Had this event on my radar for a while. I had been trying to get Finn to Tiree but had not been able to get him there. By doing this last event of the season he would be in the running for the english Youth champion, all he had to do was win. For me hopefully some fun sailing. Forecast looked good on Wednesday night so got a ticket for the boat from Rosslare to Pembroke. A eye watering €320. I somehow miss read the ferry time thinking it was 1am rather than 9.45pm which made for a rushed Thursday. Worked till 1pm with Finn packing and hit the road at 3 with a bit of sleep on the road and boat rocked up at Gwithian around 11 to 19c 1ft cross off 5.0 weather. Not bad for the end of October.We both had a fun disco sail. ( big moves tiny surf !).
Quick sleep on the M5 somewhere in Devon
Great to see lots of friends, partially the Pidden family who stay in Brandon Bay every summer.
Finn
Pulled up at the car park Saturday to still small surf and not much wind. A little worrying ! Finn went for a Surf while the briefing was on. Find out he is in the first heat of the day which is going to be held a long way up wind at Peters point and as the wind is building we need to get moving. Lucky he sees me waving on the cliff top and comes in. 3 rigs 2 boards, water, food, wetsuits 10 min walk upwind then down a dangers track down the cliff is hard work.
Finn first heat goes well, showing he is very happy in DTL sailing with more speed and better turns than the rest of the youth fleet. Into the final and things do not go so well. It pretty horrible watch i have him in 4th out the 4 man final after around 7 min of the 10 min heat. At last he gets a set wave and gets by far the best wave of the heat. Without a very good second wave it is going to tight. Jack Petit has a few good long waves which must score well but without real hard turns. Jack gets the win. Bummer but the right call. We now have to pray for a second round which never comes which leaves Finn Second over all for the event and Vice champion for the year. I tell him he can walk home !. You always need a bit of luck to win and he did not get it in that heat.
Saturday Niall
With 32 sailers in the Ams fleet it is a while till I get to sail being in heat 7. I though i was in with a good chance with the odd wave up to head high and cross off winds on port tack it looked like home. Sailed 4 heats to get to the final. Think i used a 5.0 4.7 and 4.2 keeping on the 81 Quattro twin that was working supper well in the softish waves. With no jumps to count I tried to use as small as sail as possible. Working on getting good hard turns rather than flying down the line for airs. All my heats went pretty well with the last one being almost in the dark. With Mike Archer and Mike Wand Tetly both in the running for the overall title it was a stacked heat. Sailed a ok heat and was pleased to go through with Will Barrett. Sail down wind to Gwithian in the dark. The Goat track up the cliff in the dark is a well scary place to be.
Team Work
Sunday forecast was not looking too good, I really wonted to sail the surf was bigger with light winds. Conditions I like. Finn was also thinking much the same. In the end only the masters and Ams finals were sailed at around 3 pm. 20 min heats 2 waves with logo high waves coming through. Great everyone would get waves in that time span and we could wait for the best ones. The wind was little bit onshore. Used my great 5.4 poison sail that has so much low end power and the 81 again which is a bit on the small side but gets up and going fast. We had a bit of everything from no wind to really windy when rain squall passed through. I had spotted that we might get wind with the rain on the way so had Finn ready with the 5.0 and smaller board. Got a bomb wave on that kit, the last wave on the heat on. In the end I got some great waves and with a couple safe ones in the bank I could just go for it and hit every lip coming my way. Sailed well and with two 8 as my counting waves so did the judges giving me first.
Thanks to all the BWA crew for a great event. Jamie Knox, GA sails and Kathleenmcauliffe.com
Final, to much fun not to jump !
Finn Back home. Opps I left my prize in the Bluff Inn
Niall
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