After such a long wind drought it was no wonder the country turned out in such numbers, I headed for the BSA slalom even at Hove but from all the calls and emails I had it seems that anyone with a board headed for the water. I’ll confess to only staying until lunchtime before heading off to find stronger winds, keep saying it, I’ll never make an event photographer.
Knowing there would be wind I left at 5am, didn’t want to miss a minute but at the same time I had to spend some time behind the lens, so just imagine how broken I was when I turned up to see nothing but a reflection in Hove Lagoon’s water.
By 9 o’clock I’d already received a call from home to find out where I was “it’s windy, though the tide’s not right until the afternoon”, yet only a few ripples had started to form on the sea. By the time the wind picked up enough for 9m slalom sails I’d already planned to dash off to find something a little stronger, and once that thought was in my head it just festered.
If I get a sail in, or at least have sailed the day before, I find it easier to stay behind the lens, guess that’s almost like admitting to addiction but I guess that’s what it is. I know the only arguments with the wife stem from the forecast, oh, did I mention I was supposed to be at her cousins little ones christening, now there’s the positive of my job, sorry couldn’t make it I was working J
The racing has been a real fight with no one running away with the lead, Matt Pearch may have come out on top but he hasn’t had it all his own way, you couldn’t have planned it to be more interesting to watch, well apart from that nagging ache that wont go away until I get wet.
In between taking pictures I called everyone I know along the coast but no reply, bugger they were already out, who to sail with. Sure I could have gone out at any crowded beach but if you don’t know anyone you’re still sailing alone. The only ones who could answer my call were at home and still waiting for the water to come in but that didn’t make sense, I’m always trying to get them to the south coast where the conditions are better, I couldn’t go from home from here just to sail our brown waters.
Well there’s no picture evidence but having left at 5am I finally arrived at my local beach just 15 minutes away eleven hours later, to be honest it doesn’t really matter what the conditions, nothing beats sailing with a mate.
