Son and Air

Years ago I didn't have much tolerance for anything, but if I was drunk I could just about understand the mentality of the cruising sailor. Now I am one and on Saturday I sailed my 50 year old boat around the Nab tower with my Dad. It is, according to the chart, seven miles due south, and because I'm not good at sailing this type of boat I spent 6.90 miles on a port reach and then had to tack to get round it. No matter, it was good fun and I love old wooden boats. I will have a bigger one one day. One that has oil lamps where I can read "Riddle of the Sands" by Erskine Childers, and a toilet, and not a bucket.



But yesterday it was back to Moth sailing and after an ill advised trip out into the bay to watch my friends competing in the Flying Fifteen open meeting I then struggled to get back in again with gearing so low that when the wand swung forward, the flap moved probably in the same way a glacier moves. A fast setting I think on the piste....but not in the Alps..

Later Mike Lennon and I made the long beat to the top of the harbour and hung around near Itchenor waiting for the killer gust that would make us ballistic in the flat water, It never came and the closest I got to any sort of decent speed was actually earlier coming in over the bar with a 25.5. Still it was a good chance to get more time in, and I'm starting to get some speed out of the new boat. Whether it will be enough for Parkstone Open Meeting this coming weekend I doubt. Still I will do my best. I've a new smaller main foil on order, but as Mach 2 sales soar past the 200 mark I doubt that it will be ready in time for any imminent UK events.



Today was windy, and I stood by proudly watching as my youngest son went out in his Tera as the wind topped thirty knots. Well done TP! Great sailing!