Side Show is off to LA on Saturday for about 6 weeks so things might go a bit quite. This will be the longest time he has been away from his boat since he got his first set of hydrofoils almost 3 years ago possibly not something to admit to.

No foiling for another sunday because it was gusting 40knots and raining (lots). Luckily Sam arrived to drag Side Show to Overcombe for his first wave sail. Even if I only managed about 15min in the water it was probably the best windsurfing I've done yet. If I could water start more effectively my arms would have lasted a bit longer.

The 600FF took another decisive victory today against the moth. Despite Alex having tweaked the foils and setup enough to make the boat higher and faster upwind while more stable and easier to push hard down wind. With winds gusting 27knots Sam retired from the second race whilst in a commanding lead claming he had hurt his leg! Later Pate Barton went for a sail and demonstrated why he had been advised to stay ashore. Before you learn to foil it is normal to learn to sail first, leeward heel is never a good look particularly in 19knots of breeze. A quick windsurf in the afternoon and the day was compete.

Almost no wind wind in FoilTown this weekend and with over 300 oppies descending on the Weymouth and Portland Lottery funded day care and wedding reception center everyone with any sense headed to the north coast for some great waves!

Here are some great pictures from the this years worlds thanks to Mrs Tagg. The other half of the album will be added shortly.

A little bit late now but here are a few photos Zac's dad took at the Danish worlds last year.

One race each again this evening luckily just like when he was sailing the moth the Clown always lets Side Show through when he gets the gybe wrong.

Another day in foiltown another video.

Monday evening was shaping up to be another brilliant sail with winds gusting up to 25knots luckily Richard Langdon from Ocean Images was on hand to capture it on film, here's the results.

And so it begins! Side show in the Moth takes off slightly earlier then Sam the Clown in the six but that was already known from Moths. However once foiling on a reach in about 7 knots of breeze the moth lacked the same power and Sam the Clown definitely seemed to be catching.

Here is the video Sam didn't want to be seen so it's a couple of years old now but good to see how far things have come.

Well the nationals was a great success despite my, I'll do it tomorrow, organization style. The turnout wasn't spectacular but was significantly up on last year so things are heading in the right direction. There were a few people concerned about three races a day but think everybody coped.

Day one left us with no clear leader as Sam Jason and Adam each had a 1,2,3 score line. I had a 4 dnf 4 after I broke 2 pence worth of plastic. Although I was well clear of 5th I couldn't quiet hold on to the pace of the leading trio particularly upwind where I struggled for height.

In races four and five I again had a lonely time in 4th place but in the next I was able to nail a pin end flyer with most boats seeming to be so far away that I became worried that the start was still a minute away. I managed to hold on to the lead until the top of the second beat when Jason was able to climb inside me. Then when I gibed around the leeward mark I carefully threaded the tiller extension between the boom and the outhaul which resulted in a capsize. This is the same maneuver as I demonstrated in the moth crunch time video.

The third day was a light one in which Mike was able to push me hard and got ahead of me by some distance a couple of times but could hold on to finish. In the last race of the day I was chasing Mike when we came across Sam unable to get back onto the foils after a botched light wind gibe allowing us both through. In the dying breeze I was just able to keep the boat airborne on the final gibe when mike dropped of the foils allowing me through.

Tuesday was a one race day with an afternoon foil school. I had a good start to the race. With Adam slow off the line I rounded the windward in 4th with Simon payne arriving to do just a couple of days. On the second beat Si and Jason chased hard right fighting each other forgetting to pass through the start finish line and so getting a DSQ leaving me in a very convenient second. Then on the run sam stopped on a gibe again letting me through. Adam and Sam then chased me hard for two laps at times all three of us separated by just a few boat lengths but in the end I held on to take by first win at a national championship.

All further racing had to be canceled as the wind was too strong for the remaining days Simon managed to break a rig on the light post on the end of the pontoon much to everyone else's amusement.

Happy landings Alex

19 July - It's coming home It's coming Foiling's coming home...

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