A couple of photos!

Here are a couple of photos taken by Mikey Clancy-Thanks Mikey!! The only ones of me sailing in Ireland! This was the best day of the week, just over head by midday cross shore changing to cross-onshore head high by the evening.

Not much else to report-I haven't windsurfed since Ireland, firstly because I am working in London and secondly as I am not allowed to wear contacts before a pre laser eye surgery appointment. I have finally decided to go for it after many years contemplating! I'll let you know how it goes!!

First place BWA Ireland and Wales!

The competitors area at Rhosneigr:

A flat looking Rhosneigr, there were more waves later on!!

First, the 3 day Rhosneigr event in Wales. I travelled 3 up with Mike Archer and Stef Hilder on Thursday-a 12 hour trip for Mike who had driven from Ipswich to Surrey to Hayling (to pick up a board) to South Wales and finally to Bangor. Luckily Duncan, a Bangor student, provided a student house to stay in for the event. Friday had reasonable size waves, but no wind, and Saturday similar conditions, so both days we went for SUP. After 3 times ever SUPing, I finally managed to get the hang of it and not fall over the front everytime I paddled out over a wave! Handling a 12-14ft SUP is a little more tiring than a short board and inevitably I winded myself after falling off in front of the board on a wave and the rail nailing my ribs! Despite that, I enjoyed it. Sunday brought some conditions, though a little light wind and unfortunately smaller waves than the Friday. It was fun sailing, the 3 girls (including me) had two heats with I think 1 jump and 2 waves to count. I won both with some onshore riding and a forward. The pros continued late into the evening finishing around 8 when most people had left to catch a ferry! We caught ours at 2 in the morning, took 3 hours sleep in a cabin, then drove the 5 hours to Brandon Bay arriving just in time for the first heats! Wow we were tired!

The first 2 days heats were port tack cross onshore, 2 jumps and one wave to count. The only female entries were myself and local Katie McAnena. Having sailed more onshore conditions than Katie (coming from the South Coast), I won the first two heats. The third day had cross shore riding, about head high with the wind varying from planing on 4.7 to float and ride. Katie took the next heat with her riding, putting me under pressure to get the next one at the end of the day. Both freezing we had put on our wetsuits again to fight it out and it was really close but I just got the win. I also managed a big superman endo forward where I took off on too steep a ramp, my feet came out and flew way above my head and I went all the way round still holding on to my boom! I think we amused the judges... The final heat was a super onshore quite light day, with a lot of backside riding. I took this one making the final score 4-1. Well done to Katie she was tough competition and made me sail my hardest to win! The Friday prize giving was an epic party started early by 'beer pong' so inevitably a messy night, but what goes on tour stays on tour...

I am now back working again until the 23rd June, when I am off to Pozo and Fuerte! Here are a few photos of Ireland, taken by Simon Crowther-thanks Si!! I didn't take any photos myself this time and unfortunately there aren't any of me sailing!

Me taking the title with Katie second:

Lovely Ireland (well, bit of a big rain cloud actually...):

The heat flags and judges car:

No pictures of us sailing-but here's one walking to the beach!

Mmmmmmm Guinness!

The girls!

The judges and photographers-thank you guys for making the event happen!

Brandon Bay:

Windsurf 4 Cancer!!

So the event has finished! What a day! We arrived at Llandegfedd at 7.30, only a handful of us keen people there. Rigging was a nightmare, I forgot how long it takes to rig cammed sails and find a long enough boom, put a fin on etc, let alone carrying all the kit-its massive! I used a 155l starboard formula board and a 6.5 sail. Using a 155l after a 68l was very weird, I could practically dance on the thing! After Mike Walkin had been first on the water (he was doing first on, last off and teaching 4 complete beginners well enough they could participate in the event); me, Stef and Matt set off straight away on the marathon while the wind was good. I had a GPS to measure the distance, which because of the wind direction meant annoyingly we would do reaches across the narrowest part of the reservoir-back and forth 52 times! So 104 times turning around! That was tiring! Mid way through I was getting tired, and my knees really ached from being still locked down on the board, its not like wave sailing where you are moving the whole time! Me and Stef carried on non-stop while Matt had a few rests and rigged different sails. Stef, (we estimated as he didn't have a gps), completed the 26.2 miles in 1 hour 45 while I did it in 2 hours. I blame this on my slower board ha ha (He used an isonic slalom rather than formula). Still, a great time and a lot faster than we both expected! Matt carried on with a few breaks to complete it in just more than 4 hours.

The rest of the day we were on and off the water until 6pm, when the wind died. I was so glad to be out of my wetsuit after 10 hours of soggyness!There were still some guys out on the water until 8, making sure there was someone windsurfing for the whole 12 hour period, with Mike being the last off. At midday I reckon there were about 30-40 guys out and a lot of spectators-a great show for the event and a really fun, (but tiring) day!! So far I have raised £145 and Stef £201, much more than we were expecting, so thank you for all the generous donations! If you feel we deserve it and still want to donate to cancer research, the link is:

Just Giving!

I will try and post some photos when I get hold of some, I didn't take any being on the water most of the day! On Thursday I head to the Rhosneigr and Ireland BWA events with Stef and Mike (Turfdog) Archer-bring on the wind and the waves!!