Two unfit and out of practice helms decided to do the Saturday and Sunday at Weston Grand Slam this weekend. Phil and I got in E-numbers to see if we could sail together. Our first mistake was two helms in one boat while leaving two lighter more agile and generally better crews going to Bournemouth beach and doing Easter Egg hunts.
So the first race starts with a lovely off shore breeze which was making the best of its well known ability to osculate Phil helming and myself trying to remember what to do at the sharp end. After lots of over corrections and a couple of swims we finally got one upwind leg where our extra leverage (who ate all the pies? Me probably) paid off and E grew wings.
Second race was still off shore and light to start. My turn to helm. My first comment "How do I sail with this much weather helm?" Not a problem it is light winds. Wrong quarter way down the first run we get a 50 degree wind shift and an increase to 20 knots. Drop kite white water reach to a white sail gybe while finding a gap in the fleet swim number one. After that we went on a slalom course upwind with me trying battle the rudder and Phil trying to remember what a mainsheet did.
At the end of Saturday I won 3 capsizes to two. So Phil helmed on Sunday.
Sunday eventually became a steadyish near easterly. Upwind we learnt that Phil pinches and I sail to free and combined there is a sweet spot and that is rapid. Using the only tactic at Weston of wind of shore not inshore we flew down wind went for a swim decided we can be quick and went home.
Never a dull day at Weston; lovely people at the club and always a challenge, more like Thornbury than Portland but that's a good thing.
