This is it. The Friday evening before the one we’ve all been waiting for.. it’s the weekend when the Clocks go Forward! Now that I’ve made that statement, it doesn’t seem that long ago that I was posting (or was it  moaning..) that the Clocks were going back, but it does feel like it’s been   one heck of long winter. That’s all behind us and from Sunday evening dusk won’t be until 8pm.. now that’s the type of statistic I like.

Sadly, for us, the clocks going forward means goodbye to our Sunday afternoons, as the shops Sunday Opening times switch from the 10am-1.00pm Winter hours to the 10am-4.00pm Summer hours. It’s a minor price to pay to have the evenings back! So, what else is happening this weekend…

Shoreham Outriggers Club are off to Silver Lakes in Staines, to compete in the last of the Great Britain Outrigger Winter Sprint races. All types of crews competing and we wish them all well in their endeavours (cannot find a ‘results listing’ for the Series.. anyone know?). The weather should be nice, just for a change!

Since posting Balz’s vids we’ve been asked ‘what’s the wing he’s using’ but we’ve kept stum, as the launch is not due until May. However, today I noticed that a shop on the Continent had listed the Wing in question, which is the New Top Spin Mk2, so here’s a brief overview.

The Top Spin 2 will be launched and available in May and where ‘as before the TS was aimed at the ‘freestylers’, the MK2 is a one does all design, being the only Boom optioned wing from Ensis. Available in two constructions, which are the Std. using a Dacron constructed frame (LE and strut materials) and then the ACE, which is not using the expected Aluula frame but a new type of Dyneema, which allows the LE and Strut bladders to be inflated to much higher pressures (20psi easily, as Balz said). I am pretty sure that both wings will also have two new devices for better wing stability and performance (the ACE, as in the Vids definitely does) which are located at the wing tip ‘elbow’, to allow the tips to distort during gusts and therefore spill the wind and also at the centre of the trailing edge, to control the canopy tension and therefore reduce canopy ‘flutter’, which is what lessens the life of a wings ‘best performance’. The weight of the ACE is noticeable, as it feels a lot lighter than the standard wing, but the price for that is ‘reflected’. Bad news is that if you already have Top Spins, the MK 1 boom / bars will not fit the Mk2, so new bars will be required at £80.00 each. In Ensis’s defence, they have run the Top Spin for almost three years, so it’s a reasonable time span before upgrading. Sizes are 2m though to 6.5m in half metre gaps for the Dacron Std. Wing and 3-4-5-6-6.5m for the ACE version (with the high bladder pressures they have a greater wind range). Pricing for the wings is not as yet exact but the Std. will be around £849.00 for a 5m and the ACE is expected to be a ‘little more’, at around £1490.00. We will add these wings to the website as soon as everything is ‘confirmed’.  Larger pics of both wings can be seen on our Facebook Page .

Sorry if that was long winded and talking of which..

The strong wind forecast we were ‘offered’ at the start of the week has now become more of a hope, as there is usable wind but it may come in too late on Saturday to be used. They now say..

Saturday, winds from the Nor’West first thing 7-11kt, backing Sou’West by mid-morning and increasing to 14-24kt by mid- afternoon. By late afternoon it should be increasing still according to Guru but the Met say it will drop back. Whatever, it will be dark by the time it’s 22-26kt if Guru are correct. Of course, their timing could be out, so re-check tomorrow morning. No rain forecast and a top temp of 9°C if you believe Guru or 13°C the Met. Tide is High at 11.02hrs on a 6.4m, so plenty of water to float Howard and Sarah’s home.

Sunday will see the wind back round to the Nor’West at 10-18kt, all day. Sunshine expected after a cloudy start and a top Temp of 17°C.. hoorah for Summer! The hours added so the Tide will be High at 12.45hrs on an even bigger 6.6m range. Could be ‘on’ both days, for foils and SUPs alike.

And that’s that for this last weekend of Winter and the first of Summer 2025. Will post more about new kit if I get a mo tomorrow but for now, have a great weekend everyone!