Wind Dummies in Donegal

  • Wind Dummies in Donegal

  • Windsurfing Dinner

  • Stuff the End

WIND DUMMIES IN DONEGAL

 

The name of the game

You do of course know what a wind dummy is. He (and it's always a he) is the one who goes out usually on a wing and a prayer to test the wind for the rest of us. We of course stand on the shore and watch with interest as the wind dummy either sinks without trace or gets flattened.

Well this year we didn't have a wind dummy - we had 16 of them. And they didn't get flattened (although a couple did get scarred) but quite a few did sink without trace. Yes - it was that annual moan-fest which is our Donegal Wave Clinic. This time we had the loquacious Ant Baker as our guru, so a different style - but the same annual lack of wind.

 

The statistics were simple. A 3 day course which started with some wind and got lighter each day. Day 1 was F4 at Magheroarty and some wave riding with people on and off the plane. Some annoying people like Wookie and Raptor could plane easily and rode well - on the waves, not on each other. Others struggled a bit.

 

Day 2 saw the mottley convoy trundle to Magheroarty (light wind, good waves) then to Lettermacaward (where Raptor alone went out in lighter winds and bigger waves) and finally ending up at Donegal airport. Lettermacaward looked good in the usual October sunshine but only the very brave or the terminally lightweight could consider it. So we all spent a happy hour watching Raptor getting pounded and minced - but also riding some good waves.

 

Raptor sails alone and dies

Most of the day was spent at the airport, not a busy place in fact - we saw 1 plane land and 1 executive jet. The beach at Carrickfin is a new one to most of us and like many in Donegal is beautiful and populated only by the odd dog walker. The conditions however were difficult, light cross off shore wind really caught a lot of people out. The NSC crew especially had never sailed this direction before and many suffered a lot - a nice way of saying were really crap. The waves were good but there was only a narrow band where they could be sailed near the shore. In truth it wasn't that difficult to get out either but with 17 sails on the water (and a lot of swearing going on) there was always a good collection of boards in the shore break struggling to get out.

 

Carrickfin

Those who could get planing really did catch some good waves. Wookie especially stood out and I never thought I'd use the word silky in connection with him (other than in reference to his under garments), but it was the best way to describe his wave riding. Raptor of course was turning his bottom nicely, but others like John Adrain, Mark Adams, Cormac O'Brien, Gareth Hanley and of course the ever going for it Ming the Merciless were doing some very good stuff. Andy wisely took the Arc Royal out, his sup, and actually had a very good sail. It's remarkable how well these brutes (I mean sups, not Andy) can do with a sail in light wind waves.

Others had their moments, including Shipman who took the record for the longest walk of shame - we thought he was going to end up in the next bay at one stage. And all of this was caught on camera by Ant who set up shop on a chair with 2 umbrellas like some demented OAP on Brighton beach.

 

Dirty old man on the beach

But he was of course armed with every gadget and took some excellent photos and a lot of scary video from his camp. Kevin Murnaghan and John Wylie battled away and actually did well as did Ali Todd whose normal swearing appeared to have disappeared - he was positively polite to everyone. We were just about to considering changing his nick name from Tourettes when we heard him on (and in and under) the water - clearly it's business as usual when the windsurfing isn't going too well.

The final day saw us get up early and pile the usual Loch Altan huge breakfast into us and make Magheroarty by day break - something of a record for our crew! The motivation of course was the howling winds - some thought the roof was going to come off the hotel on Thursday night, but others thought that was just John in the bar 'enjoying' the line dancing - if that's not an oxymoron. Either way, hopes were high - as indeed they'd been in the bar. But by dawn it was dying and hopes were dashed. A few people headed out on their largest sails but by now the wind was more off than on and only a few waves could be caught now and then.

