286. Points of Sail

Lake Annecy

Slow start this morning, the online board meeting finished at two thirty this morning for me. Looking forward to being there in person next year when I am back but very aware that all this will be just a memory.... and a blog.

Wrote up yesterdays blog this morning as I was prepping for the board meeting last night after returning from Chamonix before the meeting started. I must have been trigger happy yesterday as sorting the photos took ages, our upload rate slow and the day outside beautiful. The process was not helped by Fyfes camera clock being incorrect so the the photos were out of order with my iPhone photos.

Today was a lovely day, mostly yarning with fellow campers and with my Mum for a bit this morning. Meet Lois, a lovely French chap with the twenty two foot trailer-sailer tied to to the camp jetty. We are planning to take it out for a spin tomorrow as he doesn't feel so confident sailing any more when his adult children aren't present. We have employed a two pronged approach to meeting people at this camp. Fiddling around with Teasel seems to induce conversation and the other, much more successful technique is Roman, whom every body seems to know.

Given the chance, I think I would live here, somewhere around the Lake Annecy, the beautiful lake to swim and sail, the possibility of paragliding and ski-ing at Chamonix for the other six months - paradise. Two weeks ago when Paul (Holyport mate) said the same I was surprised but the location has now seduced me completely.

Had a swim in the lake with the kids then another sail across the lake this afternoon with Iris who is getting quite keen on sailing (sans rigging errors). When we got to the other side the wind really built so we turned for home scooting along in a broad reach which was very nice in such temperatures, both water and air. While sailing across, close reaching, I had lee helm leading me to think that I needed to rake the mast next time I rigged. Had just decided this action when, near the lee shore, the helm almost got overwhelmed in a big gust and I finally noticed the rudder had popped half up moving the centre of effort - duffer, might as well drown. Into irons, secured the rudder and continued with the neutral helm which I had established the first time I tuned the boat. I really am impressed how beautifully the Mirror dinghy sails given the chance and a sometimes competent skipper.

Lois appeared with a camera while Iris and I were departing and took the following snaps.

Slip is the right word, it is downright treacherous

Lois' trailer sailer in foreground

Getting out towards the breeze.