What a day, half mile walk to sailing area and a promising forecast. With wind filling in at 11 and only 6 hours of light to get through 70 competitors. It was never going to be possible to get through all single eliminations. For most of it, it was good head high, fairly chunky at Times, down the line 4.7 weather.
This morning I am pretty dead from so much wave riding, what a mini holiday!! I am a little despondent though. I felt I was sailing well, picking off the set waves and cruising through my heats. Then came disaster. In the semi final on my first wave and second term my mast extension broke and came away from the board. It was pretty dark so no one could see me to get my other kit. After about five mins swimming. I managed to get my other kit, get out with 3 mins to. Go luckily I picked up a set wave and managed to get the highest wave score of the heat, however time ran out out so I could only count a shitty second wave. Apparently in that semi, myself, Gregg Dunnett, and Lewis Merrony were tied on points, so it had to go to a third wave. I didn't have a third wave. I didn't really expect to ho through after swimming most the heat, but now it's going to be a big what if.
Gregg, who wasn't happy on Friday was sailing really well today, he probably has the most fluid turns out of all the amateurs and wouldn't look out of place in the pro fleet if it was just about riding, which it was today. So he is in the the final and hopefully today can get the win. He is up against Will Barrett and Nial Mellon (who put out the title contenders Mike Archer and Mike Wand Tetley).
In the pro fleet, Phil Horrocks Toole the win over Ben Proffit. He definitely had the better wave choice out of the final. His brother Dave also made the final, but he had a similar fate to me, breaking his mast in the final. Adam Lewis who sailed incredibly in the semi final didn't sail as well in the final. If they do a double Elin though... I have to thank Adam for rescuing my kit in my heat.
The forecast is sketchy today. They might get the ams and masters final done and make progress through the pro fleet. With a full 32 in the ams there is little chance of getting through the double, so I'll have to settle for 5th. Next time...
Windsurfing is dead? No way, there were well over 100 sailors in the water, all with kit from the last two years. Apart from Ollie Wood, on his 2000 Jp 'quadimodo' five fin box creation. He was even winning his heat for the first two minutes!
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