 

Wookie was one of the first out and did well, but also took a few poundings in the lulls. He did at least get planing hard which almost no-one else did. Raptor of course was OK for a bit, but at the other end of the spectrum Lorraine (Colin) Kelly took out a Techno and bravely went for it. He was rewarded with one excellent wave ride - and that was the end of his day. Gareth was encouraged by this and went out on his wave kit as others were moving to sups. He got a long way out and then the wind died completely and he sank. After a while we debated who we could sacrifice and so Ming was sent out on his sup to paddle out to him. It took a while and then Gareth sailed the sup back with his rig moved to it. Even getting this back took about 30 minutes - although one has to admire his style in that he took the opportunity to catch a wave and sail the last 50m into the shore in real style. Indeed he came charging in and took out a Spaniard who was trying to surf near the shore. As for Ming, he somehow paddled back Gareth's 100 ltr board - no mean feat at the best of times. All hail Ming!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fine figures of windsurfers

 

 

 

 

That was pretty much it as, despite Ant's berating for not going out, hearts weren't in it so there was just a bit of half hearted sup and surfing.

There was however a postscript in that a few of us stayed on for Friday night despite a poor forecast for Saturday. So on Saturday Andy went off to do a bit more paddling at Ballyness - he's really taken to his sup and it shows as he's looking a lot more trim. Shipman, Nigel Wright and I headed to Downings where we were rewarded with a nice day on big kit - mostly 9.4m. Hardly wave sailing but the sun was out and it was actually a nice way to spend a Saturday. The only problem with Downings is the damned buoys and those trailing ropes. To hit a rope once and go over the handlebars is unfortunate, to do it twice on the same rope is damned stupid - I know, I did it.  Nigel showed his dark side by getting out his kite and having some good runs.

 

Nigel on the dark side

Nick Fletcher was out and eventually Ming went out - in Casper-like fashion when everyone else had come off the water and a huge storm cloud was approaching. But Ming of course is like Captain Scarlet - he's indestructible.

 

Ming as the storm approaches

It's normal on one of these courses to have some damage. The worst we've actually had is a broken foot (Bin Laden) and 3 masts. This time however we had 2 scar-faces. The first, as ever, was Ming who came off on a wave at Carrickfin (rather aptly) and took his fin in the face. There was quite a lot of blood but in the end it was only the skin on his nose and lip. Between that, a bad back and a badly blocked ear, the machine that is Chris Loughridge had a lot to contend with - but you wouldn't know it to see him sail. Merciless is right.

After Tony had patched him up, he offered to help Ming put his kit on the icecream van. Ming rewarded him by accidentally flicking the board round and the fin caught Tony full on the face. He was very lucky in fact, he's only got a great scar and cut right beside his eye. It could have been so much worse. And then to add insult to facial injury he broke his boom on the last day.

 

Downings

So once again the forecaster let us down. There were high hopes when Windguru was all reds and purples - but  the only reds and purples we saw in reality were on Ming's face. However, the windsurfing is only the half of it, the craic of course was great. And it's a great like style up there - something like -

  1. Get up, laptops out over breakfast and check the conditions
  2. Huge breakfast while speculating about who won't make it after last night
  3. Pass through the garage for freshly made sandwiches and coffee to go
  4. Magheroarty and spend at least an hour talking about the wind
  5. Listen to Ant telling you to go out anyway
  6. Eventually get some sailing in, with lunch on the beach
  7. Back to the hotel for some pints to wash away the salt
  8. More pints while Ant does the video feedback session and all your so called friends make fun of our cockups
  9. More pints and a hearty feed in the Loch Altan
  10. More pints and much talk of how windy it might be tomorrow
  11. Run screaming from the bar in terror as the line dancing music starts up

With a description like that I know you're just be lining up to come next year. See you in the bar...

 

WINDSURFING DINNER - FRIDAY 12th NOVEMBER

It's nearly upon us - so gird your loins for a a great night's craic and tell Paddy that you're going to be there. The facts are :

  • Any windsurfer is welcome - not just club members
  • At Pier 36 - sponsor of the GPS Challenge
  • Good meal at a ridiculously cheap price £20
  • Windsurfers and partners
  • 7:30, Friday 12 November
  • Prize giving for the GPS Challenge
  • A Question of Sport - ritual humiliation and humour for windsurfers

Just be there.

And to be clear, all windsurfers are welcome. We're raising money for new kit for NSC so the more people who come, the more kit we get. So don't worry if you're not a member, just come along and bring the wife/girlfriend/dog as appropriate.

Tickets from Paddy (panty) Lyner on 07803908714.

STUFF THE END

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