Cracking sail at Mersea

[merlin3688]

Just back from sailing in the Mersea Friday night series and what a cracking sail we had, gusts of 30 knots, several broaches and very wet! One Melges lost its mast but most boats survived. We were sailing a J80 which is like a big dinghy with asymmetric kite.............just fab!

 

[xyachtdave]

Our J 80 doesn't have wind speed, if it did we might leave the kite in the bag more often!

There is nothing like seeing 15 knots + on the boat speed, the mud around here comes up fast though......by the time we have decided to drop it, it's too late!

We race ours at MYC under IRC and unfortunately don't get many reaching courses, going fast in the wrong direction has got a bit 'old' recently.

The first time we visited the Blackwater in our cruiser during Mersea week, we noticed a couple of J 80's zipping about, looked like great fun. A proper sailors river and my favourite on the East Coast. Commiseration to Melges and their mast - carbon fibre....not going to be cheap!