Rhosneigr...nearly

26th May 2009 @ 05:01:15 PM

sSs Team Rider, Carl Tomlinson, is a huge fan of Rhosneigr and just 10 days ago he would have been well placed to take advantage of the local knowledge and maybe even bring home some trophies from the wave competition had he entered with the Amateur fleet. However superstition ruled the day...

'' The forecast was definitely looking good for the weekend with strong SSW winds up the Irish Sea and the distinct possibility of a strong low pressure swell coming up from the Bay of Biscay which can only mean one thing…. windsurfing joy at Rhosneigr!

Another quick check on the internet…oh what’s this…? The UKWA have one of their competition rounds on, how can it be…. there’s never wind and waves when a comp is on. So, the alternatives are all weighed up on Saturday morning, the swell forecast is revised and shows a strong pulse of swell coming up in the afternoon, there’s only one place to head and that’s our secret spot in mid Wales. Only thing is the wave bouys are all showing the Irish Sea less than 5ft which is nothing on most beaches.

There’s only one thing to do and that’s head down there and hope the swell pushes up as the day goes on. Arriving at mid day with expectations low for waves and high for wind, that’s exactly what was happening. Thirty minutes later I’m rigged with my Ezzy 4.5 and RRD Twinzer 74 and head upwind round the point to Aliens with Rich, Steve and Stu in hot pursuit. Unbelievably the swell kicks in like a switch and all of a sudden the sun is coming out the water is the beautiful Irish Sea grey green and we’re on for head to logo high side shore joy.

After 3 hours of the best Irish Sea waves I’ve seen for a while a very nasty squall came through, so its time for a quick break until the squall disappears and wind settles down again. As the tide has changed the point break starts to work so off we go for some more waves, this time off the point. The wind has dropped a bit but the waves are good and the sun is shining. Stu decides to get the camera out and just gets a few shots before the rain sets in…and that’s it, we’re all done…. bodies are creaking, necks are aching, and we are all stoked up on the joy that’s windsurfing.''

So either choice would have been a good 'un.

Carl is team rider for Aloha Sailboards in Cheshire.