Great event today at the river mouth, thanks for organising Chris and Richard! Nice to meet a few new people, Fletch and Hayden! Jason, call me when you want you boom, or it goes on Ebay! :P
Fletch!
Kyms new goya 5.0
I ran out of skills (using my twitch sail), so I became camera boy. Some close ups. Enjoy:
Dave Lane (Divaldo):
The start of race 1:
"On your marks.." (race 1):
I mostly took video footage. I'll be posting Dr Duck a DVD. So, there should be a video floating around (my Bandwidth is not large enough to upload). If any one would like it, I am happy to post to you. Anyone that sees it, apologies for the shakey picture. I was freezing.
Ja
PS: I am not sure why my uploads always look so crap on the post. Seabreeze uploader has done something to them. The pics in my profile look a bit better.
Thanks for the photos Dave and Jason. It was great to see everyone on the water and meet some people (James, Fletch) for the first time. A classic venue for Slalom.
There was some good close racing. Conditions were challenging with a shifty squally 20-30 knots (and one 35 squall while we were rigging that got everyone scrambling to hold things down and questioning their sail choice). As always seems to be the case for a figure 8 course, one leg was slightly upwind and one slightly down wind. Not easy if you had a knock on the way to the upwind mark.
We had all sorts of equipment out there - I think only Chris used a race sail, and he was on a B+J board. Being powered up was important (5.8 sails for me and Chris), but beyond that it was down to the sailor rather than the equipment. Had to know your gear well, nail those gybes and eliminate errors. I adjusted my mast foot once, and the loss of speed and pointing earned me a last place. Also, while leading one race (for the first time!) I pulled in after 2 laps instead of three - classic brain fade. But nothing focuses your attention like arriving at a gybe mark at 28 knots with someone up your clacka. Classic.
We need to tighten up our system for recording results (there was none :-( ) , but I'm calling a 1st for Chris D, and a 2nd for Hayden Mossop (Dad would be proud!). Kim won the Womens division :-)
Regards, Richard
P.S. I had a blast on Chris's board, and can report that it is not just the equipment that makes him so fast.
Sorry to have missed the big Race day, work get's in the way again !
Hayden called me Three times Sunday night, I think he had a good time !
He especially liked the new board of Jason's (sharkbiscuit)........
thanks to the organiazes, it's never easy .. and all who made an effort to attend 
See you at the next event
Divaldo,
I know you are used to winning a sail in every comp you enter, but....
Dave M,
Bad luck about having to work 
- see you next time.
Regards, Richard
Thanks for organising the event - really enjoyed the racing and that silky smooth water near the dredges!
Pretty keen to try the Seaford to Semaphore Challenge (don't worry I'll bring my 105L slalom, not my 75L wave!) in 3 weekends time.
Any special req'ts (aside from kit & PFD)?
Mobile in waterproof bag?
Where'd you get those bags?
Drinking Water?
