoon we continued this theme on the open sea with insanely broad speed runs on the open sea following Dave in his "Tornado". Whenever he turned we carved, it was great fun. We then had a quick video session with Isy, before Dave led us upwind at maximum speed to "Castle Point", a good two miles upwind in fact, and we then blasted downwind again. Excellente! We sailed so much today in fact that by the time the race had finished it was getting so late that it was getting darker and there was no time for shortboarding! BOOOO!
Anyway, The Edge and co. would make up for this tomorrow...
Friday 25th October ~ The last day, sniff!
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Another force 4 tore into our clothing when we tottered outside for breakfast, but there was a difference this morning. We were allowed a half hour lie-in. Hurrah! We immediately went out for the last race of the week, (we thought!) as we came in, Isy told us we were doing Slalom! Cool! An hour was spent on this, and the rest of the day was given up to freesailing. Brilliant day!
Many thanks to Barry, Isy, Dave and Guy for a superb week.
