My birthday weekend in Hove was a blast but the slalom sailing was not quite what I'm used to at Brog:

ukwindsurfing.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/_b5m8517-01.jpg

It took a while to get used to sailing my slalom kit in rolling swell and small waves. My results were nothing to write home about but I enjoyed taking part and learnt heaps about how to sail fast and gybe in those conditions.

I had a few good starts and my speed was pretty good (fully powered / verging on overpowered on my 6.2m) but I really struggled to make my gybes on Saturday. I was a lot better on Sunday but maybe the waves made it easier to gybe, providing a flat spot inbetween. However, I decided not to race as I was getting tired and the shorebreak was building!

I've uploaded a few photos from the two days. Sadly the ones of me on Sunday are very blurred due to spray on the camera lens but the last few give a good idea of what people were racing in:

www.mikeg.ws/index.php?page_id=35&fi...ove%20%28England%29/

I'm looking forward to the next event in Poole. Hopefully it will be slightly flatter though - even if I was getting more used to the technique of sailing slalom kit in lumpy stuff.

Well done Mike and a belated Happy Birthday.

Making the jump to racing at that level must be a great way to improve. You had better not get too much better or you will be banned from brog :wink: