Plotting a course

It's about time I posted here. Trouble is that 'other' interests are taking up all my free 'me' time and the Gadgetkids and work take up the rest.

Most of the computer based stuff I have been doing has been researching dinghy sailing, both boats and clubs. Yes I know that I haven't even done the course yet but it's not as if I don't know whether I like sailing or not so won't know if I want to take things further. I have a strong feeling that I will but reality may yet prove different so I can only go with the flow and see where it takes me.

Proper course has been a resident in my sidebar for sometime and I have vicariously enjoyed the thrill of dinghy racing and just getting out there for fun through his Blog, quite an insight into one mans passion for laser racing and all sorts of connected experiences.

Then I happened to meet an old friend that I haven't seen for a few years who whilst we were catching up on our respective lives, just happened to drop in that he had been on a few dinghy courses and wanted to get into racing a 2-crewed dinghy with a trapeze. (Actually he specifically mentioned the 505, but that is a long way off in my head. That would be like passing your bike test and going out and buying a Hyabusa or other top of the range motorbike, then racing it).

I started to think about me and sailing from a perspective that I hadn't considered before though, dinghy sailing is affordable and perhaps this will be a way to satisfy the nautical roots/urges within me, I don't know, but I am driven to find out and to enjoy the journey.

So back to the research, and as part of this, I visited Weston on Sunday, where the above photo of an RS400 was one of those racing. 28 kts of wind out there and about 20-30 club boats on the water. It was a buzz just watching and I itched to get out there too. I liked the location too, decent stretch of water with Southampton to the right and The Solent a few miles to the left.