Sunday 24th December – windsurfing **** Portland Harbour -  cloudy with rain :(

29.76 kt. max, 28.23 kt. ave., 15.70 kt. hr., 22.42 kt mile, 22.42 km., 18.91 kt. alpha.

What a top night in our VW campervan just outside Southwell near Portland Bill, it had rained in the night and the breeze had picked up! We decided to have breakfast at the carpark on the North end of the harbour so packed up after changing the gas bottle)  it had lasted 77 nights in the van – a record) and left at 9.30 just as the Weymouth lifeboat was heading through the rough water at Portland Bill! We stopped at the Olympic rings overlooking the harbour to take a picture and a few windsurfers could be seen far below. Several large campers were parked in the large carpark here despite several signs saying no overnight parking:) There was only a couple of vans in the carpark and it didn’t look overly windy so we had breakfast. There were a couple of brothers out on modern slalom boards with matching Black Tushingham X-15’s but it did look a little up and down. They came ashore and I asked what size sail they were using, it was 7m the same as mine which I had left at home! So, I had to make up my mind what to rig, I had only brought the F2 Ride 282 (115 lt.) with a 7.8, 6.5 and 5.8. I didn’t want to rig big so went with my favourite combination for the year the 282 with 6.5, that’s quite a small set-up for me! I was soon rigged and zipped into my winter wetsuit, full hood and gloves which I didn’t need:) and was on the water at 10.30. With the wind in the west and the tide high my plan was to try for an hour and even took my watch. It was still fairly quiet in the harbour and if anything, I was under powdered in all but the strongest gusts and wasn’t planning full tilt for most of the time. With the wind in this direction it was easy to be pushed further out into the harbour where the water was bumpier. The first session lasted over an hour and had great fun, it took me half an hour to fall in but didn’t get cold even if the water was chilly! The best part was sailing close to the large concrete slip and gybing close to the shore:) It would have been easier on a slightly bigger board with the wind up and down. I didn’t try for a mile even though there was plenty of water but the wind was not constant enough! With the first hour complete and the wind easing I headed back to the van and had to wobble the last few hundred metres in very shifty winds. The carpark which cost us a very reasonable £3 was close to full and Mag had been entertained with some top kitesurfers, some in Santa hats! The tide was dropping and there were loads of people out on the water with most of the windsurfers launching from the OTC end and the kitesurfers from the café end but generally the two didn’t clash as the kiters stay very close to shore in the shallow water where the wind is too gusty for windsurfers! I got my three best times in this session but I failed to break 30 knots with the water just too lumpy and the wind too gusty. If anything, it got worse as the wind swung further north so I decided to call it a day, a good two hours and much milder than it had been earlier in December! Back at the van and warmed up with a delicious bacon and egg sandwich made by Mag it was time to back up and head for Devon and Christmas with Rob, Hannah and Arlo at Hannahs mum’s cottage in the middle of nowhere! With the sat-nav set we covered the 60+ miles through some of the prettiest countryside that the UK has too offer and we will be back next year to explore when the weathers better. We had a lovely evening with a cottage full of Hannah’s extended family with Arlo being the star of the show, boy has he grown. It’s getting late now, we are snug in the van with the wind howling, Santa will get a bumpy ride tonight!

PS – I would just like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a Heathy and windy New Year :)

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