Stephen Squirrell (34966km):
2340 days ago
Saturday 16th June – windsurf **** Llanfairfechan –cloudy/rainy start then sunny periods.
F2 282 Ride with Tushingham Lightning 6.5 – wind SW 20 to 25 mph
29.27 knot max., 27.83 knot ave., 17.52 knot hour, 23.79 knot mile, 70.80 km., 17.06 knot alpha.
Our fifth night in the lovely and very friendly Llanfairfechan we are treated like one of the locals now:) The forecast always looked good for a sail today before we explore the hills again. A good night, a few strong gusts at bedtime which calmed down fortunately last evenings sun had disappeared replaced by cloud. We are sheltered here but the wind looked light so Mag again did her exercises on the beach. Then we moved up to the free carpark by the small boat compound with it’s easy access to the launching ramp and grass to rig. We saw Steve Carter on the way who said with the wind in the South it is offshore and gusty but it was supposed to swing SW by the afternoon and he was hoping to sail then after going to an archaeological open day on Anglesey. We got our prime parking spot and I unloaded my gear while Mag made the porridge. There were loads of fishermen by the sea wall, dog walkers, mums and kids in wetsuits and people generally enjoying the weekend, the café was busy too but then the rain started and lasted on and off until at least 2.30! I checked the wind several times it looked sailable even if a huge wind shadow in front of the ramp but there was nobody else windsurfing and I am not going out in the rain! We just relaxed in the van watching the fishermen get wet, they are a hardy bunch in these parts wearing t-shirts and kids in the sea, we had fun listening to Graham Norton and then a top Golden hour of 1973 including ‘The Groover’ by my favourite T.Rex:) Local windsurfer, who we later learned was Julian, arrived with the rain at its heaviest and was in no hurry to rig. Then the sun actually made I,t the 20 mph southerly turned SW and dropped! Steve returned from a damp Anglesey and we debated about windsurfing, Julian rigged for the expected wind a 6m, while after much indecision, I nearly went for 7.8, in the end rigged 6.5 again. I was glad I did as the wind had freshened considerably by now. At 3.15 Mag took a pic of Julian and me before setting off on a 5 mile walk up the coast to Penmaenmawr (try pronouncing that! ) and I was on the water by 3.30 following Julian all the way over to the tip of Anglesey but didn’t land as a bit of a wind shadow but good planing all the way despite the very lumpy sea, to be honest this is one of the worst places I have ever sailed for lumpy sea but the tide had changed and was going out which seems to rough it up! I had some fun in the sun going for an hour and a mile and was pleased with the result:) I came in after a 1 hour 20 minutes but Mag was still out walking so I headed out as she approached, returning along the prom. With the tide dropping you have to be careful as it gets shallow and a couple of miles out the water coloured up so I dropped in and found I was in waist deep water, a bit surreal being so far offshore but you could stand and admire the wonderful scenery all around:) I whizzed back in for my waterproof camera and headed out to Dutchman’s Bank to take some pics. It took me three attempts to find the shallow water but got some OK shots. I then tried to take some handheld video, not easy in a lumpy sea in 25 knots of wind! I found some flat water, quickly put the camera down my wetsuit, bearing off and getting 28 knots - my best for here so I then spent an hour sailing way offshore in smooth water taking care not to get too close to the bank and missed 30 knots by a whisker. I had it all to myself as Julian and Steve had packed up but it gets dark late here so I had plenty of time. Getting knackered now and when the plastic covering on my harness line broke it was time to call it a day and headed ashore even if I did have a bit of a walk back to the van as the tide was well out now. Turned into a top day in the end beating all my previous speeds for here. As I was changing Julian took Mag to the small sailing club so she could fill up our water bottles, then we had the most delicious carbonara. With the van loaded we drove to the Co-op and then up the A 55 to Abergwyngregyn, taking the single track, dead end road up into the wilds hoping to stay the night in the small carpark. When we got there it was full, a couple of cars had just arrived with some youngsters heading up into the mountains with camping gear. An outdoor centre van with a couple of young ladies in was waiting, then their clients arrived and they left leaving a nice sheltered spot by a stone wall:) The ground slopes but we get fairly level and we should have a quiet night up here if only the wind would drop! Tomorrow we hope to walk to Llyn Anafon a small mountain Lake and apparently very pretty!
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