Sailing this weekend

[azziria]

Extended shipping forecast for this coming weekend:

Strong southwesterly winds on Friday will increase to gale-force for a time in northern parts of Fitzroy and Biscay as well as Sole, Fastnet and Plymouth. Winds veer westerly later Friday with gales persisting for a time through the English Channel. Strong westerly winds continue during Saturday across much of the area before easing back by Sunday morning.

So, we're racing from Cowes to Cherbourg, gun time 1900 Friday. Looks like a bumpy start, a beam reach all the way over, and then a more gentle run back on Sunday. Also not the weather (or the wind direction) for trying out our new spinnaker!

Can't wait :)

Comments

[portraitofafool.livejournal.com]

Around here "gale-force" means "hurricane or tropical storm" so now I am probably needlessly worried. Please don't blow away. Out your way it simply means more like "a lot of wind", right? Just, ya know, be safe either way.

And then I read the other comments... came to these conclusions:

Wittering is one of the best words ever. I picked it up as a byproduct of all my British television watching as a kid and I love using it--and get to do so a lot.

People talking serious sailing fic makes me think, Gilligan's Island and when people talk crack fic, I think, They're all gonna die. One day... ONE DAY... I will get it right and actually end up on the same page as everyone else. At least I tell myself that.

[azziria.livejournal.com]

'Gale force' is Force 8, which means 30-35 mph winds ('Hurricane force' is Force 12, for comparison). So we're talking sailing with a deep-reefed mainsail and a storm jib rigged, but well within the capacity of the Challengers, which were designed to handle those Southern Ocean 40-footers. Plus, although our skipper is too young to know any fear, he's not an idiot. So it might be a bit interesting but we should be OK :)

And I do like it a bit rough...

[portraitofafool.livejournal.com]

Yea! So you won't be blowing away then. This makes me very happy. Winds like that just make stuff more of an adventure, even for feet-on-dry-land sorts such as me.

Rough is the best way to go, always. *g*