Just too windy
Never thought I say it, but yes it was just too windy to sail. I arrived in West Kirby and was rigged and ready to go by 8:00 am, but I hadn’t considered that the sea would swamp the wall covering the lake with white water. Soon the car park had an international air as guys turned up from Holland and Sweden, all wanting to get a taste of what England could offer.
A couple of guys took advantage of the high tide and sailed on the sea, Doug from Boardwise was out on a 3.3m, but after an hour found it almost impossible to hold on as the wind started to increase. As we waited for the sea to give the lake back the wind continued to increase to levels I’d never seen before, there was a constant misty spray in the wind, and watch up wind and you could see the gusts coming like a brick wall.
I tried to hold Doug’s 3.3m up in the car park, it was hard enough to stand it up, but putting everything into it I couldn’t sheet the sail in more than an inch. With the wall finally showing the waves on the lake were quickly replaced by a shots chop that got smaller and smaller the nearer it got to the wall.
Around 3pm the wind showed signs of dropping, even in the time it took to suit up it eased by 10knots. I had a 4.5 and 5.0 Vapor earlier in the year but let them go when Reactive water sports needed to keep a fellow speed sailor happy. Not thinking I’d ever need anything under a 5.5 I let them go, something I won’t be doing again after this day.
Martin van Meurs took to the water first and flew into the course; he looked under control so I followed his lead. Starting back in the car park gave a little shelter from the wind, but once out by the corner of the wall I turned off the wind to run down the course. Over powered would be an understatement, I could hardly sheet in properly even after the initial acceleration the wind was still too strong to control. After a couple of hundred meters the rolling chop started to show on the wall, not that it would have been a problem if I had the rig under control but the combination of the two was just too much.
Sailing back up was impossible and walking had enough problems, each time the gust came through I had put my sail on the wall and sit on it just to keep it under control. As I arrived at the top Martin took another run, I followed for another arm wrenching run. Both runs posted 45 on the gps, but as I looked at Martin, he didn’t need to speed to know he had something special, his face said it all.
A gps with 49 on the clock has only been seen once and that was on a perfect run in the canal by Finian Maynard on his Record run so Martin had plenty to smile about. We headed back up for more runs, and as each passed the wind dropped in big chunks and allowing more sailors to join in.
Steve Thorpe has a reputation for holding a big sail down, but was in the same boat as me and only had a 5.5 Vapor as his smallest race sail. Not wanting to be left on the land he was flying around on his 3.3m, if you think we we’re wimping out, just take a look at the expression on his face while he tries to hold it down.
The wind dropped so quickly by the time Steve swapped to his 5.5 Vapor he was then looking for more power, after hours of waiting the moment had come and gone so quickly we were left wondering if we’d waited too long. The truth is we hadn’t, but we all needed smaller sails, even Martin on his 4.2m said he was going back to ask for smaller sail, maybe even a 3.2m for the next British storm.
Read MoreA couple of guys took advantage of the high tide and sailed on the sea, Doug from Boardwise was out on a 3.3m, but after an hour found it almost impossible to hold on as the wind started to increase. As we waited for the sea to give the lake back the wind continued to increase to levels I’d never seen before, there was a constant misty spray in the wind, and watch up wind and you could see the gusts coming like a brick wall.
I tried to hold Doug’s 3.3m up in the car park, it was hard enough to stand it up, but putting everything into it I couldn’t sheet the sail in more than an inch. With the wall finally showing the waves on the lake were quickly replaced by a shots chop that got smaller and smaller the nearer it got to the wall.
Around 3pm the wind showed signs of dropping, even in the time it took to suit up it eased by 10knots. I had a 4.5 and 5.0 Vapor earlier in the year but let them go when Reactive water sports needed to keep a fellow speed sailor happy. Not thinking I’d ever need anything under a 5.5 I let them go, something I won’t be doing again after this day.
Martin van Meurs took to the water first and flew into the course; he looked under control so I followed his lead. Starting back in the car park gave a little shelter from the wind, but once out by the corner of the wall I turned off the wind to run down the course. Over powered would be an understatement, I could hardly sheet in properly even after the initial acceleration the wind was still too strong to control. After a couple of hundred meters the rolling chop started to show on the wall, not that it would have been a problem if I had the rig under control but the combination of the two was just too much.
Sailing back up was impossible and walking had enough problems, each time the gust came through I had put my sail on the wall and sit on it just to keep it under control. As I arrived at the top Martin took another run, I followed for another arm wrenching run. Both runs posted 45 on the gps, but as I looked at Martin, he didn’t need to speed to know he had something special, his face said it all.
A gps with 49 on the clock has only been seen once and that was on a perfect run in the canal by Finian Maynard on his Record run so Martin had plenty to smile about. We headed back up for more runs, and as each passed the wind dropped in big chunks and allowing more sailors to join in.
Steve Thorpe has a reputation for holding a big sail down, but was in the same boat as me and only had a 5.5 Vapor as his smallest race sail. Not wanting to be left on the land he was flying around on his 3.3m, if you think we we’re wimping out, just take a look at the expression on his face while he tries to hold it down.
The wind dropped so quickly by the time Steve swapped to his 5.5 Vapor he was then looking for more power, after hours of waiting the moment had come and gone so quickly we were left wondering if we’d waited too long. The truth is we hadn’t, but we all needed smaller sails, even Martin on his 4.2m said he was going back to ask for smaller sail, maybe even a 3.2m for the next British storm.
