Pink Mirror

Sunny Sunday, with light wind – so just right for the first racing sail of the season. But as we rigged the boats it got breezier and breezier with swirling gusts and by the time I was ready, the wind was lifting the water into sharp choppy points. I missed the race start but followed on after the faster boats (everybody) trying to watch where they were headed for the next buoy. The wind was even harder as it funnelled up the Lake’s centre line:
Goodneeeesssssme! sums up the feeling of surging through the water on a run with wind behind. Very fast, lots of spray and there’s the land and I can’t turn around……  
Good! Ness! Me! Sums up tacking against the wind and bumping up the waves. And. Nearly. Blown. Over. Again.
I was doing so well though, with no capsizes at all – but it couldn’t last - just at the very end, within 50 yards of the pontoon a whoosh of air spun my boat around and there I was ignominiously tipped out. Getting back in, when the rescue crew keeps making you laugh, is the hardest bit.

In the afternoon I got the Club Mirror Dinghy out to set up. Definitely, a Barbie boat with raspberry ice cream hull and red sauce sails. It has its spars  and dagger board but no rudder??? Where is Ken when you need him?.