Thorpe Bay Yacht Club

Last weekend saw tough sailing conditions at the Canvey Hurricane Open, with gusts reaching 25 + kts and confused seas.

On the Friday, three TBYC boats were hoping to do 7 mile delivery trip to the Island SC but common sense prevailed as the Southerly gusting F6 winds battered the shoreline. Instead Pete, Wayne and myself decided it was perfect to take my old day boat out for a sail on the R. Crouch. With a ton of lead in her long keel, we blasted up wind with water everywhere, what fun.

Saturday morning in better sailing conditions, four Hurricanes left TBYC to race in the Open meeting at Canvey, first start @ 12.30pm. We left the beach in a SW, F4-5 and within 25 minutes arrived safely at Canvey. For those who don’t really know the Island Yacht Club, it’s based at the East end of Canvey on a mud flat, I mention this as I had forgot to raise my rudders and dagger boards on the way in to the slipway. It was when Wayne, my crew said that the sailors coming out to meet us were only up to their ankles (F**k**G Sh*t) It was mention later that nobody had seen a Hurricane do12 kts land yachting for a while. Continue Reading »