12:30 in the bay for some informal racing until roughly 14:30. For those new to the Hayling bay drill – go out of the harbour, stay roughly in the channel, turn right at the first post (Bar Beacon), and you will find a 7m rib about 3-400 yds along from the bar, fairly close into the shore. Sail past with a smile and Chris may take your photo! Windward leeward course with start/leeward gate all in one.
Hayling newbies – Note high tide is at 13:41 and is 5.0m (ie huge)! Wind forecast is 11-13 knots SW by midday and building slowly to 13-15 kts by 15:00. It carries on building from there. Therefore:-
1. Check your boat for worn bits and replace before you leave the beach – do not chance it. Harriet in the on site Chandlery is there to help you all week.
2. Put your trollies ABOVE the high water line (marked by seaweed). Several floated away today and had to be rescued.
3. The Ebb tide (going out) is very BIG. 2 hours after high water it will start to run at 4-5 knots towards Calais so the rules of the bay for maximum fun are:-
a. Aim to go out into the bay 1 – 2 hrs before High Tide.
b. Aim to be back in the harbour no later than 1 – 2 hours after High Tide. On Monday 3pm is a good time to aim for. If you need to sail more the harbour is mostly navigable until about 4pm.
c. Try not to sail in the main channel coming in, Leave the Bar Beacon post on your port side and bear off (don’t gybe). Carry on reaching until you can line up the green post on the RHS of the harbour mouth with the club building and gybe. Aim to enter the harbour beside the green post. Kushti.
d. If you sail out of the harbour just as everyone else is coming in (like some today), you are indeed a plank of the first order. If you do survive the bar (doubtful) you will be taken to Captain Tagg who will make you wish that you had not.
Message ends.